Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Public Relations and Advertising Dept.

The PRR's Public Relations and Advertising Department traces its history back to June 1906, when President A.J. Cassatt engaged Ivy Ledbetter Lee of the firm of Parker & Lee to handle all newspaper publicity. Lee established the company's Publicity Bureau on January 1, 1908, and served as a full-time employee in 1908-09 and 1912-14. Thereafter, Lee and his partner and successor T.J. Ross were kept on retainer from 1915 to 1952, with a break during the period of federal control in 1918-20. Lee was responsible for the creation of a number of employee newspapers and house organs, including "Information," "Mutual Magazine," "Pennsylvania Standard," and "Pennsylvania News."

The Publicity Bureau became the Publicity Department in 1930. During the Depression, and particularly after the deaths of Lee (1934) and his patron, President W.W. Atterbury (1935), the department's staff and activities were greatly curtailed. After World War II, operating deficits prompted new public relations campaigns to seek tax and rate relief. Company lawyer Edwin A. Kaier became Director of Public Relations in March 1948.

On October 15, 1951, the PRR went outside its own ranks and hired Ralph C. Champlin as Vice President in Charge of Public Relations. A full Public Relations Department was created out of the Publicity Department on January 1, 1952. John K. Murphy, formerly with the public relations firm of Pendray & Co. was placed in charge of community relations. Champlin launched a new slick-paper employee magazine, the "Pennsy."

As the PRR's financial problems worsened after the recession of 1957-58, Board Chairman James M. Symes grew dissatisfied with Champlin and his department as both ineffective and too costly. Champlin was fired on April 1, 1960, and the Public Relations Department was merged into the Personnel Department with former Vice President, Personnel James W. Oram as Vice President, Public & Employee Relations. John K. Murphy was promoted to Director, Public Relations to handle most of Champlin's old duties. The Pennsy was reduced to a plain-paper, bimonthly newsletter.

When Stuart T. Saunders came from the Norfolk & Western Railway as the PRR's last Chairman with a mandate to push the Penn Central merger, he was determined to have control of a redirected public relations effort. To this end, he installed a friend with extensive public relations experience, William A. Lashley, as Assistant Vice President, Public Relations on January 15, 1964. On July 1, James W. Oram left to head the Labor Relations Committee of the Eastern Railway Presidents' Conference, and Public Relations and Labor Relations were again divided. Guy W. Knight became Vice President, Labor Relations & Personnel, and Lashley became Vice President, Public Relations, reporting to Saunders. Lashley's title was changed to Vice President, Public Relations & Advertising on June 1, 1966. These arrangements continued until the Penn Central merger. Even after Saunders' s fall, Lashley remained in charge of public relations in varying capacities throughout the Penn Central era.

From the description of Records, 1915-1968 (bulk, 1961-1968). (Hagley Museum & Library). WorldCat record id: 164036126