Ivy Lee
Ivy Ledbetter Lee (born near Cedartown, Georgia on July 16 1877) is considered the founder of modern public relations. The son of a Methodist minister, Lee studied at Princeton and worked as a newspaper reporter and stringer. Lee was hired by George Parker, and together they established the third US public relations firm Parker and Lee in late 1904. The new agency boasted of "Accuracy, Authenticity, and Interest." They made this partnership after working together in the Democratic Party headquarters handling publicity for Judge Alton Parker's unsuccessful presidential race against Theodore Roosevelt. The Parker and Lee firm lasted less than four years, but the junior partner--Lee--was to become one of the most influential pioneers in public relations. He evolved his philosophy in 1906 into the "Declaration of Principles," the first articulation of the concept that public relations practitioners have a public responsibility that extends beyond obligations to the client.
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References
New York Times article of February 13, 2005, "Spinning Frenzy: P.R.'s Bad Press," by Timothy L. O'Brien.
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