History of Public Relations

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History of Public Relations

• Key Events in PR History

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• Amos Kendall served as the first presidential
  press secretary and was a member of Andrew
  Jacksons kitchen cabinet in the 1820s.
• The first presidential campaign slogan emerged in
  1840. Whig candidate William Henry Harrison, who
  had been a military hero from the Battle of
  Tippecanoe, and running mate John Tyler ran under
  the banner of Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too.

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• In 1848 Elizabeth Cady Stanton issued the Seneca
  Falls Declaration of Sentiments at the landmark
  womens rights conference.

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• In 1850, P.T. Barnum brought Swedish soprano
  Jenny Lind to the United States and used
  celebrity promotions and product endorsements to
  generate publicity for her tour with his circus.

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• During the 1850s American railroads used
  publicity, advertising and printed materials to
  attract tourists and settlers to the American
  West. The Canadian Pacific Railroad built
  hotels/resorts along its transcontinental path to
  increase business.

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• In 1874, a national touring network of
  entertainment, educational and spiritual
  presentations brought messages to mass audiences.
• In 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge opened, and P.T.
  Barnum led a parade of elephants across the
  bridge to demonstrate its strength.

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• In 1886, New York City began paying tribute to
  heroes and dignitaries with a Ticker-Tape Parade.

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• In 1897, the Association of American Railroads
  used the term public relations in a company
  listing.

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• In 1889 Westinghouse established the first
  corporate public relations department, a year
  after Mutual Life created a species of literary
  bureau to create advertising and publicity.
• Westinghouse engaged in a public battle of the
  current with Thomas Edison and the General
  Electric Company, promoting the benefits of
  alternating (AC) versus the direct current (DC).

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• During his quest for the presidency, William
  McKinley organized a Front Porch Campaign to
  bring supporters to his Ohio home. His advisors
  introduced aggressive fund-raising strategies,
  urging him to outspend his opponent, William
  Jennings Bryan, 10-1. McKinley also was the first
  candidate to use the telephone for campaign
  purposes.

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