| The 25th Anniversary of
Mark H. Taylor Last year the Auditing Section celebrated its 25th year as part of the American Accounting Association. This edition of The Auditor’s Report commemorates the newsletter’s 25th anniversary. The Auditor’s Report has retained its name for the duration of its existence and has been a very important outlet for Auditing Section news, Association events, and updates on the profession. Many individuals have contributed to our newsletter’s mission, and I thought it would be interesting to compile some comments from previous editors. Specifically, what follows are our previous editors’ reflections on their service, the growth of the section, and the role the newsletter has played during that time period. I am very grateful that all of our previous editors agreed to participate. Their comments follow in order of their time as editor. It’s hard to remember the American Accounting Association at the time The Auditor’s Report was started. There were no sections in the Association prior to 1976. In that year, the Auditing Section, along with three other sections, came into being. There had been lots of debate as to whether allowing sections to form in the AAA would splinter and weaken the organization. Auditing itself was not one of the more popular areas for teaching and research so those of us involved thought it was time to focus some attention on this important part of our discipline. Subsequently, KPMG started its program of funding auditing research that stimulated significant interest among academicians in the field. My first job as editor of the Auditing Section newsletter was to find a name for it. After talking with a few people and not getting anything that I thought was appropriate, I took the plunge and christened it with the title that has remained for 25 years! There were no models for section newsletters and the editor not only developed the copy but also was responsible for getting it printed. The first copy was a far cry from the polished publication section members receive today. There was a tremendous rush to get an issue out and the result, by today’s standards, looked pretty crude. I cannot recall whether I was provided with labels and mailed the newsletter myself or whether I sent it to the Association for mailing. One thing that probably has not changed is getting contributors to the newsletter issue to get their materials to you to meet publication deadlines! With the financial fiascos of recent periods, including Enron, the tremendous importance of the audit function has been re-emphasized. Members of the Auditing Section must continue to provide the auditing profession with both well-prepared individuals who have a strong grounding in ethics, and research that supports a more effective audit function. One way to do the latter is to contribute dialogue and commentary to The Auditor’s Report. Corine T. Norgaard I am forever grateful to then Section President Jack Robertson for inviting me to be the editor of The Auditor’s Report. Reflecting back on those years reminds me of the most fun and exciting experiences of my career. I was part of a new wave of auditing enthusiasts who had spawned a fledgling section just a few years before. During my three years as editor, the section’s membership nearly tripled to over 1,200 members and its forward momentum created many exciting opportunities for auditing educators. As the section’s primary communication medium, so to speak, The Auditor’s Report ingested much of this enthusiasm and excitement as all this “good news” passed through its pages on the way to section members—over 50 percent of which, by the way, were practitioners at that time. Some of the more memorable items that the newsletter carried during my time as editor were the creation of the section’s new journal, information about auditing conferences and CPE seminars, Peat Marwick Mitchell “Research Opportunities in Auditing” grant recipients, the establishment of the Distinguished Service in Auditing Award, new auditing professorships, and innovative classroom tools and materials. The pages of the newsletter were literally burgeoning with the trappings of a very “spirit and soul” of the “auditing movement,” and as newsletter’s editor at the time, I was simply along for the ride. Jack Krogstad I was editor of The Auditor’s Report during the presidencies of Bill Felix, Jim Loebbecke, and Joe Schultz. Reviewing issues of newsletter from that period reminded me of how far our discipline has progressed. For example, in the Summer 1982 issue, Andy Bailey opined on Accounting accreditation while in a later issue Bob Roussey, then an Andersen partner, informed us that “the microcomputer is the game.” And many others shared substantive essays with the readers. All of them were a pleasure to work with—and they seemed to