hallFame

Year of Induction

2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994
1993 | 1992 | 1991 | 1990 | 1989 | 1988 | 1987 | 1986 | 1985 | 1984 | 1983 | 1982 | 1981 | 1980 | 1979 | 1978

2011 Inductees

Michael Bronner,
Founder & Chairman Emeritus of Digitas and Upromise

Michael Bronner is a legendary marketer and the founder and chairman emeritus of Digitas and Upromise. Upromise was founded by Michael to help make college more attainable for middle class families. He serves on the board of the Boys and Girls Club Boston, and previously on the boards of Children’s Hospital Boston and Boston University. In addition to this new honor of induction into DMA’s Hall of Fame, he is also a recipient of the Torch of Liberty award from the Anti-Defamation League.

Ernan Roman,
President Ernan Roman Direct Marketing (ERDM)

Ernan is one of the leading authorities in Voice of Customer driven Relationship Marketing, the discipline of improving customer's experiences and engagement at all critical touch points, from web sites to social media interactions, to customer service centers.

He is recognized as the industry pioneer who created three important methodologies: Integrated Direct Marketing, Opt-In Marketing, and Voice of Customer Relationship Research.

ERDM is a marketing consultancy which has proven the effectiveness of these methodologies for Fortune and Growth companies. Clients include Microsoft, NBC Universal, IBM, QVC, Walt Disney, Reliant Energy, Hewlett-Packard, MSC Industrial Direct, and Songza.com.

Ernan has appeared frequently on ABC TV to discuss issues facing marketers and consumers. He was named to “B to B’s Who’s Who” as one of the “100 most influential people in Business Marketing” by Crain’s B to B Magazine.

His latest book on marketing best practices is titled: “Voice of the Customer Marketing: A Proven 5-Step Process to Create Customers Who Care, Spend, and Stay”. He is the author of the widely read blog, Ernan’s Insights on Marketing Best Practices.

Ernan co-authored the first book on opt-in marketing: “Opt-In Marketing: Increase Sales Exponentially with Consensual Marketing”. The first printing sold out in six weeks. His previous book was “Integrated Direct Marketing: The Cutting Edge Strategy for Synchronizing Advertising, Direct Mail, Telemarketing, and Field Sales”. His first book, “Integrated Direct Marketing: Techniques and Strategies for Success” has become an industry text book.

Ernan was awarded the first Marketing Leader Award ever given by the Direct Marketing Association for a telemarketing campaign. He has also earned a prestigious DMA Echo Award for consumer direct mail for Christie’s Art Auctioneers and an Echo Leader Award for an Integrated Direct Marketing campaign for AT&T General Business Systems.

He is an internationally recognized consultant, lecturer, and author. His articles have appeared in numerous publications, including Inc., Direct, Advertising Age, DM News, Target Marketing, Direct Marketing to Business Reports, Sales and Marketing Management, and Business Marketing.

A renowned speaker, Ernan has lectured at major marketing conferences around the world, including the Arab Direct Marketing Forum in Jeddah, Hellenic Postal Service Direct Mail Symposium in Athens, Asian Direct Marketing Symposium in Hong Kong, IBM Worldwide Marketing Conference in London, Pan Pacific Marketing Symposium in Sydney, International Direct Marketing Conference in Paris, British Direct Marketing Day in London, and the McGraw-Hill International Direct Marketing Conference.

In the United States, he has lectured at numerous Direct Marketing Association conferences, Inc. 500 Conferences, IBM’s Marketing Management Workshops, the American Management Association, Microsoft’s CRM Summit, and Microsoft’s Small Business Symposium.

2010 Inductees

Howard Draft,
Executive Chairman, Draftfcb

Howard Draft is a visionary entrepreneur who has navigated his way through multiple marketing revolutions.

In 2006, he was named chairman and CEO of Draftfcb, an entity that brought together Draft and FCB, each an acknowledged industry leader. The resulting agency has more than 9,500 employees spanning 96 markets worldwide. Today, as executive chairman, Howard is responsible for setting the organization's strategic direction, managing key multinational client relationships, new business development and industry outreach.

Having first espoused a revolutionary new agency model in 1992, Howard recognized the dramatic paradigm shift underway in the ad industry as technology began giving consumers more control of the marketing message. He and colleagues at the Interpublic Group, Draft and FCB agreed on the need for a modern, innovative agency model for a new age.

The result was Draftfcb, the first and only global, behavior-based, holistic marketing communications organization with a unified management team operating against a single P&L. Its offerings include best-in-class capabilities in branding, advertising, direct and relationship marketing, promotions, retail, digital, sponsorship, media, and healthcare — with a relentless focus on creativity and accountability.

Previously, Howard was chairman and chief executive officer of Draft. He was one of the agency's original 13 founders in 1978 and rose rapidly through the ranks, becoming chairman and CEO within 10 years. Over the next several years, Howard turned what was ostensibly a small direct marketing agency into one of the world’s premier marketing services networks with expertise in direct, retail, promotion and digital marketing.

Through the years, marketers have turned to Howard for his thought leadership in the art and science of connecting with consumers. His insights regularly appear in leading industry publications, and he is frequently invited to speak on advertising issues, trends, and the future of marketing. He has also served as jury president for the Direct Lions at the International Advertising Festival in Cannes.

In 2007, Howard was elected to the board of directors of the Ad Council, with whom he has spearheaded the first pro bono campaign to raise awareness of shelter pet adoptions. He also extends his knowledge and expertise to several philanthropic organizations benefiting children, including Chicago's After School Matters and Pediatric AIDS Chicago. In 2010, Howard was honored with the Maxwell "Mac" Dane Award for Humanitarian Excellence by the UJA-Federation of New York. Howard also serves as a trustee of the Francis W. Parker School and is an outside director of OptionsXpress Holdings, Inc.

A father of three, Howard is a graduate of Ripon College, having earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Art History.

