In memoriam: John M. Reed, APR, Fellow PRSA

James E. Lukaszewski says:

He was truly a man of the world and he constantly visited most of it. When I had clients, friends, even critics with international questions or isues, I gave them to John. Where ever there was a client problem, John had just been there or was on his way. Often to visit with the most influential people in a given country or locale. In his own words, he says it best about himself: (From, Legacies From Legends in Public Relations, Published by the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations, 2007) “A good definition of public relations is “organized, ethical persuasion.” International public relations simply means you “do it someplace else.” By “someplace else,” I mean places where the audience or public is different from the persuader, where geographic, lin¬guistic, historical, religious and other boundaries are crossed. In particu¬lar terms it means working in other societies, countries, ethnic pockets. International PR requires the persuader or PR person to have an extra skill set that includes linguistic ability, a knack for and desire to engage in cross-cultural persuasion. In my own case, a deep interest in other people and cultures came in the form of a post card from my father, Charles Leo Reed. The dog-eared post card arrived at my boarding school in Leonardstown, Maryland from Lima, Peru, when I was in the sixth grade. Wow! That stamp was strange, the picture of the Andes exciting, and the fact that my father was there was amazing to this ten-year-old boy. My curiosity was stimulated, a feel¬ing that exists to this day. I delved into geography and history and lan¬guages, determined to travel the world. Later I gained the opportunity to do so in the U.S. Army, and in my PR career. I early decided to concen¬trate on international PR. What fun! Working abroad means finding those avenues, media and programs that will be effective in persuading, for example, local employees to work hard and remain loyal; produce legislation and regulatory systems that are fair and compatible with good practice; potential tourists to visit particular places; and so on. The important concept to be learned is that peoples differ markedly from place to place in terms of their histories, religions, interests, values and so forth, and that to persuade such audiences one needs to have local help, a person of the local ethos. The old slogan that the world is getting smaller no longer applies. It was spoken of the modern transportation making it possible for people to travel easily over long distances to visit formerly remote destinations. Today the world is getting bigger as greater numbers of discreet linguistic, ethnic and political groups establish separate, sometimes independent nations or entities. The membership in the United Nations, originally a few dozen nations, now has over 200 members. Persuading people in Tahiti is quite different from persuading Cape Verdians. For future practitioners of the noble art of ethical persuasion there is a growing need and opportunity for young, well-educated, energetic university graduates with a solid foundation in liberal arts, languages, history, writing, media and, most importantly, with genuine interest in “other” people and what makes them tick. Come on in, the water’s fine, especially in Tahiti and Cape Verde!”

Don Bates says:

John was a great guy and a great believer in the power of professional public relations. I met him many times over the years and I always came away with new knowledge that was not only insightful but immediately useful. He helped to put U.S.-based PR on the worldwide map and brokered hundreds of global relationships as a result of his extensive international travel. Last fall I had a very long lunch with John at the Georgetown Club and he regaled me with tales of White House contacts and DC insiders he knew and worked with. But he was never snide or condescending. He greatly respected his colleagues and peers. He was a gentleman and a mentor. I will miss his wisdom and charm.

Ellyn Conway Cole says:

John was my uncle (my marriage), and what I remember most about John was his love of baseball and his wonderful sense of humor. The last time I spoke with him a few weeks ago he told me "when I get better, I am going to visit all the major league ballparks in the country." I told him when he got to California, I would go with him. He and my Aunt Tish had the epitome of what I think marriage should be...they made each other laugh daily and they truly were living proof of the traditional wedding vows. Their commitment remained strong despite life's challenges. Now he is with the Angels (no doubt watching baseball). I shall miss him.

Frank Johnson says:

John was my friend and fellow professional for some 30 years. Over those years I learned more about this profession than from any other source--so much so that he allowed me to take over his class at American University for a semester when he was otherwise occupied. He and his wife Tish and my wife, Barbara, and I made a great team and he will be sorely missed.