understand the importance of deadlines! Preceding, during, and subsequent to this period The Auditor’s Report has contributed significantly to the effective communication between the Section and its members. I encourage members to continue to contribute to the future success of the Section via items you send to the editor. Gerald Smith It’s truly hard to believe that I was editor of The Auditor’s Report over 15 years ago; time flies by. I agreed to be editor of this publication because it serves a vital function for the members of the Auditing Section. It is the communication vehicle by which the section informs its members of the section’s activities, significant issues in practice, current auditing research, educational innovations, and upcoming events. The Auditor’s Report is read by more members than any other publication produced by the Auditing Section. In a sense, it is the “glue” that holds the section together. Some interesting events occurred while I was editor. We instituted the “ASB Update” column at this time to provide members with information about agenda items of the Auditing Standards Board and related research opportunities. A significant concern I had then, and continue to have, is the limited communications between auditing professors and practitioners. To further address this concern, I promoted articles that reviewed auditing research in a clear, concise manner and that identified practitioners’ views of significant issues they face. To save costs I remember anguishing a great deal about the paper stock to use. One issue went out that was not glossy and of thinner bond. This proved to be quite unpopular, and we immediately reverted back to the traditional “user friendly” paper…the trials and tribulations of an editor. Arnie Wright Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the commemorative article for volume 25 of The Auditor’s Report. I simply wish to say, having retired in June 1998, that I enjoyed working with various section members in producing The Auditor’s Report and consider the experience one of the privileges of my career. The newsletter was then and is now a vital source of important information to section members. Dennis Kimmell The Auditor’s Report is a unique forum because it is an easy-to-read synopsis of key events, recent publications of interest, standard-setting developments, peer recognition for a number of leadership positions and awards, and essays directed to areas of research, educational challenges, practice developments, and case scenarios. Long before my editorship, I had contributed articles to the newsletter reflecting research streams in which I have been actively involved throughout my career. I enjoyed my editorship of the Section’s newsletter because it provided me with an opportunity to reach out to our members and share candid photographs of various meetings, essays such as David Tweedie’s discussion of international auditing issues associated with the then hot questions as to whistle-blowing responsibilities, and thorough coverage of diverse literature bases by our column editors who did our literature review. I remember that as I extended invitations to our members domestically and abroad to prepare essays for the newsletter, they were always happy to do so and timely in their input. As editor, I also had the pleasure of authoring content, and I received feedback on many of the articles that were included in the newsletter during my term as editor. I believe that speaks to the usefulness of the forum as a resource for both research and teaching. Insofar as humorous anecdotes, the only one that comes to mind relates to the very real challenge of having the right number of pages front and back to lay out the physical appearance of the newsletter to both look professional and stay within the printing and mailing budget. At times this required propitious selection from among competing photographs, attempts to rearrange article continuation, and the unavoidable outcome—at times—of disjointed expositions…The joys of coordinating intent with the printed word. It was a pleasure working with the Publications Office at the Association. We did have to grin and bear those times when production decisions made our best laid plans go awry! I encourage all of the members of the Auditing Section jump at a chance both to contribute to the newsletter, and if asked, to join those of us who have had the pleasure of being the editor for this indispensable publication. Wanda Wallace I recall receiving a call from Wanda Wallace who asked me to serve as the editor of The Auditor’s Report. As a new Ph.D. from a small program (Union College), I saw this as an excellent opportunity to get involved in one of the most important sections of the American Accounting Association. In the early days, I recall having difficulty getting the