PRSA Foundation Establishes Scholarship Fund Honoring Ofield Dukes, APR, Fellow PRSA

December 9, 2011

The PRSA Foundation today announced the creation of the Ofield Dukes Scholarship for Excellence in Public Relations. The 79-year-old Dukes, who died Dec. 7, was an honorary trustee of the Foundation and a widely recognized leader in the public relations profession.

"Ofield Dukes' career achievements have been widely chronicled, and he’s recognized as one of the giants of our profession,” said PRSA Foundation President Debbie Mason, APR, Fellow PRSA. "Those of us who were privileged to work with him through the years knew him as a champion to literally thousands of students and professionals, who turned to him for counsel and inspiration. His work toward making our profession as diverse as the world we serve was unparalleled."

The scholarship fund will be established by a major gift from the PRSA Foundation and a matching gift from Prudential Financial, which will be the founding donor.

"This scholarship will be a legacy to him, reflecting his values for excellence in the ethical practice of public relations," said Mason. "And as an endowed fund, it will carry his name in perpetuity, a fitting tribute to his lifelong commitment to helping others."

Prudential's chief communications officer and PRSA Foundation Board Member Bob DeFillippo adds that, "We are honored to make this pledge to acknowledge the many contributions Ofield Dukes made to our profession. He enriched the lives of so many people, including members of the Prudential Global Communications team."

Commenting on the scholarship’s creation, Dukes' daughter, Roxi Victorian, said, "Education and the well-being of young people were so important to my dad, and any way his legacy can live on through his passion for the education of young people is welcomed."

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