Betsy Ann Plank: The Making of a Public Relations Icon

Review\n“Betsy Plank looms as large over the profession of public relations as her 20th century male counterparts, but she has not received nearly as much credit. Women in public relations have been largely ignored in the historiography of the field, and Karla Gower’s latest book takes a giant step toward correcting that oversight. This history is one of the most significant public relations books to be released in decades.”—Pam Parry, editor of Journalism History and author of Eisenhower: The Public Relations President\n“In her page turning biography, Karla Gower presents a beautifully written and well researched portrait befitting the First Lady of public relations, Betsy Ann Plank. Gower's book gives readers an appreciation of a barrier breaking historical figure whose impact on public relations was immeasurable.”—Cayce Myers, Virginia Tech, author of Public Relations History: Theory, Practice, and Profession\n“Adds to the literature in numerous ways, including being the first book-length treatment of a woman in public relations history and introducing a different approach to PR history by incorporating leadership.”—Karen Miller Russell, University of Georgia, author of Promoting Monopoly: AT&T and the Politics of Public Relations, 1876–1941\nIn 1973, Betsy Ann Plank became the first woman to chair the Public Relations Society of America in its twenty-five-year history. It was a tumultuous time to assume the national association’s leadership. Civil society seemed to be fraying at the edges, and trust in political institutions and corporations had plummeted in the aftermath of Watergate. Nevertheless, Plank, in her fearless style, took up the challenge head-on. From the start and throughout the span of her sixty-three-year career in public relations, she managed to overcome the very real barriers she faced due to gender-based discrimination in what was a male-dominated industry. As a PR practitioner, Plank served as executive vice president of Daniel J. Edelman, Inc., director of PR planning at AT&T, and assistant vice president of external affairs at Illinois Bell. Beyond her service in the professional realm, Plank grew her legacy by taking the time to mentor countless PR professionals, educators, and students. She saw this dissemination of knowledge as her greatest gift to the field of public relations. In this highly readable biography, Karla Gower explores Plank’s personal life and career, tracing her evolution from a low-level job in advertising through her contributions to the rise of the rapidly changing PR industry in the 1960s and the evolution of her personal devotion to the enhancement of public relations education.