more seasoned auditing researchers and luminaries in our section to contribute to the newsletter. So, I decided to go after other relatively inexperienced scholars like myself. It was truly a wonderful experience. In 20/20 hindsight, I’m sure I could have done the job better as editor. In particular, I wish I had made a stronger connection to business and industry, especially on emerging issues. Having served as a partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers and now as the CEO of a private company (Privacy Council), I see was were significant opportunities to establish The Auditor’s Report as a link to emerging auditing issues. Example topics might include auditing new privacy and information security requirements, accounting ethics in the wake of Enron, and much more. Larry Ponemon When Mark Taylor asked me to prepare a short article looking back on my term as editor of The Auditor’s Report, he asked that I consider activities in the world-at-large during that period, as well as within the Auditing Section. My term extended from 1995 to 1998, and included the Presidencies of Arnie Wright, Jane Mutchler, and Barry Cushing. When I thought back to world happenings in 1995–1998, I had difficulty recalling specific events (however, I do vaguely remember that stock prices were rising!). I went to the web for help, and found several interesting items that I must have missed at the time—for instance: “POLICE BEGIN
CAMPAIGN TO RUN DOWN JAY WALKERS” Our headlines in The Auditor’s Report during that period (while not as striking as those noted above) are reflective of activities on multiple fronts that were taking place within the Section at that time. Many of the articles published during my term related to two broad areas of interest that continue to be important today: the globalization of accounting and auditing, and technological innovation. On the topic of globalization, we published articles relating to audit education in Europe, auditing research opportunities in Australia and in Europe, challenges for the auditing profession in the Hong Kong area, international auditing standards, and accounting and auditing in developing countries. Taken together, the articles of that time were very informative regarding the shifts toward global integration of the auditing profession, and toward increasing use of technology in decision making, which occurred during the mid-1990s. The Auditor’s Report provides an important vehicle for communication among Section members. There is really no other outlet for publication of thought pieces that address such a wide audience of leaders in the auditing profession. I am pleased to have served as the editor of such an important Section publication, I thank the individuals who contributed to The Auditor’s Report during my term, the Section officers with whom I served, and the personnel on the AAA staff who helped produce the issues. Jean Bedard 1In the interest of full disclosure, these are supposedly real headlines appearing in newspapers in 1995, taken from the following web site: http://www-eksl.cs.umass.edu/~schmill/headlines.html. I have not verified the accuracy of this claim—perhaps an assurance service is needed! The purpose of The Auditor’s Report is to connect the 1,600 plus section members with important information relevant to the profession and the Section. For example, calls for papers and program information for upcoming conferences, and important announcements from officers or the editor of AUDITING: A Journal of Practice & Theory. Of course, it provides a setting for the section President to communicate his or her thoughts, and for the Academic Member of the ASB to report the latest developments in that area. Perhaps less obviously, but maybe more importantly, the newsletter provides a forum for section members to share their thoughts on the developments in audit practice, teaching, and research. This is an area where, in my opinion, the opportunity for exchange of ideas is under-utilized. During my term as Editor I invited such contributions and appreciate those who prepared essays and comment papers for inclusion in the newsletter. I enjoyed my term as editor and encourage Section members, especially those who have not taken the opportunity to do so, to contribute to the progress of the Section by submitting an article to The Auditor’s Report. Gary Braun I first became involved with The Auditor’s Report in 1998 when I was invited to be an editor for the “Have You Seen…?” column. I looked at the opportunity as a way to provide some service to the section in the course of keeping current with auditing research. After one year of that, I was invited to be the associate editor, and worked with Gary Braun for the next year, before being invited to be the editor. I have continued in the tradition of the previous editors