Betsy Plank (1924-2010) is often referred to as the "First Lady of Public Relations". She is an inspiration and continues to be recognized as an honored leader, mentor and matriarch of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the public relations profession. In this memoriam, you will understand the impact Betsy had on the public relations industry and see a glimpse into her life and legacy. Also, PRSA encouraged readers to share their favorite memories about Betsy. It's no doubt her friends and colleagues have the utmost respect for Betsy.

1. In memoriam:
Betsy Plank, APR, Fellow PRSA
TACTICS June 2010 13
joseph chen
1924 – 2010

2. Remembering the “First
Betsy Plank, APR, Fellow PRSA,
honored leader, mentor and matriarch of the Public
Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the public
relations profession, passed away on May 23 following
a short illness. She was 86.
Often referred to as the “First Lady of Public
Relations,” Plank received international recognition
during her distinguished career in corporate and
agency public relations.
She was the first woman to head a division of
Illinois Bell (which became Ameritech), the first woman
to be elected president of the Publicity Club of Chicago
(1963), the first woman to be elected president of PRSA
(1973) and a founding member of PRSA’s College of
Fellows. Plank is the first person to receive three of
PRSA’s top individual honors for professionals: the
Gold Anvil (1977), the Paul M. Lund Public Service
Award (1989) and the first Patrick Jackson Award for
Distinguished Service to PRSA (2001).
“Betsy was both a mentor and role model to me,”
said Gary McCormick, APR, Fellow PRSA, PRSA’s
2010 chair and CEO. “Over the years, she continued to
amaze me with her incredible insights and professional
leadership, not to mention her endearing personal
touch in her many letters and faxes.
“She continued to encourage me and challenge
me professionally and at higher levels within PRSA,”
said McCormick, who serves on the Board of The
Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations at the
University of Alabama.
“It’s indeed a sad hour in the life of PRSA,” said
Michael Cherenson, APR, PRSA’s immediate past chair.
“Betsy inspired several generations of public relations
practitioners with her thoughtful counsel on the most
important issues facing the profession. She was a tireless,
dedicated advocate for the profession. We wouldn’t be
here today without her pioneering leadership and steady
presence.”
In 2000, Plank also received the Distinguished
Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arthur W. Page
Society, an association of the nation’s top corporate PR
executives.
Leaving a legacy
She earned
countless accolades for
her outstanding serv-ice
to public relations
and education, and
established PRSA’s
first-ever scholarship
endowment fund in
2005, the Betsy Plank
Scholarship
Endowment Fund.
“I believe a strong
foundation in educa-tion
is fundamental to
a profession and
defines it,” Plank told
Tactics in a November
2006 interview. “We
simply have to have
strong educational
underpinnings and all
that infers — research,
ethical disciplines and
responsibility to socie-ty
at large.”
Plank was a pio-neer
in PR education
— she was the co-chair
of the 1987
national commission
to develop guidelines
for the undergraduate
PR curriculum,
served on accrediting
teams at many univer-sities
and spoke to
numerous student
groups and PR classes.
In the conversa-tion
with Tactics, Plank
commented on why
investing in PR edu-cation
and the future
of our profession is so important, saying: “This business
has been very good to us — providing a challenging,
exciting and rewarding career. Surely we owe some-thing
to its future. We also have a vested interest in the
quality professionals our schools produce. Whether we
work in an agency, corporate, government or the non-profit
sector, we all need a new generation capable of
performing.”
Plank was a graduate of the University of Alabama,
and The Plank Center for Leadership in Public
Relations at her alma mater is named after her. The
College of Communication & Information Sciences at
UA also inducted Plank into its Communication Hall
of Fame and named its
Distinguished
Achievement Award in
her honor.
She chaired the
Center’s advisory board
and remained actively
involved with PRSA
and The Arthur W. Page
Society as well as
numerous other organi-zations
up until the time
of her death.
“As PR profession-als,
we have a responsi-bility
to help our stu-dents
grow, to become
PRSA colleagues, lead-ers
in the profession and
mentors to those who
follow them in the class-room,”
Plank said.
Mentoring the next
generation of PR
pros
Plank was also
integral in the cre-ation
of the college
student organiza-tion,
the Public
Relations Student
Society of America
(PRSSA).
