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Historical studies of women in public relations and their contributions to the field have been rare. Yet, an understanding of women's ocntributions is important, especially in light of their growing domainance in the profession. This article begins the process of rediscovering women in public relations by examining the Public Relations Journal for the presence of women from 1945, when the journal began, through 1972, when the Public Relations Society of America elected its first female chair. The author argues that women were initially accepted into the profession because public relations was a new field with few barriers to entry. As the profession matured, it became more male dominated despite a growing number of women.
I have worked in packing plants and building construction public relations, and men have said,'No, this isn't work suited to a woman,' but I just answered, `Let's see if it is or if it isn't.' I showed them and myself that I could do it and do it well, and won their applause.1
The woman quoted above may have won the applause of her male peers in 1967, but her triumphs and tribulations, along with those of other women in public relations, have been lost over time. Historical studies of women in public relations and their contributions to the field have been rare. Susan Henry has examined the career of Doris Fleischman but primarily from the standpoint of her relationship with husband Edward Bernays.2 And Karen S. Miller has looked at the public relations contributions of Jane Stewart, president of an independent consulting firm.3 But that, for the most part, exhausts the list.4 One reason for the paucity of studies may be, as Miller pointed out, that "for the first seven decades of its existence, relatively few women worked in formal public relations, and the number in executive positions was miniscule."5 Another reason may be that the historical record of the public relations profession in general, and public relations women in particular, is sparse or nonexistent. Public relations, as Scott Cutlip called it, is the "unseen power."6 PR professionals tend to work behind the scenes, making it difficult to trace not only the results of their efforts but also what those efforts were in the first place.
The work of...