Herbert V. Prochnow
Encyclopedia
Herbert V. Prochnow was a U.S.
banking executive, noted toastmaster
, and author
during the middle 20th Century. As Vice President of the First National Bank of Chicago, Prochnow wrote several popular books on public speaking
. He also wrote epigram
s and anecdote
s that appeared in The Saturday Evening Post
and Reader's Digest
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
banking executive, noted toastmaster
Toastmaster
Toastmaster is a general term, prevalent in the United States in the middle 20th century, referring to a person in charge of the proceedings of a public speaking event. The toastmaster is typically charged with organization of the event, arranging the order of speakers, introducing one or more of...
, and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
during the middle 20th Century. As Vice President of the First National Bank of Chicago, Prochnow wrote several popular books on public speaking
Public speaking
Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...
. He also wrote epigram
Epigram
An epigram is a brief, interesting, usually memorable and sometimes surprising statement. Derived from the epigramma "inscription" from ἐπιγράφειν epigraphein "to write on inscribe", this literary device has been employed for over two millennia....
s and anecdote
Anecdote
An anecdote is a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person. It may be as brief as the setting and provocation of a bon mot. An anecdote is always presented as based on a real incident involving actual persons, whether famous or not, usually in an identifiable place...
s that appeared in The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
and Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
.
Quotable quotes by Prochnow
- "A visitor from Mars could easily pick out the civilized nations. They have the best implements of war."
- "The trouble with opportunity is that it always comes disguised as hard work."
- "'Company policy' means there's no understandable reason for this action."
- "A great many people mistake opinions for thoughts."
Books by Prochnow
- The Toastmaster's Handbook (Prentice HallPrentice HallPrentice Hall is a major educational publisher. It is an imprint of Pearson Education, Inc., based in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, USA. Prentice Hall publishes print and digital content for the 6-12 and higher-education market. Prentice Hall distributes its technical titles through the Safari...
, May 1949) - The Successful Speaker's Handbook (Prentice Hall, May 1951)
- The Speaker's Treasury of Stories for All Occasions (Prentice Hall, June 1953)
- The Toastmaster's and Speaker's Handbook (October 1955, Cardinal edition in paperbackPaperbackPaperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
December 1955) - Meditations on the Beatitudes (1952)