Leone Baxter and Clem Whitaker - Research Paper Example

?Leone Baxter and Clem Whitaker Leone Baxter and Clem Whitaker would come together to form the country’s first campaign management firm in 1933. While the two began as business partners they would later marry. The company was located in San Francisco and had offices throughout the country, in cities such as Chicago, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. Whitaker & Baxter Campaigns Inc. would ultimately come to be recognized for its prominent contributions in foreground political marketing strategies. This essay considers biographical information on Leone Baxter and Clem Whitaker and examines their major public relations achievements. 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 political 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. He was born on August 20th, 1922 in Sacramento, California. He attended public schools and his parents divorced when he was thirteen years old. Similar to Leone Baxter, Clem Whitaker would also work as a journalist, writing for both the Sacramento Union and the Sacramento Bee. Whitaker would attend the University of California, Berkeley and major in economics. 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 “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 management. In 1958 Clem Whitaker, Sr. would experience health issues and as a result would sell his company to his son, Clem Whitaker, Jr. After this event Clem Whitaker Sr. and Leone Baxter would form a public relations firm referred to as Whitaker & Baxter International. This public relations consulting firm was located in San Francisco, California. Whitaker & Baxter Campaigns Inc. gained a reputation for great efficiency and effectiveness. The company also gained a reputation as being predominantly associated with conservative and Republic candidates. While the company largely handled conservative issues, early in its establishment it’s noted that “there were a number of liberal policies; among these include a campaign against P.G. & E., as well as a measure to increase teacher salaries” (Lees-Marshment 203). One of the primary aspects of the company’s business was ballot measures. Among the most prominent such measures the company handled included the Ham and Eggs pensions from the 1930s to the 1950s. The company also handled efforts to attempt to redraw State Senate district boundaries along population lines, measures that attempted to restrict labor union policies such as picketing and featherbedding, and finally they supported a number of policies of large-scale oil companies. Still, the company’s major area of operations was in political campaigning. It was in this realm that they gained the greatest esteem and is recognized today for both their foregrounding company and effective practices. Among the prominent campaigns and candidates the company managed include future Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren, Goodwin Knight, and Richard Nixon. During the company’s campaign management of Earl Warren they were successful in helping him be elected as governor. Still, towards the end of the campaign they had a disagreement, after which they ended their business relations. In terms of Goodwin Knight, the firm worked to elect him to two terms as governor and later worked on his failed senatorial campaign. Their most famous campaign was Richard Nixon’s Presidential campaign. In these regards, they managed the California portion of the campaign. While the campaign was ultimately unsuccessful, the company achieved success in that Nixon won the state that Whitaker & Baxter managed. In addition to campaign measures, the company had a number of successful ventures into the corporate world. Whitaker & Baxter handled many such interests at the state and national level. One of the most notable such national management operations occurred in 1949 when the company represented the American Medical Association in their battle against then President Harry Truman’s universal health care plan. Another prominent national campaign occurred in 1965 when the company backed measures to promote an amendment to the United States Constitution that required state legislative districts is based on demographic lines. Even while the firm handled significant national interests, through their business operations they remained highly active in the San Francisco political scene. In terms of the significant campaigns they managed in this context includes “Elmer Robinson, Harold Dobbs, and Roger Lapham” (Star 119). The major ballot initiatives include an anti-picketing ordinance, policy to support the development of a museum, measures supporting garbage collection, and the rejection of public policy designed to created a public power system. While the company was not always successful they ultimately gained a reputation for effectiveness and professionalism, as well as being cutting-edge innovators in their field. In conclusion, this essay has examined the lives and accomplishment of Leone Baxter and Clem Whitaker Sr. The essay demonstrated that their major innovation was the development of the country’s first political marketing firm – Whitaker & Baxter Campaigns, Inc. Within these company operations, Whitaker and Baxter would handle many prominent local, state, and national campaigns. Most prominently they handled Richard Nixon’s first Presidential campaign. Ultimately, the gained a reputation for innovation and effectiveness. References Lees-Marshment, John. Political marketing: principles and application. . Routledge, 2009. Print. Lathrop, Douglas. The campaign continues: political consultants and campaign tactics. New York: Trivare, 2002. Print. Star, Kevin. Golden Dreams: 1950-1963. California: Templeton, 1991. Print. "Whitaker & Baxter Campaigns." Social Archives. N.p., 2009. Web. 14 Aug 2011. . Read More