A Century of Advertising Education

Billy I. Ross & Jef I. Richards
Copy editors: Alan D. Fletcher & Joseph Pisani

Advertising initially became a topic of study in universities during the first decade of the 20th Century. So now, while still in the first decade of the 21st, it seems worthwhile to take stock of the progress of advertising as an area of academic study. All teachers build on the work of those who preceded them, yet rarely do we stop to look behind us and see the terrain over which they carried us.

This book is about that trail and the pioneers who blazed it. It looks at the people, the programs, and the industry organizations that support them.

The purpose is simple: to capture as much of that history as possible, so that it’s never forgotten.

As part of its 50th anniversary in 2008, the American Academy of Advertising sponsored the publication of this book. Two former Academy presidents and leaders, Billy I. Ross and Jef I. Richards, have dedicated their considerable talents and energy to authoring this work. Advertising is often described as residing at the crossroads of many fields. Billy and Jef provide an in depth look at the diversity of forces, people, and programs responsible for the development and success of advertising education.

This book is free to download, for individual reading and enjoyment. It is not, however, to be used for commercial purposes or to be posted on other websites. You are welcome to link to this page from another website, but loading the digital file of this book onto another web server without permission of the AAA Executive Committee shall be construed as a violation of the AAA's copyrights.

Get the book: A Century of Advertising Education