Lawrence, Justus Baldwin, 1903-1987.

Justus Baldwin Lawrence was born on December 16, 1903, and graduated from Yale in 1927. Lawrence started his career as a reporter for the Hearst newspapers, worked for RKO, and then for six years was advertising and publicity chief for Samuel Goldwyn. From 1939-1942, Lawrence was public relations director for the Motion Picture Producers Association, and his work related to American involvement in the war brought him into contact with Franklin Roosevelt and other national figures. During World War II, Lawrence served as chief public relations planner for Combined Operations Headquarters in England and then chief public relations officer for the U.S. Army, European theater. In 1951, at the request of General Eisenhower, Lawrence became the chief public relations planner and the deputy chief for plans and public affairs at SHAPE, the military headquarters for NATO. He returned to civilian life in 1953 and formed The Lawrence Organization, a public relations firm to advise American and British industrial and financial companies. Justus Lawrence died on April 21, 1987.

From the description of Justus Baldwin Lawrence papers, 1985-1987 (inclusive). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 702121380

From the guide to the Justus Baldwin Lawrence papers, 1985-1987, (Manuscripts and Archives)

Justus Baldwin “Jock” Lawrence (1903-1987) was a native of Akron, Ohio. He graduated from Yale University in 1927 and settled in Hollywood, California, where he became a publicity expert for the motion picture industry. From 1933 to 1939 he was an assistant to Samuel Goldwyn, and from 1939 to 1941 was director of public relations for the Association of Motion Picture Producers. In 1942 he joined the Army and was assigned to Dwight D. Eisenhower’s headquarters in England. He represented Eisenhower at the headquarters of Lord Louis Mountbatten, who oversaw the training of British commando teams. In 1943, when Mountbatten was sent to Burma, Lawrence became chief public relations officer for the European Theater of Operations, U.S. Army. After the war Lawrence became an executive of the J. Arthur Rank Corporation in New York City. In 1951 he returned to military service and was public relations officer at Eisenhower’s headquarters at NATO until 1952. He later started his own public relations firm, J.B. Lawrence, Inc., at which he worked until he retired.

From the description of Lawrence, Justus Baldwin, 1903-1987 (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10610689