- Experts Guide
- Graphic Standards & Visual Identity
- News Releases
- NIU in the News
- Northern Today
- Resources for
Campus Communicators - Web Presence Project
- Contact Us
- Media Relations & Internal Communications Home
News Release
Lois Self, NIU Department of Communication
(815) 753-7028
September 17, 2004
Al Golin to speak in honor of pioneer public relations educator
DE KALB – Al Golin, founder and chairman of Golin/Harris International, will present a speech Sept. 20 at the inaugural Arthur W. Page Society Distinguished Ambassador Lecture. The address will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Northern Illinois University Barsema Hall Auditorium and is co-sponsored by the Departments of Communication and Marketing.
NIU was chosen by the Page Society as the site for Mr. Golin’s talk, which will be the first of a series of Ambassador Lectures to be given by noted public relations professionals throughout the nation. The lecture honors retired Journalism professor Albert Walker, and commemorates the launching of an endowment in his name, the Emeritus Professor Al Walker Visiting Professionals Fund. The fund will help bring outstanding public relations professionals, such as Al Golin, to the NIU campus.
Golin, who was recently inducted into the Arthur W. Page Society’s Hall of Fame, will speak about the importance of trust in public relations and corporate communication initiatives in his lecture, “The Value of Trust in the Contemporary Public Relations World.” Golin is no stranger to the topic of ethics, having released his latest book in late 2003, “Trust or Consequences: Build Trust Today or Lose Your Market Tomorrow.” While on campus, Mr. Golin will also visit two public relations classes and conduct an informal session about his book with students and faculty in the Departments of Communication and Marketing.
Professor Walker came to the NIU Journalism Department in 1968 to create a public relations sequence within the Journalism major. Walker, with the assistance of members of the Chicago chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, developed the curriculum for the public relations sequence. “Over the course of his teaching career, Dr. Walker made a lasting impression on hundreds of PR students, not only for what he taught us in the classroom, but for what he exposed us to in the professional world,” said Robert Kornecki, class of 1972 alumnus. Kornecki is president and CEO of the Midwest operations of Burson-Marsteller, a leading international public relations firm.
Alums Robert Kornecki and Chuck Merydith, with longtime NIU public relations program supporter and benefactor, Betsy Plank, are the primary developers of the Walker Fund, in conjunction with the Department of Communication. The following alumni have also made generous gifts and pledged support for the endowed fund for Dr. Walker which the Department is building: Frank Hatz, Richard and Sue Lind, Bob Matha, Harlan Teller, and Ken Trantowski.
In commenting about the Page Lecture and the Walker Endowment, Dr. Lois Self, Chair of the NIU’s Communication Department, stated: “The Department of Communication is extremely pleased and proud to have distinguished public relations professional, Al Golin, on our campus and to recognize the many contributions made to public relations education by the founder of the NIU public relations program, Dr. Albert Walker.”
About the Arthur W. Page Society
The Arthur W. Page Society is a selective organization for senior public relations and corporate communication executives who seek to enrich and strengthen their profession. The Society is undergirded by management concepts, which have been tested for more than half a century and have earned the support and respect of chief executive officers throughout the country. For more information, visit www.awpagesociety.com.
About Golin/Harris International
Founded in 1956, Golin/Harris is a full-service public relations firm, providing professional counsel and strategic communications programs to clients through 27 offices around the world. Golin/Harris clients include McDonald’s Corporation, Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc., the Lowe’s Companies, Nintendo of America, Inc., Texas Instruments, State Farm Insurance, Sprint Corp., Florida Department of Citrus, and the William Wrigley Jr. Co. Golin/Harris is headquartered in Chicago. For more information, visit www.golinharris.com.
####