Leone Baxter and Clem Whitaker Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leone Baxter and Clem Whitaker - Research Paper Example Leone Baxter was born November 20th, 1906 in Keslo, Washington. She was an avid reader growing up and would find a job writing for the Portland Oregonian. In her late twenties Baxter moved to Redding, California where she first entered the arena of promotions, landing a job promoting a water carnival for the Chamber of Commerce. She was successful in this position and would be promoted to the manager of the Chamber of Commerce in 1929. It was in this position that Baxter would first become involved in the political spectrum as she participated in the Central Valley Project referendum campaign. Clem Whitaker, Sr. was born May 1st, 1899. His uncle was a socialist who was very active in the American Civil Liberties Union and a friend of Upton Sinclair. He was a journalist writing for the Sacramento Bee where he became the city editor at the age of 19. In 1921, he founded the Capitol New Bureau, which provided political news to a wide variety of newspapers. His experience in these politi cal realms led him to become involved in political lobbying campaigns. His lobbying efforts would ultimately led to his involvement in the Central Valley project, where he would meet Leone Baxter and form Whitaker & Baxter, Inc. in 1933. Another prominent contributor to this organization was Clem Whitaker, Jr. ... Whitaker would never graduate, as in 1943 he ceased his education after joining the United States Army Air Corp to become a fighter pilot. After his discharge from the army in 1946 Whitaker would join his father’s firm, become a partner in the firm in 1950 and purchasing the company in 1958 ("Social Archives" web). At the time of its formation in 1933 Whitaker & Baxter Campaigns Inc. was the country’s first political management firm. While political campaigning had always been a complicated and brutal arena, it was understood that â€Å"with the changes in the 20th century media environment increased aid was needed to navigate these oftentimes-complex avenues† (Lathrop 12). This is what the company would provide. The company would go through a number of developments, but its primary activity was managing campaigns for political candidates as well as ballot measures. At other instance, the company would also manage corporate clients, contributing significantly to public relations campaigns for Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Western Pacific Railroad, and Utah Construction Company. While the company went by the broad name of Whitaker & Baxter Campaigns Inc., the organization also included under its auspices the Whitaker & Baxter Advertising Agency and the California Feature Service. The feature service built on the individuals’ newspaper experience and public relations ability as it acted as a vehicle to over three-hundred California newspapers; in these regards, it provided the papers with cartoons, articles, and editorials that advanced the company’s public relation interests. It was through innovative practices such as these that the company would come to be highly influential in the realm of public relations and campaign