Title: Gerry Swinehart Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1948-1966

Creator:

• Swinehart, Gerry, 1903-1966

Call Number: U.S. Mss 10AF

Quantity: 0.8 c.f. (2 archives boxes)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Papers of a public relations pioneer who was a founder and chairman of the board of Carl Byoir & Associates, Inc. The collection dates primarily from the early 1950's and consists of Swinehart's speeches and promotional programs for clients such as the American Can Co., Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Co., Mutual Insurance, and the Tile Council of America; the programs fail to indicate, however, if Swinehart personally prepared them or merely supervised their preparation. Also included is a folder of correspondence with University of Wisconsin professor Scott Cutlip concerning research on Byoir.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-us0010af

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

Gerry Swinehart, a pioneer in the public relations field, began his career as a journalist, first working for his hometown newspaper in Indiana, the Elkhart Truth and later in Florida for the Palm Beach Post and United Press and International News Service. In 1926 he left newspapering to become director of public relations for the City of West Palm Beach. He joined with Carl Byoir in 1930 in launching a tourist promotion effort in Cuba and in forming Carl Byoir & Associates, later one of the most successful public relations firms in the country with headquarters in New York City. Swinehart was connected with the firm for 36 years, serving as general manager, executive vice-president (1943), president (1946) and board chairman (1956). In the last few years of his life, he suffered from a heart ailment and divided his time between New York and his home in Tucson, Arizona. He remained active and involved in company activities however, and died in 1966 minutes after giving a speech before an old client, the Tile Council of America.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Carl Byoir & Associates and Mrs. Gerry Swinehart via George Hammond, New York, N.Y., February 12, 1971. Accession Number: MCHC71-18

Processing Information

Processed by Karen Baumann, June 7, 1972.

Box   1 Folder   1	Biographical Materials, 1953, 1966
Box   1 Folder   2	Correspondence with Scott Cutlip, 1958-1965
	Speeches and Campaigns, 1948-1965
Box   1 Folder   3	Alco Products - Worthington, 1962
	American Can
Box   1 Folder   4	Promotional Plans, 1949, 1951, 1954
Box   1 Folder   5	Special Projects, 1949, 1951, n.d.
Box   1 Folder   6	Freeport Sulphur Company, 1952
	Gas Appliance Manufacturers
Box   1 Folder   7	Miscellaneous, 1953, 1964
Box   1 Folder   8	Speeches, 1953-1956
Box   1 Folder   9	International Telephone & Telegraph, 1960
	Libby-Owens-Ford Glass Company
Box   1 Folder   10	1948, 1951, n.d.
Box   1 Folder   11	Five Year Plan, n.d.
Box   1 Folder   12	Lumbermen's Mutual Casualty Company, 1952
Box   1 Folder   13	Maxon Construction Company, 1964
Box   1 Folder   14	Mutual Insurance 200th Anniversary Committee, 1948, 1951, 1952, n.d.
Box   1 Folder   15	New Business Presentations, 1950, 1960, n.d.
Box   1 Folder   16	Public Relations, Speeches on, 1948-1965
	Pullman-Standard Car Manufacturing Co.
Box   1 Folder   17	Employee Relations Program, 1949, n.d.
Box   1 Folder   18	20th Century Limited, 1948
Box   2 Folder   1	RCA - David Sarnoff - Industry-Science Teaching Program, n.d.
Box   2 Folder   2	Schenley Corporation, 1960, 1962
Box   2 Folder   3	Selas Corporation of America, 1954
Box   2 Folder   4	Serval, Inc., 1952
Box   2 Folder   5	Southern Gas Association - Speech to, 1952
Box   2 Folder   6	Tap-A-Cola - Promotional Program, 1954
	Tile Council of America - Speeches to
Box   2 Folder   7	1949-1958
Box   2 Folder   8	1959-1966