Critical Moments, Major Movements and Pivotal People

During the past 75 years, America has experienced tremendous growth, technological innovations and social changes. And outstanding public relations professionals have played a key role every step of the way. As the world has changed, so, too, has public relations. From the way it’s taught at universities to how it’s practiced and measured, the public relations profession has continually evolved and advanced.

The first moon landing. MLK Jr.’s March on Washington. The fall of Nixon (and his re-emergence as a statesman) and the Tylenol tampering. The 9-11 attacks and the rise of Obama. The iPhone debut and fighting disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. These are among the 25 “Critical Moments, Major Movements and Pivotal People” featured in these next five sections: Advancing the Profession; At the Intersection of Social Justice and Public Relations; High Tech, Major Impact; From Crusades to Crisis Communications — Corporate PR Flexes Its Muscle; Truth Telling in Government and Politics.

Each section includes five fascinating examples of how public relations affected the course of our nation for the better. Some of the brave and savvy public relations professionals who blazed new trails for us all are also featured, such as Ofield Dukes, Muriel Fox and Cathy Renna. Our profession would not be where it is today without their contributions.

As an industry, we have so much to look back on and be proud of. We’ve changed the way people communicate with their target audiences — and each other.

And we have often changed the course of history and continue even today to evolve and create change for the better.

Advancing the Profession

CRITICAL MOMENTS, MAJOR MOVEMENTS AND PIVOTAL PEOPLE

A New Academic Degree is Born

As America ushered in an era of prosperity and consumerism after World War II, a new academic field emerged at Boston University. On May 27, 1947, Boston University created the original degree program in public relations — a master’s level study taught by faculty members with expertise in political science, sociology and economics.

The School of Public Relations aimed to modernize PR, moving beyond the “free publicity hounds, paid propaganda hirelings or one-track mind researchers” of the old-style practitioners, founding Dean Howard LeSourd told the New York Times.

“The modern public relations worker will try to interpret to the public the ideals and policies of the institution for which he works,” he said.

Students specialized in public relations for corporations, nonprofit organizations, higher education or government, says Professor Emeritus Otto Lerbinger, APR, Fellow PRSA, who came to BU in 1954 after receiving a doctoral degree in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was drawn to this opportunity to shape an emerging profession.

“I thought it was an important field that should be represented in education, and we should try to develop it. We did that,” says Lerbinger, who retired in 2004 after 50 years at BU.

The perception of public relations climbed substantially in 1947 when Boston University created the original degree program in the field. Howard LeSourd, the founding dean, told The New York Times that PR needed to be more than “free publicity hounds” and “paid propaganda hirelings.” (Courtesy of Boston University Photography)