Rance Crain,
President, Communications Inc
Editor-in-Chief, Advertising Age, Crain's Chicago Business,
Crain's New York Business, TelevisionWeek

Rance Crain is president of Crain Communications Inc and editor-in-chief of Advertising Age, Crain's Chicago Business, Crain's New York Business, and TelevisionWeek. Named a senior editor of Advertising Age in 1965, he was appointed first editor of Business Insurance in 1967 and editorial director of Crain Communications in 1971. He added the title of company president in 1973.

Mr. Crain's career began as a reporter for Advertising Age in its Washington bureau and later moved to the publication's New York and Chicago offices. He continues to lead Advertising Age as editor-in-chief and writes a bi-weekly column for the leading industry publication.

Mr. Crain founded four of the company's 31 influential titles -- Pensions & Investments, Crain's Chicago Business, Crain's New York Business and Electronic Media (now published as TelevisionWeek).

A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and former sports editor of The Daily Northwestern (1960), Mr. Crain is a charter member of Medill's Hall of Achievement and a proud recipient of the 1992 Northwestern University Merit Award. Among his business and charitable activities, Mr. Crain served 13 years as a board member of Lee Enterprises, a New York Stock Exchange Newspaper company in Davenport, Iowa.

Mr. Crain works in the New York and Chicago offices of Crain Communications and resides with his wife Merrilee in Windermere, Florida. He has two daughters, Heather and Cindi, and five grandchildren.

2009 Inductee

Shelly Lazarus,
Chairman, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide

Shelly has been working, as she would say it, “In the business I love,” for more than three decades, almost all of that time at Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide. Rising through the ranks of account service, Shelly has held positions of increasing responsibility in the management of the company, including president of O&M Direct North America, Ogilvy & Mather New York, Ogilvy North America, Chief Operating Officer, and CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide. She is currently Chairman of the worldwide company. Shelly started at Ogilvy at a time when the agency’s legendary founder David Ogilvy still walked the halls, and personally preached that the purpose of advertising was to build great brands. Under Shelly’s leadership, that essential mission has remained the centerpiece of the company’s philosophy, extending across regions and marketing disciplines, and attracting some of the world’s the largest and most respected brands including American Express, BP, Coca-Cola, IBM, Motorola and Unilever among many others.

Shelly has been a frequent industry honoree. Advertising Women of New York selected Shelly as its Woman of the Year in 1994. She was honored by Women in Communications with their Matrix Award in 1995, was named Business Woman of the Year by the New York City Partnership in 1996, and Woman of the Year in 2002 by the Direct Marketing Association. She has appeared in Fortune magazine’s annual ranking of America’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business for ten years since the list’s inception in 1998. Shelly was also the first woman to receive Columbia Business School’s Distinguished Leader in Business Award.

Shelly serves on the boards of several corporate, philanthropic and academic institutions: General Electric, Merck, New York Presbyterian Hospital, American Museum of Natural History, Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy, World Wildlife Fund and the Board of Overseers of Columbia Business School where she received her MBA in 1970. She served for five years as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Smith College, her alma mater. She is a member of Advertising Women of New York; The Committee of 200; Council on Foreign Relations; The Business Council; Women's Forum, Inc.; and Deloitte & Touche Council for the Advancement of Women. She has also served as Chairman of the American Association of Advertising Agencies. Shelly is the wife of Dr. George Lazarus, a New York pediatrician, and mother to their three grown children.

2008 Inductees

JAN BRANDT
Vice Chair Emeritus, AOL and Member, Pilot Group

Jan Brandt is currently vice chair emeritus of America Online, Inc. (AOL), a member of Pilot Group, an investment fund, and chairman of North American Membership Group, a portfolio company of Pilot Group. Prior to this, Brandt served as vice chair and chief marketing officer for AOL where she oversaw the companywide strategic focus on marketing for America Online and the entire family of brands, including CompuServe, Netscape, ICQ, and AOL Instant Messenger.

Brandt was responsible for growing AOL's worldwide membership from 250,000 in 1993, when she joined the company as an officer and vice president of marketing, to more than 30 million. By 1996 she was already named president of marketing. Known as the most innovative marketer in the online world, Brandt retired from active management at AOL in 2003.

Brandt developed and implemented the "ubiquity strategy" which has resulted in AOL becoming the mass market consumers' choice for Internet online service, and her innovations include the first mass mailings of software disks, free distribution of software disks, disk bundling on newspapers and magazines, software giveaways at such diverse locations as banks, football games, amusement parks, on airplanes and in cereal boxes. She also helped pioneer the growth of the disk distribution business, working with companies to develop the equipment and capabilities necessary to manufacture and fulfill mass disk distribution efforts.

In addition to responsibility for member growth, Brandt oversaw branding, market research, retail, partner co-marketing programs, promotions and advertising of AOL's multiple brands. She was also responsible for developing and growing AOL's merchandise sales to a run rate of nearly $200 million annually. When she retired from active management at AOL in 2003, she was named Vice Chair Emeritus and continues to advise the company.

Brandt was named one of Fortune Magazine's "Most Powerful Women in American Business" in 1999 and 2000. Also in 2000, Brandt was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame by the American Marketing Association. Brandt was Upside Magazine's Marketer of the Year in 1997 and has received the DMA's Echo Award for excellence in direct marketing as well as the Folio Gold Mailbox Award.

Brandt has over 25 years' experience in publishing and marketing. As the Vice President of Advertising for Newfield Publications (formerly Field Publications) from 1988 to 1993, she was responsible for developing and implementing marketing programs, developing strategic plans and meeting operational goals. She directed the in-house advertising agency and was responsible for over $52 million in advertising expenditures and over 10 consumer brands.

Brandt was the Founder and President of Brandt Direct Marketing in Mountain View, CA from 1984 to 1988. Brandt Direct Marketing provided both in-depth marketing consultation and program execution for publishing, merchandising and nonprofit clients. Clients included Parenting Magazine, which she helped launch (and which was later purchased by Time Warner), the American Museum of Natural History, Pacific Telesis and Texas Monthly Magazine. She was also President and Chief Executive Officer of RPA Direct Agency, a national agency for nonprofit, political and publishing clients. She received her Bachelor of Science degree at Boston University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Connecticut.

