Pendleton Dudley (1876-1966) founded Dudley-Anderson-Yutzy in 1909, one of the earliest sustained PR firms in the US, and served as AT&T's longtime counsel. Called the "dean of public relations." The EPR In Memoriam canonical record.
Earl Newsom (1897-1973), founder of Earl Newsom & Company, counseled Henry Ford, Standard Oil, and General Motors as the practitioner who defined the CEO-counselor model in American public relations. The EPR In Memoriam canonical record.
Tim Bell, Baron Bell (1941-2019), devised the 'Labour Isn't Working' campaign, advised Margaret Thatcher through three election wins, and co-founded Bell Pottinger, the UK agency whose 2017 collapse remains PR's defining ethics case study.
Steve Hannagan (1899-1953) built the Indianapolis 500, Miami Beach, and Sun Valley into national attractions, inventing modern destination publicity and coining the term "cheesecake." The EPR In Memoriam canonical record.
Bob Leaf (1931-2021) built Burson-Marsteller's international office network as its chairman, helping make the firm the world's largest PR agency in the 1980s.
Bob Marston (1938-2024) founded Robert Marston And Associates in 1970, pioneering the "pincer effect" PR strategy for clients including P&G, Chrysler, and AT&T.
Gershon Kekst (1934-2017) founded Kekst and Company in 1970 and built it into the dominant American public relations firm for mergers, acquisitions, and financial communications. The EPR In Memoriam canonical record.
Inez Y. Kaiser (1918-2016) founded her PR firm in 1957, becoming the first Black woman to own a national public relations agency, with 7-Up as her first client.
Frank Wylie (1924-2013) served as PRSA's national president in 1978 after an automotive PR career at Dodge, later teaching PR as a professor at Cal State Long Beach.
Ofield Dukes (1932-2011) founded his PR firm in 1969, becoming the first Black recipient of PRSA's Gold Anvil Award while advising Democratic presidents and civil rights leaders.
