OTTO KLEPPNER (1899-1982). A graduate of New York University, Otto Kleppner started out in advertising as a copywriter. After several such jobs, he became advertising manager at Prentice Hall, where he began to think that he, too, "could write a book." Some years later, he also thought that he could run his own advertising agency, and both ideas materialized eminently. His highly successful agency handled advertising for leading accounts (Dewar's Scotch Whisky, I. W Harper Bourbon and other Schenley brands, Saab Cars, Doubleday Book Clubs, and others). His book became a bible for advertising students, and his writings have been published in eight languages.
Active in the American Association of Advertising Agencies, Mr. Kleppner served as a director, a member of the Control Committee, chairman of the Committee of Government, Public and Educator Relations, and a governor of the New York Council. He was awarded the Nichols Cup (now the Crain Cup) for distinguished service to the teaching of advertising.
W. RONALD LANE. Ron has worked in most aspects of advertising. He began in advertising and promotion for a drug manufacturer. Ron has worked in creative and account services for clients including Coca-Cola, National Broiler Council, Minute-Maid, and Callaway Gardens Country Store.
He is a professor of advertising at the University of Georgia and has served as advertising manager of the Journal of Advertising. He was coordinator of the Institute of Advanced Advertising Studies sponsored by the American Association of Advertising Agencies for six years. He is also a partner in SLRS Communications, an advertising-marketing agency.
Currently, Ron is a member of the American Advertising Federation's (AAF) Academic Division, Executive Committee. He has been the AAF Academic Division Chair and served as a member of the AAF Board of Directors, Council of Governors, and Executive Committee. He has been an ADDY Awards judge numerous times and has been a member of the Advertising Age Creative Workshop faculty. He is a member of the Atlanta Advertising Club, American Academy of Advertising, American Marketing Association, and the ACEJMC Accrediting Council.
KAREN WHITEHILL KING. Karen King is a professor of advertising and the Head of the Department of Advertising and Public Relations in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. She received her Ph.D. in communications from the University of Illinois. While on the faculty at UGA, she has been a visiting communication researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, working on their AIDS public service campaign, and a visiting professor at Lintas in New York.
Karen's research interests include advertising industry issues and health communication. She has published her research in leading academic journals including: Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising, Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, Journal of Newspaper Research, Journal of Health Care Marketing and Journalism, and Mass Communication Educator. She was the editor of the 1994 Proceedings of the American Academy of Advertising Conference and she co-authored a textbook supplement, Media Buying Simulation.
Prior to joining the Grady College, Karen was a research supervisor and a media planner/buyer at FCB Chicago. Her clients included Kraft, Coors, Sears, Sunbeam, and International Harvester. In 1999, Karen was named the Donald G. Hileman Educator of the Year by the American Advertising Federation's Seventh District for her work with the UGA Ad Club and its AAF campaign competition team.
J. THOMAS RUSSELL. Thomas Russell is Phil Landrum Professor of Communications. He also is Dean Emeritus of the College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. Tom received his Ph.D. in communications from the University of Illinois and has taught and conducted research in a number of areas of advertising and marketing. He was formerly editor of the Journal of Advertising.
In addition to his academic endeavor, Tom has worked as a retail copywriter as well as been a principal in his own advertising agency. He is a member of a number of academic, professional, and civic organizations. He also has served as a judge and faculty member for the Institute of Advanced Advertising Studies sponsored by the American Association of Advertising Agencies.