Brandt served on the national board of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) for seven years. Brandt has been active in national and international philanthropy and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Women for Women International. Brandt is also currently working with a select group start up companies in the private sector.

Andi Emerson

Andi Emerson has done more to raise the level of creativity in direct response advertising – on a global level – than anyone else in the direct marketing field. As founder and, for the past 30 years, President and Board Chair of the John Caples International Awards, she is perhaps the world’s leading proponent of creative innovation in direct marketing. Now represented in more than 40 countries, the John Caples International Awards competition celebrates “creative solutions to direct marketing problems” and keeps alive the spirit of legendary copywriter John Caples towards the relentless pursuit of creative innovation for optimal direct marketing success.

A not-for-profit enterprise, the Caples Awards survive and thrive in large part based on Andi’s dedication and shear will. She devotes as much time to the Caples Awards as she does to her own company, and she uses her considerable powers of persuasion to generate sponsorships and support. Almost miraculously, the Awards program gets by from year to year on a shoestring budget. And each year the awards grow in international participation and prestige.

The fruits of this obvious labor of love are priceless. Thousands of working creatives in all parts of the globe take inspiration from the Caples winners (meticulously profiled in annual Caples Program Book). What’s more, she’s traveled the world, presenting speeches and seminars on direct response creativity as illustrated by Caples Award winning entries. Caples judging sessions bring together direct marketing creative directors from around the world to share their thoughts and opinions. As a result, Andi and her Caples Committee have created an international network of senior creative talent second to none.

John Caples may have written the classic ads and text books, giving inspiration to the awards bestowed in his name, but for the past 30 years, Andi Emerson has been the patron saint of direct marketing creatives.

W. Howard Lester
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

Howard Lester has been with Williams-Sonoma, Inc. since November 1978, when he purchased the company. Mr. Lester has held the positions of President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. He has served as Chairman of the Board since 1986, and previously served as Chief Executive Officer from 1979 to 2001. He was reappointed as Chief Executive Officer in July 2006.

Mr. Lester has extensive experience in computer operations and spent 15 years in the computer industry before entering retailing. He served six years with Computer Sciences Corporation, and was Executive Vice President of Bradford National Corporation.

Mr. Lester presently serves on the Executive Council of UCSF Medical Center and the Advisory Board of the Walter A. Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1991, he endowed The Lester Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation within the Haas School.

Mr. Lester has served on many industry and philanthropic boards during his career including the International Association of Shopping Centers, the Retail Institute of Santa Clara University, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and Boy Scouts of America

Charles E. "Chuck" Williams
Founder and Director Emeritus

In 1956, Chuck Williams purchased a hardware store in downtown Sonoma, California with the intention of converting it into a store specializing in French cookware. Within two years the first Williams-Sonoma store was born. Mr. Williams was introduced to classic, quality French cooking equipment, including unique items like omelet pans and soufflé molds, on his annual trip to France. Soon Williams-Sonoma became the country's first retailer to carry a collection of French cookware.

He moved his store to San Francisco's Sutter Street in 1958. With the continuing growth of the business, he created its first catalog, which was mailed to 5,000 homes in 1971. In 1973, a second store was opened in Beverly Hills. Today the company operates over 250 Williams-Sonoma stores across the U.S. and Canada.

Mr. Williams is an integral part of many aspects of the business, from finding unique kitchenware and food items, to providing advice for catalog production and photography. He has been involved with the publication of over 200 Williams-Sonoma cookbooks, acting as the General Editor for the Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library series, the New American Cooking series, the Savoring series and the Mastering series. He has always embraced the ideals of quality merchandise and outstanding customer service. These ideals and his impeccable taste have set the tone of Williams-Sonoma since its inception.

Mr. Williams served on the Board of the American Institute of Wine and Food, the Board of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and has contributed a personal collection of cooking artifacts to the West Coast branch of the CIA at Greystone in St. Helena. He has always been interested in encouraging those who choose a vocation in the culinary arts and has made numerous scholarships available through the CIA and other organizations. In 2002, he was inducted into the CIA's Hall of Fame.

In 1994, the James Beard Foundation named Mr. Williams to the Who's Who of Food and Beverage and in 1995, awarded him with their highest honor, The Lifetime Achievement Award. Bon Appetit magazine named him the Tastemaker of the Year for 1999, he was awarded the 2001 Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Association of Culinary Professionals, and in 2003, he was recognized by the Housewares Foundation as Humanitarian of the Year. Also in 2003, he was the guest of honor at The James Beard Foundation's annual Chefs & Champagne benefit in Sagaponack, New York. In 2006, he was honored as a Visionary Retailer at the seventh annual Giants of Design Awards presented by House Beautiful in New York City.

In 2007, Mr. Williams and Howard Lester, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Williams-Sonoma, Inc., received the Inc Magazine Bernard A. Goldhirsh Lifetime Achievement Award, an acknowledgement to those who honor the values and virtues of American entrepreneurship.

2007 Inductees

RONALD L. BLIWAS
Inducted 2007
As the head of A. Eicoff & Company, (www.eicoff.com), for 27 years and an employee of the agency for 37 years, Ron has established himself as the country's leading authority on television direct response advertising. Under Ron's leadership, Eicoff has grown to become one of the top 10 agencies in Chicago, and its client base has greatly expanded over the years, including companies such as Sears, Bose Electronics, New York Life and Ameritrade.

Ron writes and speaks frequently about television advertising, and he has received widespread recognition for his efforts; he has been named as one of the most influential people in Chicago by Crain’s Chicago Business for many years and received similar recognition from Response TV magazine. In addition, he writes occasional columns for DM News on television advertising topics. Ron also was chosen by 60 MINUTES to provide viewers with an overview of the television direct response business and was interviewed by Mike Wallace. In addition, he usually gives talks to about 20 different marketing and direct marketing groups annually.

In 2007, Ron’s book, THE C STUDENT’S GUIDE TO SUCCESS, was published by Penguin (under the Tarcher imprint). It has been named a Book-of-the-Month Club selection and received favorable reviews in The Washington Post, Chicago Magazine and other publications.

