Looking backward and forward…

Lee Levitt, a visionary champion of the public relations profession for more than 50 years, passed away May 19 at the age of 80.

He was a student (and “professor”) of the history of public relations.  For example, he often stated that one of the earliest successful PR campaigns was implemented by Roman emperor Alexander the Great, whose rise to power was fueled by assuring that news of his far-flung military victories reached “headquarters” and was disseminated throughout the Roman Empire.

Lee started a PR firm in the early 1950s.

With the advent of business computing, he saw the opportunity for the “new tool” to revolutionize the placement of press releases.  In 1957, Lee co-founded PR Aids (later rebranded as PRA) which offered a new concept for mass distribution of press releases. PRA became one of the world’s largest PR service organizations.

Following the advent of laptop computers, he was never without his trademark shoulder bag, making him one of the first to demonstrate the advantages of using portable technology.

Lee also became one of the top experts on forging productive international (he used the term “transnational”) business relationships through PR campaigns.

More info in PRWeek

Posted: May 26, 2010 at 10:05 am by Ron