Journalist Cal Fussman: A Career of Trade and Travel

It was a hot August day in 1974 when a young man stepped out of a taxi and looked at a block of dormitories on the campus of the University of Missouri. This was Calvin “Cal” Fussman, BJ ’78, who had just moved from Long Island, New York, to Columbia, Missouri, to become a journalist. With his hand-held luggage in tow, he tried to figure out which of the buildings would be his new home. Another young man peeked his head out from a third-floor window.

“Is this Cramer Hall?” Fussman called out.

“Yeah,” the other student called back. “Come on up!”

And with that warm welcome, a welcome he never forgot, Fussman stepped into his new life. That first day on campus would prove emblematic of Fussman’s career. Thanks to his MU connections and training, Fussman would go on to write for major newspapers, travel extensively, meet global figures, write best-selling books, and interact with broadcast legends. His journey, while uniquely focused on journalism, offers fascinating insights into the kind of experiences encompassing chris calvin trade and travel in a journalistic context.

Cal Fussman, BJ '78, the journalist known for extensive trade and travel interviews

The Path to Missouri: Inspired by the Best

Fussman’s passion for writing began early. As a boy, his father would bring home newspapers from work in New York City. Fussman and his brother would race down the driveway to get them, with Cal immediately turning to the sports section. Reading the sports columns sparked his desire to become a writer.

A pivotal moment occurred in 1973 when Neil Amdur, BJ ’61, the sports editor at the New York Times, spoke at Columbia University. Fussman, then a high school senior, was captivated by Amdur’s talk, particularly his coverage of the 1972 Munich Olympics tragedy. After the speech, Fussman eagerly approached Amdur, bursting with questions for the journalist he admired. He shared his ambition to become a sports columnist and asked for advice on the best university for journalism.

“Missouri,” Amdur replied, “where else?”

That simple answer was all the direction Fussman needed. Shortly after, he arrived at MU on that hot August day, ready to pursue his calling.

Forging the Trade: The University of Missouri Years

The following four years on campus were characterized by intense work and constant deadlines. After a road game between the Tigers and the Jayhawks in Lawrence, Kansas, Fussman, covering basketball for The Maneater, found himself typing furiously on a typewriter in the backseat of a fellow reporter’s car to meet his deadline. Despite the pressure, his sense of humor remained intact.

Bucky Fox, BJ ’77, who wrote for the Columbia Missourian at the time, remembers Fussman’s talent and wit. “He’s one of the funniest guys I’ve ever met,” says Fox. “Cal is just someone you have to bow down to. You knew how talented he was as soon as you met him. You just knew he was going places. I see him as a lifelong friend and looking back, it was like something out of a movie while we were driving back from that game; we were laughing the whole way back.”

In The Maneater newsroom, Fussman was part of a competitive group that included future prominent columnists like Tim Sullivan, Jerry Sullivan, John McGrath, Jeff Jacobs, and Tom Shatel. “Simply submitting an article in a competitive crowd like that at the Maneater became an event in itself,” Fussman recalls. “It may have seemed like a student-run newspaper to anybody on the outside, but from the sports department on the inside, we saw it as a world unto itself.”

Cal Fussman (kneeling) with The Maneater student newspaper staff at the University of Missouri, where he honed his journalism trade

After two years at The Maneater, Fussman moved to the Columbia Missourian, where he often worked late into the night, sometimes even sleeping outside on a bench covered by newspapers. At the Missourian, he learned from esteemed professors like Daryl Moen, George Kennedy, and Brian Brooks. While he admits he didn’t always attend classes, he credits independent conversations with his professors as crucial to his education.

Professor Moen recognized Fussman’s dedication: “Cal threw himself into his work,” Moen says. “He always had a great, positive attitude. As a student he had star power written all over him. Not because he was smart enough, he worked hard as well, which is why he was known for skipping class. He didn’t skip because he was a bad student. He skipped because he was working hard on his stories.”

His intense focus on practical journalism sometimes led to academic challenges, such as the required Principles of Advertising final exam. Fussman, who had struggled with the previous exams, needed to pass to graduate on time. With help from classmate Joyce King Thomas, BJ ’78 (who later co-created MasterCard’s “Priceless” campaign), he studied intensely. An avid boxing fan, Fussman arrived at the final exam in boxing attire with a sign on his chest reading “F-F-F” above a huge “A”, signifying his three past failures and hope for an A on the final. To his astonishment, he passed, allowing him to graduate with his class.

Fussman also made an impact on his peers through his willingness to share his expertise. One night, a younger staff member approached him for help editing a story. Fussman offered detailed suggestions, leading the younger student to feel overwhelmed by the level of innate talent Fussman possessed. Fussman laughs about it now, noting that the student went on to become a highly respected and paid lawyer.

His deep immersion in the local sports scene meant that MU head football coach Al Onofrio sometimes found it unusual if Fussman wasn’t at practice. Missouri also provided other opportunities: meeting John Walsh, MA ’69, creator of ESPN’s Sports Center; reporting on MU sports for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and United Press International; speaking at alumni gatherings; and even winning an award with prize money, which he jokes was likely “re-gifted” to a local establishment. The support from professors and peers at MU encouraged Fussman to pursue ambitious goals.

Venturing Out: A Decade of Chris Calvin Trade and Travel

Backed by his professors, Fussman launched his professional career at the Miami Herald, then moved to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and later Inside Sports magazine. When Inside Sports folded, Fussman felt ready for a new challenge and decided to see the world, embarking on a decade of extensive global travel.

