This issue of "Reading Research Quarterly" ("RRQ") marks the journal's golden (50th) anniversary and 200th published issue. Given this historic milestone, an understanding of the journal's content and impact might inform its readership about the field of literacy broadly and the contribution of "RRQ" in particular. This study reports a content and trend analysis using a convergent parallel mixed methods design to profile the content of 50 years of "RRQ." Grounded in polysystem and cultural field theories, four parallel investigative tracks afforded a complementary understanding of what the journal has published over five decades and together highlight salient aspects of the journal's history. Analyses targeted the most frequently researched topics and populations, as well as trends in research and analysis types and most frequently cited articles. Bibliometric data add information about the status and online use of the journal as it celebrates its 50th year. In addition, a qualitative analysis of editorials complements the quantitative data to provide a panoramic retrospective that answers five research questions. Data led the researchers to identify trends that supported identification of five pillars that characterize the nature and impact of RRQ in the past and present. Recommendations are made about how "RRQ" might preserve its core strengths or pillars and develop new directions to expand its influence and impact.