Rance Crain

Rance Crain (BSJ60) is a member of the inaugural class of the Medill Hall of Achievement of 1997.

He currently serves on Medill’s Board of Advisers.

Crain retired as president and editorial director of Crain Communications Inc. in 2017. Crain Communications is one of the largest privately owned business media companies with 30 leading business, trade and consumer brands in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company’s 850 employees in 11 locations produce business and trade publications, digital products, events, marketing services, custom publishing, lead generation, and research and data products to help its millions of readers and clients succeed. In 2013, he was inducted into the Advertising Hall Fame.

Crain started his career as a reporter for the company’s Advertising Age magazine. He later became senior editor of Advertising Age and also has served as editor and editorial director of a number of other Crain Communications publications. Crain Communications publishes weekly business newspapers in Chicago, New York, Detroit, and Cleveland. The company’s trade papers include Electronic Media, Plastics News, and Pensions & Investments, and it has acquired Modern Healthcare, Autoweek and RCR, serving the wireless communications industry.