In looking back on 500 issue of Futures magazine I depended on older and wiser people. Darrell Jobman did a great job listing the “10 events that molded futures in the 20th century.”
My job was easier because I could rely on industry veterans who I had interviewed over the years. Leo Melamed did a great job in describing the major events for the industry in our agents of change issue.
Leo Melamed: In the middle of the action from the beginning
Also in that issue we talked to Philip McBride Johnson, who was perhaps single handedly responsible for making sure the Commodity Futures Trading Commission would have exclusive jurisdiction of Futures. If this would not have been the case, the dramatic growth of new products in the 1970s and 80s would not have been possible.
Philip McBride Johnson: Made CFTC master of its own domain
In touching on our various anniversary issues we pointed out highlights like our interview with Richard Dennis, perhaps the first all-star futures trader, in the first issue of Futures magazine. In September 1983 Merrill Oster changed the name from Commodities to Futures and despite the admonitions of Jim Rogers, we haven’t changed it back.
I concentrated on some of the big stories from the 21st century:
- CFMA of 2000: Preparing futures for next millennium
- Common clearing link: The ultimate poker game
- Long only commodity indexes make noise
- Icing the CME
About the Author
Editor-in-Chief of Modern Trader, Daniel Collins is a 25-year veteran of the futures industry having worked on the trading floors of both the Chicago Board of Trade and Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Dan joined Futures magazine in 2001, before the name change to Modern Trader, and in 2005 he was promoted to Managing Editor, responsible for overseeing all the content that went into Futures and futuresmag.com. Dan’s incisive reporting and no-holds barred commentary places him among the most recognized national media figures covering futures, derivative trading and alternative investments.