Living on minimal funds and without a permanent base in Europe, Fussman developed a unique approach to travel and interviewing. Riding the Eurorail, he would look for someone with a kind face, sit next to them, and strike up a conversation. “I knew that once I sat down, I was going to have to engage the person in a conversation,” Fussman says. “That was going to be my best bet for them to invite me to their home to stay with them.” This method, honed over years of traveling to more than 50 countries and meeting countless individuals, became the foundation of his renowned interviewing style – built on developing trust and genuine connection.

During his cash-strapped but enriching travels, Fussman realized he couldn’t be a nomad forever. While traveling through Bolivia, the Sunday Magazine editor at the Washington Post tracked him down and assigned him a story on the best beach in South America. Fussman took the assignment, focusing on a beach in Brazil. While researching that story, he met the Brazilian woman who would become his wife.

Cal Fussman in a boxing ring with Julio Chavez, showcasing his experiential approach to covering diverse subjects during his travels

With a new personal connection and a vast archive of global experiences, Fussman settled in New York. He eventually became a writer-at-large for Esquire magazine, famous for his ‘What I’ve Learned’ column. This role allows him to interview individuals who have led extraordinary lives, from politicians like Mikhail Gorbachev and Jimmy Carter to actors like Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, and business leaders like Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson. Through this work, he also befriended two of his childhood heroes: Muhammad Ali and Larry King.

Impactful Narratives: Stories of Significance

Two of Fussman’s longer-form pieces stand out as particularly significant in his career.

One involved training as a sommelier at the restaurant Windows on The World, located 1,300 feet atop the World Trade Center. After two years of training, global travel to learn about wine, and even serving as the official sommelier for a night, the 9/11 attacks destroyed the Twin Towers before he could write the story. “Words were trapped inside me,” Fussman says, “and I couldn’t get them out.”

The World Trade Center Twin Towers, site of events central to two of Cal Fussman's most impactful journalism pieces

It took him a decade to find a way to articulate the experience, balancing the joy of the journey with the tragedy that followed. “Drinking at 1,300 ft.: A 9/11 Story About Wine and Wisdom” was published online in Esquire in 2011. The piece earned the James Beard award for “Best Personal Essay,” a top honor in culinary writing.

The second impactful story was told through the eyes and voice of Michael Wright, a survivor of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. By presenting the narrative in Wright’s voice, Fussman allowed readers to connect directly with the reality of that day. “The subhead says: ‘The story of his escape is the fastest 3,863 words you will ever read,’” says Fussman. “But it is more than a magazine article. It’s an oral history. You could read that story 500 years from now and understand exactly what that day was like.”

Fussman describes the sommelier story as akin to painting on a blank canvas, while the Michael Wright piece was like sculpting from clay someone else put in his hands, figuring out how to give it form and life.

Full Circle: Tying Journeys Back

Fussman often connects his expansive journeys and remarkable career back to that initial welcoming moment on the University of Missouri campus in 1974.

Cal Fussman, the acclaimed journalist and writer-at-large for Esquire magazine

“If I really delve deep into it, I could see how, at that first moment, it set me up to succeed,” Fussman says. From his educational journey to his globe-spanning adventures, he consistently felt a sense of warm welcome wherever life led him, a feeling rooted in that initial campus experience.

His Missouri connections opened doors to unique opportunities, including his long-standing relationship with Larry King, with whom he shared breakfast almost daily for years. King offered invaluable advice on journalism. “I never judge,” King told him. “Look, everybody has got his or her own style; everybody is going to do it differently. There’s no one right way to do it. There’s really no secret to being yourself.”

Fussman internalized this wisdom, recognizing the importance of authenticity in both writing and interviewing. He now pays forward the kindness and guidance he received. Chris Jones, then an intern, attended an Esquire Christmas party in 2001 and was invited to join Fussman, Tom Junod, and other senior staff for dinner. Jones sat next to Fussman, who, despite his own stature (and striking white suit with red pinstripes), offered simple yet profound advice: “He said to just sit back and listen. And that’s exactly what I did. He was giving me good lessons and was being so kind to the new kid who didn’t belong at the table, but that’s Cal.”

References

• Amdur, Neil. BJ ’61. New York Times Sports Editor.
• Fox, Bucky. BJ ’77.
• Jacobs, Jeff. BJ ’77. Hartford Courant columnist.
• Jones, Chris. Writer.
• Kennedy, George. MU Professor.
• King, Larry. Broadcast icon.
• Kirkland, Matthew. Photographer.
• McGrath, John. BJ ’76. News Tribune (Tacoma) columnist.
• Moen, Daryl. MU Professor.
• Onofrio, Al. MU Head Football Coach.
• Schneller, John. BJ ’80. MU Associate Professor and Missourian editor.
• Shatel, Tom. BJ ’80. Omaha World-Herald columnist.
• Straussner, Ally. BJ ’15. Original article author.
• Sullivan, Jerry. BJ ’77. Buffalo News columnist.
• Sullivan, Tim. BJ ’76. Louisville Courier-Journal columnist.
• Thomas, Joyce King. BJ ’78. Co-creator of MasterCard’s “Priceless” campaign.
• Walsh, John. MA ’69. Creator of ESPN’s Sports Center.
• Wright, Michael. 9/11 Survivor.

Linked Articles/Works Mentioned:

• Fussman, Cal. “Drinking at 1,300 ft.: A 9/11 Story About Wine and Wisdom.” Esquire, 2011.
• Fussman, Cal. “What I’ve Learned: Michael Wright.” Esquire. http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/interviews/a2038/esq0102-jan-wtc-rev/

(Note: Original article includes image captions and links to external sites within the text, which are retained or noted where appropriate. Photo credits are listed in References.)