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 Jack Felton, former President and CEO of the Institute for Public Relations, passed away last week at the age of 84.
After Felton's decade long tenure at IPR, a resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees, honoring his demonstration of leadership in the field of public relations. He was a co-founder of the Institute's prestigious Commission on Public Relations Measurement and Evaluation, which at the time contributed more than 25 scholarly papers to the profession's body of knowledge.
Under his direction, IPR achieved the highest productivity in its nearly half-century of remarkable history. Helping to establish a free, useful website for current and future public relations professionals, he grew IPR's distinguished reputation by overseeing pioneering papers, lectures, conferences, awards and competitions.
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Remembering Jack Felton
"Jack Felton was a mentor that knew how to break it to you gently or to kick you in the rear as the occasion required. He was a storyteller of the first rank. Most of all, he was a friend like no other." - Frank Ovaitt, IPR President & CEO
"You know Heaven is now one big party with Jack holding court." - Michelle Hinson, Primavera/Florida's Eden & IPR Measurement Commissioner
"He was incongruously my mentor, my buddy, and my cheerleader. What a package!" - Alan Kelly, Playmaker Systems, LLC. & former IPR Trustee
"His passion for doing the right thing was infectious, and his belief in truth, trust and audience understanding as the cornerstones of public relations will keep him in the forefront of our profession well beyond his years." - Mike Fernandez, Cargill & IPR Co-Chair
"As PRSA President, one evening in New York City he took his entire National Board and our significant others to a sumptuous five-star dinner and then to a hit Broadway musical. The musical was called 'Me And My Girl.' How appropriate then. And now. For Jack." - John Paluszek, Ketchum & former IPR Trustee
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A Man of Many Colors
 | | Jack and Ann Felton |
A consummate professional, a devout husband and father, and a man with a deep-seated need to feed those around him, Jack Felton was a man of many colors.
While one might assume his trophy room, home to a PRSA Gold Anvil and countless other notable awards, would be the highlight of his house, it was his closet. Filled with a bright arrangement of clothes, from his spectacular sports jackets to his techni-color swim trunks, it reflected his fun-loving personality.
Not only was Felton an esteemed professional but an honored playwright with eight published plays. A light-hearted man who whose presence would brighten up a room, he was dedicated to his passions.
During his recognition speech for IPR's Alexander Hamilton Medal, he said of his wife, Ann, "She says I've flunked retirement three times and she doesn't think it looks good for a college professor to keep flunking things."
While Felton joked about his inability to quit working, his determined personality is what helped IPR to more than double its fundraising and annual budget during his reign as CEO. For that, he will be remembered.
To read the full obituary...
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