WASHINGTON, DC: The National Capital Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America last Friday honored 50 of its own for their contributions to the profession and community.
WASHINGTON, DC: The National Capital Chapter of the Public
Relations Society of America last Friday honored 50 of its own for their
contributions to the profession and community.
Celebrating the chapter’s 50th anniversary, the organization inducted 50
PR practitioners into its hall of fame. This year’s group was culled
from more than 200 nominees, and almost 400 people attended the gala
induction ceremony.
Among those honored were Margery Kraus, head of APCO Associates; Jerry
Dalton, a consultant who served as national PRSA president; Ofield
Dukes, founder of the Black Public Relations Society; E. Bruce Harrison,
known for his work in environmental PR; Bill Novelli, founder of
Porter/Novelli and now head of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids; and
Sunshine Overkamp, VP of the Council on Foundations.
Inductee Earle Palmer Brown recalled when the PRSA chapter met at the
National Press Club and was forced to relocate when a woman joined the
group. At the time, women were not allowed in the Press Club.
’Many people believe that in the early days, PR people came from
newspapers,’ he recalled. ’But many left newspapers and, around World
War II, went to work for the government as public information officers.
Following the war, they went into PR.’
Brown, who spoke on behalf of the inductees, started his eponymous firm
as a PR-only shop. Today, it boasts advertising, direct marketing and
research capabilities as well.
More PR pros will be inducted into the hall of fame, though the chapter
said no timetable or nomination process has been set.