in attempting to make the newsletter as informative as possible by inviting contributions from Section members on emerging issues in teaching, research, and practice. One of the significant challenges during the first year was the timing of the release of the newsletter. For a number of reasons the lag between submission deadlines and getting the newsletter into the hands of the of members kept growing, principally because of printing issues. Most of those challenges were resolved when for the Fall Issue, 2001, we went to online-only distribution of the newsletter. Hopefully, members have noticed improved timing of distribution, despite the fact that if they wish to have a printed copy, they must print it locally. The Auditor’s Report is a vital link between Section activities and Section members. It is unique in that the newsletter provides space for members to express opinions, exchange ideas, and distribute material of interest to the Section. At the 2002 Midyear Meeting in Orlando, I gave some brief comments about the newsletter and invited Section members to submit essays, teaching and research reports, or other items of interest. At that time, I expressed that the newsletter’s 97.8 percent acceptance rate may be daunting to some, but that timely material would receive due consideration! Please consider making a contribution to the Auditing Section by submitting articles of interest to The Auditor’s Report. The success of the newsletter has come from the willingness of Section members to contribute essays and other articles. And over 25 years so many individuals have made contributions. What follows below is a list of all of the individuals who have made such contributions to the newsletter over the last 25 years. You might be as surprised as I am to see how lengthy the list is. I have made every effort to ensure completeness of the list, and apologize in advance for any omissions. I express appreciation to the previous editors of The Auditor’s Report for taking the time to contribute to this issue, to the Section Historian, Andy Bailey, for assisting in preparing the list below, and on behalf the Section, express appreciation to all of the many individuals who have helped make the newsletter such an important part of the Auditing Section during the last 25 years. Mark Taylor Past Contributors to The Auditor’s Report Abdolmohammadi, Mohammad; Akresh, Abraham; Anderson, Urton; Arens, Alvin; Asare, Stephen; Atkinson, Kevin; Baggett, Walter; Bailey, Andrew; Bamber, E. Michael; Beasley, Mark; Bedard, Jean; Bell, Timothy; Berton, Lee; Bierstaker, James; Biggs, Stanley; Bishop, Toby; Borthick, Faye; Braun, Gary; Braun, Robert; Brink, Victor; Butler, Steven; Carcello, Joseph; Chandler, John; Churchill, Neil; Clay, Raymond; Cushing, Barry; Dalton, John; Davis, Charles; Denham, John; DeZoort, Todd; Dittenhofer, Mortimer; Duncan, Candace; Dunn, John; Elliott, Robert; Etherington, Lois; Ettenson, Richard; Felix, William; Finn, Don; Flamson, Jack; Friedlob, Thomas; Gelinas, Ulric; Gordon, Irene; Graham, Lynford; Gramling, Audrey; Grant, Jonathan; Guy, Dan; Hendricks, James; Hermanson, Dana; Holstrum, Gary; Hyatt, Troy; Jacobson, Peter; Johnson, Alan; Joscelyne, Graham; Schultz, Joseph; Kelly, Margaret; Kimmel; Dennis; Knechel, Robert; Kogan, Alexander; Koster, Frank; Krogstad, Jack; Lampe, James; Landsittel, David; Larson, Gaylen; Lemmon, W. Morely; Leonard, Jeanine; Levy, Elliott; Lin, Thomas; Loebbecke, James; Louwers, Timothy; Luton, James; Maher, Michael; Maijoor, Steven; Maletta, Mario; Mautz, Robert; May, Robert; Mayper, Alan; McCullough, Richard; McKee, Thomas; Mechenzi, Alfred; Messier, William; Meuwissen, Roger; Michenzi, Alfred; Mitchell, John; Mock, Theordore; Moriarity, Shane; Mullarkey, John; Mutchler, Jane; Myles, Carol; Neumann, Frederick; Oliverio, Mary Ellen; Palmrose, Zoe-Vonna; Pany, Kurt; Parker, Larry; Pearson, Timothy; Peecher, Mark; Pincus, Karen; Ponemon, Larry; Prawitt, Douglas; Quadackers, Luc; Reed, Brad; Reisch, John; Rieffel, Alicia; Rittenberg, Larry; Roberts, Andrew; Robertson, Jack; Robinson, Thomas; Roohani, Saeed; Roussey, Robert; Sack, Robert; Sadowski, Thomas; Salterio, Steven; Sanders, Howard; Sardinas, Joseph; Schiff, J.B.; Seidler, Lee; Shanteau, James; Shenkir, William; Simnett, Roger; Smith, Gerald; Smith, Jay; Smith, John; Snowball, Doug; Solomon, Ira; Srivastava, Rajendra; Stettler, Howard; Stewart, Margaret; Streit, Irva Kay; Stringer, Kenneth; Sullivan, Jerry; Sutton, Steve; Tatum, Kay; Taylor, Mark; Thibodeau, Jay; Tidrick, Donald; Trompeter, Greg; Tsui, Judy; Typpo, Eric; Vaassen, Eddy; Wallace, Wanda; Ward, Bart; Ward, Dewey; Warren, Carl; Weber, Cathy; Wendell, John; Whittington, Ray; Williams, David; Willingham, John; Wilson, David; Wilson, Peter; Wright, Arnold; Wright, Sally; Yates, Robert; Zeff, Stephen; Zimbelman, Mark. |