Perhaps most significantly, Ron was selected for the Direct Marketing Association’s Hall of Fame and will be inducted into the Hall during the DMA’s fall 2007 annual conference.

Ron is a member of five boards: Taylor Capital Group, Inc., the University of Arizona National Board of Advisors, the executive committee of the Board of Directors of the Direct Marketing Association (Ron was the board chairman in 2005), the Board of Friends of Prentice (Northwestern Memorial Hospital Foundation) and IIT’s Psychology Department Board of Overseers.

A 1964 graduate of the University of Arizona with a B.S. in marketing, Ron also received a degree from Northwestern University's Institute for Advanced Advertising Studies. Married with two children, Ron's hobbies include skiing and golf.

CHARLES D. MORGAN
Inducted 2007
Charles D. Morgan is the company leader of Acxiom Corporation, (www.acxiom.com). Under his leadership over the past 30 years, Acxiom has expanded from a small data processing company into a global corporation that provides customer and information management solutions for many of the largest, most respected companies in the world.

In 1972, Charles joined Acxiom as vice president, and he has served as chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors since 1975. In 1991, he assumed the additional title of president. When Acxiom eliminated executive titles on April 1, 1997, Charles became company leader. He retains the same areas of responsibility.

Charles has an intense interest in technology and continues to actively participate in setting the technical direction for the corporation. By instilling a unique business culture and a vision of success, Charles also is one of the few executives in the country who has seen his company named five times to the coveted list of Fortune’s “100 Best Places to Work” (1998, 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2003).

In 2002, Charles joined 13 other senior executives from leading U.S. companies to form the Mailing Industry CEO Council. A nonprofit organization, the council aims to unify the mailing industry and promote the critical role that mail plays in business and commerce. He also joined the Enterprise Software CEO Roundtable in 2002. This roundtable is a group of approximately 30 chief executives and other high-ranking officials of the world’s largest software companies that meet to share ideas and review industry trends. Charles also was the 2001 chairman of the Direct Marketing Association and, until May 2001, served for eight years as chairman of the board of trustees at Hendrix College, a Conway, Arkansas liberal arts school widely recognized among the best private institutions in the nation, and continues to serve as a trustee. Prior to joining Acxiom, Charles worked for six years as an IBM systems engineer.

A native of Fort Smith, Arkansas, Charles is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.

2006 Inductees

RICHARD N. CABELA
Inducted 2006
Dick Cabela founded Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear in 1961, (www.cabelas.com). The company produces more than 76 different catalogs per year, including specialty books focusing on such outdoor pursuits as archery, fly-fishing and boating, as well as massive Spring and Fall Master catalogs. Internationally known as a source of affordable, high-quality outdoor equipment, Cabela’s catalogs are shipped to all 50 states and 120 countries. More than 120 million catalogs are mailed each year with demand continuing to grow. In 2001, the Cabela Catalog was ranked as the fifth most popular catalog, behind such direct-mail giants as J.C. Penney and Sears, in a Consumer Shopping Survey administered by catalog Age magazine. Recent awards include: Shot Business magazine’s 2002 Retailer of the Year; Sporting Goods Business magazine 2002 Specialty Retailer of the Year, and BizRate.com 2001 Circle of Excellence Award for outstanding web site performance over the holiday season. Yet another chapter in the company’s history began June 25, 2004, when Cabela’s “CAB” made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange.

DONALD KUHN
Inducted 2006
Donald Kuhn, who passed away in 2005, began a career in nonprofit fundraising in the early 1950’s. He joined what is today the American Lung Association, starting out working for their Chicago Affiliate. Eventually his success there, in the Florida affiliate and in Michigan, led to a position at the national headquarters as head of their fundraising divisions. During that time, Don developed major innovations that today’s fundraisers take for granted. His long tenure in the American Lung Association fundraising program had a powerful impact on direct mail testing and the refinement of direct mail practices. In 1979, Kuhn accepted a position with the Walter Karl Company as senior vice president of the fundraising division. In his years with Walter Karl, he influenced many of today’s outstanding fundraising professionals, clients, and vendors. In 1993 Kuhn assumed a consulting position with May Development Services where he continued his mentoring and consulting work, emphasizing exemplary donor management and sound fundraising practices.

JOHN F. TEMPLE
Inducted 2006
John F. Temple is president and CEO of Guideposts, publisher of Guideposts, one of the nation’s largest paid circulation magazines. In addition to its flagship publication, Guideposts provides a variety of inspirational magazines, books, and related products and ministry programs to nearly 15 million people every month. Headquartered in Carmel, NY, Guideposts has editorial offices in New York City and Chesterton, Indiana. Temple has been active in many business and community associations. He has served as chair of the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF), and on DMA’s Board of Directors. He has also served on numerous DMA committees, including the Nominating Committee, Compensation Committee, and Executive Committee. In 1994, he served as DMA’s Chairman of the Board. Temple was also past chair of the Circulation Marketing Committee of the Magazine Publishers of America (MPA). Temple has served on the Board of Education of the Carmel Central School District in New York, serving as president for five years. He completed a 12-year tenure as a trustee of the Northern Westchester Hospital Center in Brewster, NY and Health Quest, a regional hospital group in the Hudson Valley.

2005 Inductees

MARTIN EDELSTON
Inducted 2005
From a business in his basement 30 years ago, Marty Edelston built Boardroom Inc into a multimillion-dollar publishing empire responsible for newsletters such as Bottom Line/Personal Bottom Line/Health, Tax Hotline and Bottom Line/Tomorrow. Bottom Line Books, the company's book division, is recognized as one of the largest sellers of one-shot mail order books in the country. His innovations in creative, editorial and product development have earned him widespread recognition among his peers.

THOMAS J. LITLE
Inducted 2005
For more than 35 years, Tim Litle has played a critical role in the growth and evolution of direct marketing. As the founder of Litle & Co., he was a pioneer in the development of payment processing and e-commerce systems for direct marketers, and played a key role in the creation of what eventually became the USPS Carrier Route Presort System. Litle is a past member of the DMA Board of Directors and its Executive Committee. He helped found the DMA's Privacy Task Force, and is past chairman of The DMA's Committee on Ethical Business Practice, and a Board member of the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation.

