Harold Burson

Harold Burson

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, on February 15 1921, Harold Burson has been described by PRWeek as “the century’s most influential PR figure”. He has spent more than 50 years serving as counsellor to and confidante of corporate chief executives, government leaders and heads of public sector institutions. In 1953, he co-founded Burson-Marsteller with Bill Marsteller, which is the largest public relations agency in the world today, and ushered in the concept of integrated marketing which became an industry standard. As an army news correspondent for American Forces Network, he covered the Nuremberg Trial of leading Nazi war criminals. Among many other honours, a chair in public relations at Boston University bears his name.

The legendary co-founder of Burson-Marsteller

What was the idea behind founding Burson-Marsteller in 1953?

After I graduated from college, I went to work for a large engineering firm, where I did publicity for the company. Then, after leaving the army, I got the idea...