A De Pere native, V.I. “Vic” Minahan, who died in 2003, had a vision for Appleton and the Fox Cities. As publisher of the Appleton Post-Crescent, he led the paper through one of its greatest growth periods in circulation and market penetration. He eventually built the company, Post Corp., of which he was president, to include ownership of several papers and TV stations around the country by the time of its sale in 1984. It was said that taking the Post-Crescent from a small family-held company to a very substantial corporation was one of his greatest professional achievements.
Minahan began working at the Post-Crescent in 1948 as a copywriter. He moved up, working as suburban editor, Neenah-Menasha editor, advertising salesman, promotion manager, treasurer, executive vice president and editor. He was named president and publisher in 1962.
During his time as publisher, The Post-Crescent removed “Appleton” from its masthead to reflect its expanded coverage area and circulation. In the 1950s, Minahan also coined the term “Fox Cities” to refer to the newspaper’s expanding coverage area in the Fox River Valley.
Minahan also was a civic leader, playing active roles in several community organizations. He was president of the Appleton Chamber of Commerce, the Appleton Community Fund and the Riverview Country Club. He was also chairman of the Appleton Redevelopment Authority. He served as a member of the Governor’s Commission on Human Rights and the St. Norbert College Board of Governors, and was director of the Outagamie Blood Center, the Appleton YMCA, Bank One and the Appleton Baseball Club Inc.
