Now you know rest of story

To the editor:

A few weeks ago, an editorial paid tribute to Judy Wilferth, who received the Rush H. Limbaugh Sr. Award from the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce. It was well-deserved. Wilferth is an excellent businesswoman, plus she has worked on dozens of projects that benefited a variety of benevolent causes.

The editorial seemed to imply that after many years this type of honor was finally given to a woman. But, as Paul Harvey says, let's hear the rest of the story.

Some 20 years ago, the chamber board on which I was serving recognized a list of outstanding women who had contributed much to Cape's progress. Wilferth was not only selected for the board, but also served as chairwoman of the board. She was the first among many women, including Marsha Limbaugh, manager of a brokerage office; Beverly Estes, a major leader in developing the Convention and Visitors Bureau; and Martha Maxwell, who was responsible for the tremendous growth in the public library, who were recognized by the chamber over the years. They broke the mold of a historic male-only culture.

The chamber looks for and helps develop doers regardless of gender. The latest is the selection of Janet Esicar to head this year's chamber.

Now you know the rest of the story.

CLIFF RUDESILL

Cape Girardeau