EDWARD J. SPIEGEL
Inducted 2005
Ted Spiegel is professor emeritus of integrated marketing communications at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Spiegel began his career in direct marketing in 1957 in the Spiegel "family business" that mailed its now famous first catalog in 1905. In leadership roles within the company until 1987, he helped to cement its reputation as one of America's leading catalog marketers and change what originally was a budget-minded chain store-type catalog into an upscale "department store in print." In 1987, Spiegel was instrumental in developing the curriculum and establishing Medill's graduate direct marketing program - the first in the nation - where he expanded direct marketing as a discipline of study. He helped develop the Fourth Quarter Professional Residency for Academic Credit, which today is a key part of Medill's integrated marketing communications program. As founder and president of Spiegel Marketing Associates and a current partner with the Callahan Group, Spiegel has worked as a consultant to businesses, government entities and nonprofits since 1987. His expertise in catalog marketing and business strategy has helped clients ranging from Walt Disney to Reader's Digest to the Library of Congress. As a professor emeritus in service, Spiegel remains active in the Residency program at Medill.

2004 Inductees

DAVE FLORENCE
Inducted 2004
Founder and chairman of Direct Media, Greenwich, CT, developed the first direct mail prospecting database, which is still in use by business-to-business mailers today. A former lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps who holds a master’s degree in business from Columbia University, Dave Florence began his career in 1955 at IBM, where he was a data processing sales representative. He later became the national sales manager of the automated productions division at Royal McBee Corporation.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
Inducted 2004
One of America’s greatest minds and a pillar of our national heritage, Benjamin Franklin is famous for being a scientist, an inventor, a statesman, a philosopher, an economist — and a direct marketer. Well known are his inventions including bifocals, the Franklin stove, and the lightning rod as a conductor of electricity. In addition, he is believed to have been the first cataloger in the United States.

2003 Inductees

HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS
Inducted 2003
Principal of Lewis Enterprises, a direct response consulting company headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, FL. A leading authority on direct response copywriting, Herschell Gordon Lewis provided numerous marketers with the rules, formulas, and techniques for writing effective direct marketing copy for traditional and online media.

FREDERICK J. SIMON
Inducted 2003
Executive Vice President and member of the Board of Directors of the combined group of Omaha Steaks companies. Under his direction, Omaha Steaks became the nations's largest direct-response marketer of gourmet steaks and frozen foods and a leader in all facets of multichannel direct marketing, including direct mail, catalogs, telephone marketing, and e-commerce. Simon persuaded UPS to deliver packages in spite of their perishability. He served as a member of The DMA Board of Directors from 1972 to 1978 and as a Trustee of the Direct Marketing Education Foundation.

2002 Inductees

JOCK BICKERT
Inducted 2002
Responsible for advancing marketers ability to target customers more accurately. Credited with introducing marketers to the concept of advanced analytics to drive database performance, the use of data to create customer profiles and market analysis, and the use of self-reported demographic and lifestyle data for use in generating targeted lists.

JONAH GITLITZ
Inducted 2002
Served as president & CEO of the Direct Marketing Association (The DMA) from 1985 to 1996. During his 12 years of service, DMA membership increased from 1,800 to over 3,000. Expanded government activities at the federal and state levels, broadened ethics and consumer affairs programs, and instituted The DMA's Telephone Preference Service (TPS). Launched a twice-yearly Consumer/Industry Dialogue between DMA members and state and local consumer protection officials across the country.

ROBERT D. "BOB" KESTNBAUM
(1932 - 2002)
Inducted 2002
Recognized as a leader in formulating, applying, and popularizing new concepts and approaches as sophisticated database/interactive marketing technologies evolved. Founded the direct, database, and Internet marketing management consulting firm Kestnbaum & Company in 1967. Credited with the advancement of such database and interactive marketing concepts as standardization of direct marketing arithmetic, calculation and application of customer long-term value, applying database marketing methods and analyses to improve and measure general marketing and media usage, applying sophisticated financial modeling and statistical techniques to marketing challenges, and defining longitudinal or horizontal contact strategy.

RALPH LANE POLK II
(1882-1949)
Inducted 2002
Fueled the rapid growth of automotive direct marketing in the 20th century. His revolutionary efforts to pursue, compile and transform automotive owner registrations into a powerful direct marketing tool was instrumental in developing strong customer relationships for automobile manufacturers, automotive dealers,aftermarket companies, and other automotive businesses.

2001 Inductees

HENRY REED "PETE" HOKE, JR.
(1920 - 1998)
Inducted 2001
Direct marketing educator and advocate who dedicated his career to advancing the direct marketing industry. Publisher of Direct Marketing Magazine, Friday Report and Fund Raising Management

WILLIAM NORTH "BILL" JAYME
(1925 - 2001)
Inducted 2001
Legendary copywriter whose direct mail letters revolutionized the direct marketing medium. Famous for his "Cool Friday" letter for Life Magazine. Together with his partner Finnish designer, Heikki Ratalahti, transformed direct mail and launched hundreds of magazines and newsletters.

MURRAY ROMAN
(1920 - 1984)
Inducted 2001
Acknowledged founder of professional telemarketing and an instrumental force in its worldwide growth. Founded Campaign Communications, Inc., one of the earliest and largest telemarketing agencies specializing in creating innovative telemarketing programs for companies.

DR. MICHAEL OTTO
Inducted 2001
Chairman of the Otto-Handelsgruppe mail order company which is the second-largest online trader in the world. Was the first mail order firm and catalog (founded in 1950) to sell goods for invoice in Hamburg, Germany, and also the first to connect front-end and back-end operations.

2000 Inductees

ROBERT L. HEMMINGS
Inducted 2000
Visionary behind database marketing; created four successful advertising agencies; helped form the first direct marketing club in Los Angeles.

MAX L. HART
Inducted 2000
Widely recognized leader in non-profit direct marketing; tireless advocate for legislative and regulatory issues in Washington and States.

