In 1932 Chuck and Frank Cramer decided to begin publishing The First Aider to assist reaching customers during the Great Depression. They borrowed money to buy a printing press and in October of 1932 The First Aider debuted. The purpose of publication was “to carry a message” and they made no excuses about using it to sell their products since product sales allowed the company to provide the publication for free. And they would use this publication to advance and promote athletic training.
In the 69 years of the print edition over 1000 issues were produced and an estimated 6-8 million copies were distributed at no charge. It is still available as an on-line publication. |