One of her
most memorable
moments was when
she served as a
Chicago Chapter
delegate at the 1967
PRSA Assembly in
Philadelphia and
several legendary
leaders such as J. Carroll Bateman, Jon Riffel, Walt
Siefert, Chris Teahan and Edward VonderHaar proposed
establishing a student society. The vote was unanimous,
she said. “It was an act of faith and — in my case — the
beginning of a lifetime love affair with students,”
Plank told Tactics. “From that day, our students have
proven to be of great judgment and leadership, and
they’ve lived up to every expectation we’ve had of
them.”
“Betsy was the ultimate ‘champion’ for public rela-tions
education and students. She gave a lifetime to
advancing students, especially members of PRSSA,”
said Jeneen Garcia, director of education at PRSA.
“Her service to the student Society was unsurpassed,
At Betsy’s request, no memorial service or funeral was
held. Donations in Betsy’s name may be made to
The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations at
the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
The Plank Center
Box 870172
The College of Communication &
Information Sciences
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL
35487-0172
prsa
Betsy Plank, APR, Fellow
PRSA, attends the PRSA
International Conference in
1985 (top) and in 2007.
14 June 2010 TACTICS

3. Lady of Public Relations”
from her professional and financial contributions, to arranging for
legendary professionals to speak to students, to serving as a historian
and mentor to all — including me. She has left a legacy of ethical
practice and interest in PR education for all in this profession to
uphold. She will be missed.”
Plank has a PRSSA Chapter at Northern Illinois University
named for her. The Chapter also established an annual scholarship
in her name. And as founder and co-chair of the Champions For
PRSSA, Plank received the student organization’s 25th Anniversary
Award in 1993.
Leaving a legacy
Plank was born on April 3, 1924. A native of Alabama, Plank
returned in 1965 to join the final leg of the Civil Rights March
from Selma to Montgomery. She received her B.A. degree from the
University of Alabama in 1944, and was elected to its College of
Communication Hall of Fame in 2000.
She was associated with radio station NQV-Pittsburgh before
entering public relations in 1947. She retired from corporate prac-tice
in 1990, but had returned to PR counseling.
Active in the community, Plank chaired the Illinois Council on
Economic Education and the Citizenship Council of Metropolitan
Chicago, served on the boards of the United Way, Girl Scouts USA
and Girl Scouts of Chicago, and twice chaired annual Leadership
Luncheons of the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago. She was a
founder and past chair of the Chicago Network, the area’s leading
organization for career women, and received its First Decade Award
in 1989.
Plank was the only person to have served as president of four
Chicago communications organizations: Publicity Club of Chicago
(1963); Welfare Public Relations Forum (1966-67); PRSA’s
Chicago Chapter (1969); and the Public Relations Forum (1979).
Plank was named in Who’s Who in America and was a lifetime
member of the Publicity Club of Chicago, a member of the
Economic Club and Union League Club of Chicago and the
International Public Relations Association.
Plank was married to the late Sherman V. Rosenfield and
resided in Chicago.
“In my philosophy, public relations is fundamental to a demo-cratic
society where people make decisions in the workplace, mar-ketplace,
the community and the voting booth,” Plank said after
receiving the Institute for Public Relations’ Alexander Hamilton
Award in 2000. “Its primary mission is to forge responsible relation-ships
of understanding, trust and respect among groups and individ-uals
— even when they disagree. Mr. Hamilton’s historic work con-tinues
to inspire and inform that difficult challenge today.”
During its July board meeting, the Plank Center will join the
Chicago PR community to celebrate Plank’s contributions to the
profession. PRSA will also recognize Plank at this year’s PRSA
International Conference in Washington, D.C., Oct. 17-19.
Words of wisdom
Betsy Plank, APR,Fellow PRSA shared these thoughts on the profes-sion
at The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations
Today’s aspiring PR students and young professionals have a running start on their
careers: formal study in the discipline and early commitment to the profession. Most have
also had internships, mentoring by educators and practitioners, leadership experience and
connections through PRSSA and multicultural and global perspectives.
Those opportunities weren’t there for most of my generation. We arrived from other
studies, other occupations — primarily journalism. (This history/political science major
had never heard of public relations!) The
customary qualification: writing. The rest
we learned by the seat of our pants or
skirts — growing with the field as it
evolved from one-way communication,
publicity and event production to a
management function charged with
building reputation and relationships,
dedicated to truth and listening; enlight-ened
by research; disciplined by corpo-rate
objectives; increasingly challenged
by societal issues.
