Remembering a colleague

Alan Abelson of Barron’s remembers Saturday his former colleague, Harlan Byrne, the Midwest editor of Barron’s who died earlier this week at the age of 89.

Abelson writes, “From his Barron’s perch in the Windy City, Harlan cast an inquiring and knowing eye on a wide swath of Corporate America, especially those muscular companies that made big ugly things that rust in the rain. He was a meticulous reporter of the highest integrity, a prolific writer, an unflappable, low-key interviewer, no matter how grouchy and intimidating the subject, an astute judge of markets and possessed of an extraordinary ability to separate fact from hyperbole, truth from spin.

“We can’t recall a single instance when one of the countless pieces he wrote elicited a complaint of inaccuracy from even the crankiest corporate chieftain. Would that all of us ink-stained wretches could say the same.

“Harlan graced the Barron’s masthead until he retired in 2002, but continued to turn out his thoroughly researched, well-wrought pieces for the magazine until 2006. Personally, he was bright, gentle and unfailingly generous, just one great guy. All of us at Barron’s and anyone lucky enough to have known Harlan will really miss him.”

Read more here.