EMILY F. SOELL
Inducted 2000
Mail order innovator and direct mail creative expert; widely recognized award winning copywriter who achieves breakthrough results; sought-after speaker.

1999 Inductees

EDWARD C. SMITH
Inducted 1999
Founder and President of National Wholesale Company, a mail order and retail business, and a champion of the direct marketing industry.

JIM KOBS
Inducted 1999
Founder, Chairman & CEO of Kobs Gregory Passavant. A leading authority in direct marketing, accomplished author, speaker and agency executive.

EDDIE BAUER
(1899-1986)
Inducted 1999
A retailer and catalog pioneer. Founder of Eddie Bauer's Sport Shop in 1920. In 1954 launched the Eddie Bauer Inc. catalog featuring outdoor gear and apparel.

1998 Inductees

MORRIS S. DEES, JR.
Inducted 1998
Direct marketer, publisher, humanitarian and civil rights lawyer who serves as chief trial counsel and chairman of the executive committee, Southern Poverty Law Center devoted to fighting violent racial crimes and defending the poor.

THOMAS S. FOSTER
(1929-1996)
Inducted 1998
Pioneer direct marketer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, founder and former President & Chairman, Foster & Gallagher, Inc.

RICHARD S. HODGSON
Inducted 1998
Leading authority on catalogs and a prolific author on direct marketing subjects. President of Sargeant House providing direct marketing consulting and catalog development services to leading firms throughout the world.

ROBERT J. TEUFEL
Inducted 1998
Publisher, direct marketer, environmentalist, civic leader and President and Chief Operation Officer of Rodale Press, Inc.

1997 Inductees

ALVIN EICOFF
(1922-2002)
Inducted 1997
Founder and Chairman Emeritus of A. Eicoff & Company in Chicago, who pioneered the use of radio and television as direct response media. Widely respected as an educator and author for sharing his knowledge of direct response techniques.

JOAN THROCKMORTON
(1932 - 2003)
Inducted 1997
Direct marketing consultant, mail order innovator, direct mail creative expert, teacher and author, whose clients have included leading consumer publishers, manufactures and service companies. Established her own marketing and advertising agency in 1970 - Throckmorton & Associates, Inc.

WALTER H. WEINTZ
(1916-1997)
Inducted 1997
Longtime circulation director at The Reader's Digest Association, who helped launch The Reader's Digest Condensed Book Club and later, Time-Life Books. Created innovative direct mail promotions and was a mentor in the direct marketing community. Established his own agency, The Weintz Company.

1996 Inductees

RICHARD V. BENSON
(1921-1996)
Inducted 1996
Richard "Dick" Benson achieved many firsts in direct mail advertising: the first merge/purge (before there were computers), the first four-color brochure, and one of the first direct mail sweepstakes.

LEE EPSTEIN
Inducted 1996
Lee Epstein is chairman and founder of MAILMEN Inc., which handles more than 1 million pieces per day. He is a founding member of the U.S. Postmaster General's Mailers Technical Advisory Committee, and is considered one of nation's leading experts in postal affairs.

MIRIAM BAKER LOO
(1914-2000)
Inducted 1996
Founder of the multi-million-dollar stationery and check printing firm Current, Inc., Miriam Baker Loo initiated the first mail order products used for fundraising in 1950. She also pioneered relationship marketing, inviting customers to send in their own recipes for the company's published series of mail order cookbooks.

MAXWELL C. ROSS
(1914-1994)
Inducted 1996 A master at direct mail copywriter, Ross began a 44-year career in direct marketing in the circulation departments of the Des Moines Register and Tribune and Look Magazine, and moved on to insurance direct marketing began launching his own consultancy in 1967.

1995 Inductees

MANNY FINGERHUT
(1914-1995)
Inducted 1995
One of the co-founders of one of the nation's largest catalog companies, Manny Fingerhut launched Fingerhut Corp. in 1948. Fingerhut was the first mail order marketer to offer its customers the opportunity to buy proprietary products by credit, and was a pioneer in free "trial" gift offers and computer personalized formats.

J. WENDELL FORBES
(1923 - 1999)
Inducted 1995
A circulation guru in American magazine publishing, J. Wendell Forbes pioneered source evaluation techniques and the "one list" concept for list management over the course of his career at Time Inc., Young & Rubicon, and Guideposts magazine. In 1975, he founded the School of Magazine Marketing.

STANLEY J. FENVESSY
(1918-1994)
Inducted 1995
The architect of many of the nation's leading catalog fulfillment operations, Stanley J. Fenvessy developed and taught principles of fulfillment and customer service excellence to hundreds of direct marketing operations, and designed more than 100 new and expanded mail and telephone order distribution centers.

1994 Inductees

GORDON W. GROSSMAN
Inducted 1994
An innovator in magazine circulation, Gordon Grossman was the first to develop a direct marketing sweepstakes (1962) and the first to use regression analysis in direct mail (1963) - both of these innovations at Reader's Digest. He also created the first mass personalized mailing.

CORNELIUS F. KEATING
Inducted 1994
A direct marketing professional for more than 40 years, Cornelius Keating developed the negative-option automatic selling method for book and music clubs. He persuaded 19 states not to ban the practice, and persuaded the FTC to establish the Negative Option Rule of 1974.

WILLARD M. KIPLINGER
(1891-1967)
Inducted 1994
Willard M. "Kip" Kiplinger founded The Kiplinger Letter and Changing Times magazine, and launched the Kiplinger Washington Letter in 1923. Over the years, he launched several subscription-based newsletters in targeted segment areas.

ROBERT D. RODALE
(1930-1990)
Inducted 1994
Robert Rodale served as writer, editor, and manager of publisher Rodale Press before becoming its head in 1971. He greatly expanded Rodale's publishing worldwide, launching four book clubs and new magazine and newsletter titles. He also greatly raised the benchmark for prompt fulfillment of purchased published products.

LILLIAN VERNON
Inducted 1994
Catalog entrepreneur Lillian Vernon began her namesake mail order business from her kitchen table in 1958, now a household name known to more than 35 million Americans.