So what lessons learned would have
currency if I were starting all over again
today? Among the many I remember and value:
• Ethics and integrity. They are not simply a professional “code” to begin observ-ing
on the job. They are one’s here-and-now character and compass — in today’s class-rooms,
in daily relationships and behavior throughout a lifetime.
• Mentoring. In every corner of career and life, you’ll nurture and benefit from
mentors. But also — begin now to become a mentor — upperclassmen to younger stu-dents,
new alumni to classrooms and interns. From wherever you stand today, reach out a
caring, responsible hand.
• Computer miracles. Their wonders and resources are tools for a professional’s
command, not captivity. They never replace face-to-face encounters fundamental to PR
practice. At least not as long as volatile, stubborn and complex human beings are around!
• Community service. Beyond the daily desk, volunteering hones leadership skills,
develops new contacts and insights, helps solve community problems. It’s also good for the
soul.
• Passion for reading. Read newspapers and periodicals, of course. But also
research, history, contemporary and classical literature.
• Professional organizations. They provide unique opportunities to continue
learning, develop leadership skills, forge collegial connectors and make significant contri-butions
to the profession’s progress and promise.
• Public relations. Practiced at its best, it is a proud, powerful and responsible pro-fession,
essential to a democratic society in which people make daily decisions in the
workplace, the marketplace, the community and the voting booth. Besides, it’s populated
by many of the brightest, most creative, caring can-do men and women of honor, heart
and humor — curiously addicted to the rigors of problem solving. Traveling in that spir-ited
company is a great adventure.
Amen, my young colleagues. Welcome to the journey and Godspeed.
For more on the career of Betsy Plank, APR, Fellow PRSA,
including a series of video interviews please visit
The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations at
http://plankcenter.ua.edu.
TACTICS June 2010 15
the plank center

4. Don Wright, APR, Fellow PRSA
It’s an understatement to say that Betsy
Plank was one of the greatest and most loyal
friends public relations education and
research has ever had. She will be missed
very much.
Rosanna Fiske, APR
When friends called to tell me about Betsy’s
passing, I couldn’t believe what I was hear-ing.
For some reason, I always felt Betsy was
invincible. Maybe it was the red hair and the
red lipstick. Maybe it was that infallible
good spirit that always, always saw the posi-tive.
Maybe it was that incredible energy.
Betsy changed many of our lives just by
being Betsy. I am so glad we got to laugh
together.
Cheryl Procter-Rogers,APR,
Fellow PRSA
Betsy was a dear friend who always had a
kind word, great words of wisdom and a
warm and welcoming smile. I will miss the
days spent in her living room and on her
boat debating the news of the day. I will
miss her personal handwritten or typed
notes of support and encouragement. Her
love for the students was unmatched and
unwavering. When Terry and I married, she
never forgot to send a small gift to us for
Valentine’s Day. This was her way. I will miss
her red jacket and heart of gold.
Kathy Hubbell, APR, Fellow PRSA
It is almost physically painful to read this
and to know of Betsy’s passing. I remember
watching her with PRSSA students at an
International Conference a couple of years
ago — just as I was making my own transi-tion
into teaching — and being absolutely
amazed at both her energy and her compas-sion.
She was vitally interested in every-thing
that was going on, and in talking to
every student that she could. Even more
wonderful, those students obviously loved
her. I remember thinking I hoped to have
the same ongoing passion and commitment
as I go through the next couple of decades,
because she certainly set the bar for excel-lence.
Michael Cherenson, APR
Betsy was a trailblazer, mentor, leader, friend
and inspiration to us all. Her legacy will live
on forever. The world is a better place
thanks to Betsy Plank.
Mary Deming Barber, APR,
Fellow PRSA
Betsy is one of those people I always looked
forward to seeing at PRSA meetings. Her
wonderful smile and warm embrace will be
remembered for many years to come. The
void left is immeasurable but I hope we can
all use Betsy’s life as one to which we aspire.
The students and professionals with whom
she worked are changed for the better for-ever.
Sonja Popp-Stahly, APR
Betsy was such a strong advocate for PR
education. I remember meeting her for the
first time at a PRSSA
National Conference nearly
20 years ago when I received
a Betsy Plank/PRSSA schol-arship.
That set the stage for
my understanding of her pas-sion
and devotion to
PRSSA. In the years that fol-lowed,
I always looked for-ward
to seeing her at the
Friends/Champions for
PRSSA receptions. She truly
understood the power of a
strong PR education and its
importance in creating a
solid foundation for the
future of our profession.
