Demanding and respected: Charlotte leaders share memories of longtime Observer publisher
Rolfe Neill, one of modern Charlotte’s most influential leaders and publisher of The Charlotte Observer from 1975 until his retirement in 1997, died Friday at age 90.
He had personal and working relationships with business and political leaders across Charlotte and North Carolina. Many shared how they viewed Neill’s role in and impact on the city.
“He never was a caretaker for the newspaper. He ran it, but he did not protect it from his own critical opinions. It’s one of the reasons I respected him so much, why the community respected him so much. Likewise, he never sandbagged me. He always gave me his honest opinion.”
Former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt
“I don’t know how he did his research, but Rolfe was always keenly aware of what was going on. He was interested in everything. He was willing to share his knowledge on any subject — from sports to politics or the arts, and it wasn’t superficial in any shape or form. He wasn’t a know-it-all. But he did know it all.”
Former Charlotte broadcast executive Jim Babb
“Rolfe made me aware of every word I said and every word we wrote ... . He could speak authoritatively about the future of Charlotte’s business landscape and pick out the one word in a story that fell just short of his standards for context and accuracy. He was demanding and exacting and protective of the Charlotte region.
“He also showed immense compassion to Observer employees struggling with challenges outside of work. Many of us benefited from his understanding of the messiness of life. Rolfe carried white handkerchiefs and was quick to offer them.”
Former Observer Managing Editor Cheryl Carpenter
“He was as comfortable with the newspaper delivery man as he was with the president of the United States. Rolfe Neill was Rolfe Neill. There was no pretense about him at all.”
Retired Duke Power CEO Bill Grigg
“I was cautious around him at first because he was always unrelenting in his questioning of what the bank was doing. I think it would be a stretch to say that we were friends ... (But) we found ourselves agreeing more often than not, and we both began working together on more things than not. I don’t know, maybe we both learned. We’ve both grown ... He was always more mature than me.”
Former Bank of America Chairman and CEO Hugh McColl. He and Neill were members of “the Group,” a behind-the-scenes cadre of business leaders who helped develop modern Charlotte.