1993 Inductees

ALBERT LESLIE COLE
(1894-1989)
Inducted 1993
Albert Leslie Cole helped Reader's Digest founder and publisher DeWitt Wallace build the circulation of the magazine from 400,000 in 1939 to 10 million in 1965. He launched the first international edition of the magazine.

WILLIAM L. HOWE
(1927-1986)
Inducted 1993
William L. Howe served as president of Metromail Corporation from 1969 to 1986, where he built the company into a progressive data compiling and information management firm.

JOAN D. MANLEY
Inducted 1993
Joan Manley's career in book publishing spanned 30 years, including 24 years with Time Inc. and Time-Life Books where she was named first woman publisher in 1970. She established book clubs as a direct marketing staple to publishers worldwide.

JOSEPH M. SEGAL
Inducted 1993
An extraordinary entrepreneur, Joseph Segal launched The Franklin Mint in 1963, following a successful experience selling coins by mail. In 1985, he launched QVC, the largest cable television shopping network.

1992 Inductees

LEON A. GORMAN
Inducted 1992
Leon A. Gorman, as president of the L.L. Bean catalog since 1967, has perpetuated the mail order company's founding principles of excellence in customer service.

HARRY AND DAVID HOLMES
(1892-1959) (1890-1950)
Inducted 1992
Harry and David Holmes inherited Bear Creek Orchards in 1914 and established during the Great Depression a business selling pears through mail order. In 1938, they started the Fruit-of-the-Month club.

HAROLD E. MERTZ
(1904-1983)
Inducted 1992 Harold E. Mertz established Publishers Clearing House in 1953, and is known for his innovation as a direct mail copywriter. He revolutionized the way magazines subscriptions are sold by using sweepstakes.

MURRAY MILLER
Inducted 1992
Murray Miller pioneered the use of computers in direct marketing, establishing new industry standards in the use of data processing and marketing, direct-response data entry and fulfillment.

1991 Inductees

ROBERT B. CLARKE
(1928-1990)
Inducted 1991
In his 38-year career at Grolier Inc., Robert B. Clarke built the company into the world's largest publisher of quality encyclopedia and reference sets, and innovated the use of continuity clubs to sell children's educational materials.

HENRY A. JOHNSON
Inducted 1991
While president & ceo for Spiegel, he transformed the catalog's posture to today's premier woman's fashion catalog - taking annual sales from $260 million to more than $1 billion a year.

1990 Inductees

ARTHUR MARTIN KARL
(1910-1970)
Inducted 1990
Arthur Martin Karl was a pioneer list broker, beginning in 1930, and was a mentor to many of today's leading list professionals. He also founded the Third Class Mail Association, today's AMMA.

STAN RAPP
Inducted 1990
Stan Rapp is the co-founder of Rapp & Collins, now Rapp Collins Marcoa, one the world's largest direct-response advertising agencies. He is also a noted author, teacher and theorist - and has published leading books on the practice of direct marketing.

1989 Inductees

MARTIN BAIER
Inducted 1989
During a 25-year association with Old American Insurance Co., Martin Baier created innovative and result-producing direct marketed insurance programs. He pioneered the use of ZIP Codes for market identification.

GEORGE S. CULLINAN
(1911-1963)
Inducted 1989
George Cullinan was the first to recognize the significance of databases as a foundation for successful direct marketing, and, as early as 1961, promoted the use and understanding of "recency, frequency, monetary" (RFM) customer data analyses.

1988 Inductees

ROBERT F. DeLAY
Inducted 1988
Robert F. DeLay served as president of the Direct Marketing Association and its predecessor organizations for more than 26 years, spanning from 1959 to 1984. He also played a key role in the launch of the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation.

VICTOR O. SCHWAB
(1898-1980)
Inducted 1988
One of the top copywriters of all time, and the founder of Schwab & Beatty, the foremost direct response agency of its day, Victor O. Schwab wrote the famous headline for Dale Carnegie, "How To Win Friends and Influence People."

1987 Inductees

JEROME S. HARDY
(1918-1992)
Inducted 1987
The founder of Time-Life Books, Hardy guided its growth into one of the nation's largest publishing enterprise. Later he moved into financial services, where he launched Dreyfus Liquid Assets, a mutual fund which raised more than $1 billion in just 18 months.

DeWITT WALLACE
(1889-1981)
Inducted 1987
Wallace relied upon direct-response to build Reader's Digest to more than 17.5 million subscribers. A philanthropist and humanitarian, Wallace with his wife, Lila Acheson Wallace, received the U.S. Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award.

1986 Inductees

DAVID OGILVY
(1911 - 1999)
Inducted 1986
A giant in general advertising, David Ogilvy - founder of Ogilvy & Mather - called direct-response his "secret weapon," encouraged all his copywriters to have direct-response experience, and was among the first to offer a direct-response advertising division to a general agency.

ANGELO R. VENEZIAN
(1912-1985)
Inducted 1986
A leader in business publishing lists and circulation, Venezian organized and served as first chairman of the Mailers Technical Advisory Committee, a vital link between direct mailers and the United States Postal Service.

1985 Inductees

C. ROSE HARPER
Inducted 1985
The first woman to serve as chairman of the Direct Marketing Association, C. Rose Harper led The Kleid Company, a leading list brokerage firm whose mailing seasonality study continues to serve as an industry benchmark.

L.U. "LUKE" KAISER
(1902-1978)
Inducted 1985
Founder of the Premier Company in Houston in 1925 - a direct mail service firm - Kaiser was among the early adapters of computerized mailing lists, and worked hard to increase direct marketing's acceptance, especially in the Southwest.

1984 Inductees

ROBERT F. DALE
(1915-1979)
Inducted 1984
Dale was known as a tireless teacher of direct mail and direct marketing in industry seminars in a time when there was no curriculum for direct marketing knowledge. He led his own direct response agency, American Data.

NAT ROSS
(1904 - 2000)
Inducted 1984
Nat Ross was among the first educators to develop a direct marketing curriculum. His survey course at New York University has educated hundreds of professionals in the field. He also helped to establish The Direct Marketing Idea Exchange, a monthly discussion group for direct marketing leaders.