Betsy was a true inspiration.
Mickey G. Nall, APR,
Fellow PRSA
Betsy Plank embodied all the best attributes
of what a true professional is — dedication
to the work; leadership at every phase of a
career; providing a path for tomorrow’s
practitioners; moral and ethical practice in
professional and personal pursuits; and
grace, generosity and kindness 24/7 . . .
I certainly mourn her loss and celebrate the
inspiration she is to me and to all of us in
public relations.
Debbie Mason, APR, Fellow PRSA
Betsy was a legend, even while alive. Her
sheer force of will, determination and
“guts,” as she called it, were an amazing role
model for so many of us to have the
courage to speak out, to do the right thing
always. I feel fortunate to have been among
those who were “adopted” by Betsy. She
encouraged, challenged and celebrated so
many growth points in my own life — and
dozens more. She will be painfully missed.
Joe Trahan, APR, Fellow PRSA
I will miss Betsy’s friendship, professional-ism,
dedication, leadership from the front,
sense of humor and smile. She will always
be the heart and soul of PRSA and PRSSA!
She will live forever in our hearts, minds
and the souls of all of the past, current and
future PRSSA students.
Mary Beth West, APR
I met Betsy at my first PRSSA National
Conference in 1991 in Phoenix as a student
from the University of Tennessee. At the
time, being so new to the organization, I
had no idea about the depth of this lady’s
leadership background with PRSA and
PRSSA . . . I just thought she was an excep-tionally
sharp professional who was being
generous with her time. Soon after, when I
learned more about her pivotal role
throughout PRSA’s history and in PRSSA’s
founding, I felt all the more honored that
she would have taken so much time to help
a single student with such a grassroots-level
request. But that was Betsy. If it had any-thing
to do with PRSSA or any single PR
student, she was first in line to mentor,
motivate and inspire.
Michael Bardin, APR
Betsy Plank will certainly be missed but
she’ll never be forgotten. There is so much
within PRSA and PRSSA that bears her
handprint. She will live forever in our pro-fessional
and personal lives. Everyone loved
Betsy. How could you not? What a spirit.
What a joy. We’ll always love you, Betsy.
Craig Miyamoto, APR, Fellow PRSA
Betsy lives forever in my heart. I will never
forget the first thing she always did when
she saw me — since it was usually at a
PRSA conference, she’d give me a PRSSA
heart to display on my name badge. I am so
fortunate to have seen her often during the
years that I served as a PRSSA national
adviser and as a PRSA director, and will
never forget the warmth of her hugs. God
bless your beautiful heart, Betsy.
T. Michael Jackson, APR,
Fellow PRSA
I recall what an honor it was to present the
first Patrick Jackson award to
Betsy — and how wonderful
she was in receiving it. Her sto-ries
of PRSA past events . . .
were ones I will cherish forever.
Robert Stack
PRSA and PRSSA have suf-fered
a loss that cannot be
weighed. Betsy Plank, APR,
Fellow PRSA was more than
the matriarch of PRSSA, she
was a passionate and vocal
champion of PR education.
Her words and deeds touched
the lives of hundreds upon
thousands of students on cam-puses
all across America dur-ing
an iconic career spanning
decades. As a former national
professional adviser to PRSSA,
I feel a personal sense of loss for a remark-able
colleague and dear friend who truly
paved the way for others in our profession.
I know that she would not want us to
mourn her loss, but to champion her causes
and carry on her legacy of touching the
hearts and minds of PRSSA students.
Cedric L. Bess (PRSSA National
President 2000-2001)
Our profession has lost one of its pioneers
with the passing of Betsy Plank. She was a
mentor and inspiration to so many of us,
especially those who were fortunate
enough to work with her during our time
in PRSSA. I will fondly remember her pas-sion,
spunk and tireless dedication to PR
education. I am forever grateful for having
known such a giving professional and an
even better human being.
To read more tributes, please visit www.prsa.org.
16 June 2010 TACTICS
Remembering Betsy Plank, APR, Fellow PRSA
At PRSA.org, we encouraged readers to share their favorite memories about Betsy.
Here are several of the comments that celebrate her life amd recall her kindness:
Betsy Plank, APR, Fellow PRSA, mingles with other past PRSA presidents
during the International Conference in 1987.
courtesy gary mccormick, apr, fellow prsa
1924 – 2010