Canceled Seal

Herbert Raymond Mayes was a Hearst editor in the old tradition--bellowing, belligerent, brilliant. He joined the empire in 1927, became editor of the money-making monthly Good Housekeeping in 1938. Says a freelancer who has felt his whip: "Mayes ran that magazine like the overseer of a chain gang." He did everything from assigning articles to writing heads, often refashioned passages of fiction without bothering to tell the author. His editorial recipe served the housewife a hasty pudding of bland fiction, beauty tips, and advice ranging from babies to plumbing. This year Good Housekeeping has a circulation of 4,233,252, tops in its 73-year history, and ad revenues are up some $200,000 over last year.

Writing this record, Editor Mayes brooked no interference. Trouble started in 1955 when suave, shrewd Richard Deems was promoted from the advertising side of the Hearst magazines to executive vice president in charge of all magazine operations. The two strong-willed men began a struggle for position--Mayes opposing any tinkering, Deems trying to establish himself.

One morning last week Deems ended the struggle by calling Mayes into his office and firing him. His successor: able Wade H. Nichols, 43, editor of McCall's Redbook, who will move to Good Housekeeping at $65,000 base pay plus bonuses. A man who delegates responsibility, Nichols earned a solid reputation by converting themeless Redbook into a magazine that aims at young adults, raising circulation from 1,915,905 when he took over in 1949 to 2,591,676 this year.

Minus the Good Housekeeping seal of approval, wiry, grey-thatched Herb Mayes, 58, still had some of the seal's benefits. To get rid of him, Deems bought his contract, which ran for 2 1/2 more years at a salary close to $100,000.

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