1983 Inductees

MAXWELL SACKHEIM
(1890-1982)
Inducted 1983
With a career spanning 65 years, Sackheim was a founder of the Book-of-the-Month Club, the first that utilized the negative option selling technique. He's also famous for the advertising that launched the American Express charge card.

LESTER WUNDERMAN
Inducted 1983
A guru in developing direct-response in different media, Wunderman founded today's Wunderman Cato Johnson, one of the world's largest direct response and integrated communications agencies. A theorist, Wunderman is regarded as the first to have coined the term "direct marketing" in the 1960s.

1982 Inductees

LEON L. BEAN
(1872-1967)
Inducted 1982
The founder of the L.L. Bean catalog in 1911, Bean built upon his business philosophy: "Sell good merchandise at a reasonable profit, treat your customers like human beings, and they'll always come back for more."

JOHN CAPLES
(1900-1990)
Inducted 1982
A legendary Madison Avenue copywriter, Caples wrote the famous magazine direct-response headline "They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano." Author of Tested Advertising Methods and Making Ads Pay.

1981 Inductees

LESTER SUHLER
(1909-1977)
Inducted 1981 Suhler was the magazine subscription manager who helped to establish one of the most popular magazines of American publishing in the 20th Century, Look magazine. At one time, 93 percent of Look's 7.5-million circulation was subscription-based.

JOHN D. YECK
(1912 - 1999)
Inducted 1981
A partner in the Dayton, OH-based Yeck Brothers Group direct-response agency, Yeck serves as the chairman and spokesperson for the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation.

1980 Inductees

EARLE BUCKLEY, SR.
(1897-1975)
Inducted 1980
During the 1920s, Buckley established a business mail agency in Philadelphia, and wrote the classic How To Write Better Business Letters.

LEWIS KLEID
(1907-1984)
Inducted 1980
When mailing lists were hard to find, Kleid launched one of the first mailing list brokerage firms, The Kleid Company in 1948. Kleid was among the co-founders of the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation.

1979 Inductees

ROBERT STONE
Inducted 1979
Stone is the founder of Stone & Adler, Chicago's first direct response agency, the author of Successful Direct Marketing Methods, and deeply involved with direct marketing career education.

1978 Inductees

HOMER J. BUCKLEY
(1881-1953)
Inducted 1978
Buckley was the first president of the Direct Mail Advertising Association, now the DMA, in 1917. The founder of a Chicago lettershop company, he pioneered the use of statement stuffers, and developed Christmas Seals as a direct- response fundraising device for the Tuberculosis Institute.

ROBERT COLLIER
(1885-1950)
Inducted 1978
A master of direct-response letter writing, Collier was among the first members of the Direct Marketing Club of New York, then called the 100 Million Club, a collection of expert copywriters who met regularly for professional exchange.

REUBEN H. DONNELLEY
(1864-1929)
Inducted 1978
Donnelley established the Yellow Pages classified telephone directory in Chicago in 1886. He recognized and promoted the use of telephone subscriber lists for direct mail.

HENRY HOKE, SR.
(1894-1970)
Inducted 1978
Early crusader for direct mail, Hoke published one of the first trade magazine covering the business, now today's Direct Marketing. He developed a trade show that drew audiences in excess of 75,000 a year, and helped co-author the industry's first code of ethics.

MILES KIMBALL
(1906-1949)
Inducted 1978 Kimball was a Wisconsin-based mail order and direct mail expert. He helped to found the Third Class Mail Association, now today's Advertising Mail Marketing Association. The prestigious annual award of the Mail Advertising Service Association bears his name.

EDWARD N. MAYER, JR.
(1909-1975)
Inducted 1978
A dean among direct marketing educator, Mayer taught hundreds of people in the direct marketing field, including a host of today's leaders. His talents were the cornerstone of the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation in its early efforts.

O.E. McINTYRE
(1888-1967)
Inducted 1978
An innovator who pioneered demographic selection, merge/purge, and mailing lists on punched cards and computer tape, McIntyre founded his own company, the forerunner to today's Metromail Corporation.

JOHN H. PATTERSON
(1844-1922)
Inducted 1978
Patterson was a business-to-business direct marketing pioneer who turned troubled National Cash Register into an industrial giant. As early as 1890, he used direct mail to generate leads for NCR salesmen. By 1920, he had built a customer lists of 1 million names.

LEONARD J. RAYMOND
(1898-1985)
Inducted 1978
Raymond established Dickie-Raymond, believed to be the first direct-response advertising agency, in Boston in 1921. During the 1930s and 40s, he developed scientific measurement to determine direct-response effectiveness.

NICHOLAS SAMSTAG
(1903-1968)
Inducted 1978
Samstag was a Time magazine promotion manager who combined innovation and showmanship to market both circulation and print advertising effectively. The techniques he first employed in the 1940s are still in use today.

HARRY SCHERMAN
(1887-1969)
Inducted 1978
A gifted copywriter, Scherman used the mail to launch in 1916 the Little Library Corporation which sold 40 million low-priced miniature-sized book editions. He assisted Sackheim in the launch of the Book-of-the-Month Club.

RICHARD W. SEARS
(1863-1914)
Inducted 1978
Sears used his talents as an entrepreneur to build a shipment of watches refused by a local merchant into one of the world's largest mail order firms - and by far the largest of its day. Pioneered several direct mail marketing and fulfillment techniques.

AARON MONTGOMERY WARD
(1843-1913)
Inducted 1978
The founder of Montgomery Ward & Co., Ward gave birth to modern mail-order era with the launch of a single-sheet "catalog" listing 28 items in 1872. His 12th catalog featured the first money-back guarantee, a cornerstone of today's direct marketing.

JOHN HOWIE WRIGHT
(1872-1957)
Inducted 1978
An early crusader of direct mail trade magazines, Wright used excess printing capacity of his printing business to establish Postage and the Mailbag. The magazine provided a platform and support for the fledgling Direct Mail Advertising Association which had formed a few years earlier in 1917 years earlier in 1917.