Remembering a good, kind man at Playboy

I was very sorry to hear about Hugh Hefner's passing. In 1962, I had just graduated from high school and I got a job in the subscription department at Playboy Magazine. At the time, I was a very naive 18-year-old who didn't really know what Playboy was about; I was just happy to have a real job. Mr. Hefner and Playboy would soon become an important part of my life for the next seven and a half years.

When many people hear the name Hugh Hefner, they associate him with pictures of naked girls in a magazine aimed at the male population. But Mr. Hefner was much more than a publisher of a "girlie" magazine. Before it was "politically correct," he hired his employees on their merits, not on the color of their skin or their sexual orientation. It didn't matter if his employees were white, black, gay or straight. That wasn't important to him. The only thing that mattered was that they were good employees.

Some of my bosses were black, and, remember, this was the early Sixties. I learned by working at Playboy to never judge a person because of the way they looked or acted. My co-workers during my years at Playboy became my family, and I carry many fond memories of this family.

At Christmastime, Hefner would invite all of his employees whether you worked in an executive position or the mailroom to a Christmas party at his mansion. He would always join us at these parties and was very personable. He didn't have to do this for us, but he wanted to show his appreciation for the job we were doing.

You were a good, kind man, Mr. Hefner. I will always remember that and will always be grateful for the time I spent working for you and Playboy.

Terri Arbin Basso

Grayslake,