A Letter From The Publisher, Oct. 8, 1951

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How many children of TIME cover subjects have themselves made enough good or bad news to be put on TIME'S cover?

When Reader George Steele of St. Louis asked me that question, I could think of only a few cases. But newsmaking seems to run in blood lines —sometimes in reverse. In some instances, the children have been on the cover more often than their parents. For instance, Egypt's King Farouk has appeared on the cover twice, first on Aug. 9, 1937, again last month. His father, King Fuad I, made only one cover—on TIME'S ninth issue (April 28, 1923)—when his country's constitution was set up.

In the history of this magazine (a generation or so long), 18 families have produced two generations of cover stories, and five families have already gone on to the third generation. In the British royal family, newsmakers all, nine members have been on the cover. Perhaps you will remember some of the portraits. (Seven family groups are not shown.)