Contact: Geoffrey Baum, (213) 821-1491
LOS ANGELES, April 12, 2006 -- The USC Annenberg School for Communication has established a scholarship fund in honor of
Henry Rogers, the legendary public relations executive who died in 1995.
The
Henry C. Rogers Endowed Scholarship fund was launched with initial funding from Rogers’s children,
Marcia Ross and
Ron Rogers.
Henry Rogers is credited with transforming Hollywood public relations into a successful profession. He started his own company in 1935 and won his first major recognition in 1939 when he garnered national attention for the then-unknown Rita Hayworth. He was also the first to produce an effective campaign to win an Academy Award when he represented Joan Crawford, who won the Oscar for best actress in 1945.
In 1950, Rogers partnered with Warren Cowan to start Rogers & Cowan, which grew to become the largest public relations agency in the United States.
“Rogers was known as the man who elevated industry ethical standards, particularly through his insistence that public relations professionals had as much responsibility to the news media as they did to their clients,” the New York Times wrote in Rogers’ 1995 obituary.
The first Henry C. Rogers Endowed Scholarship will be awarded to an incoming strategic public relations graduate student who demonstrates professional potential and a passion for public relations. The scholarship is merit-based.
“Henry Rogers built an industry and left a tremendous legacy,” said
Geoffrey Cowan, dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication (no relation to Warren). “We appreciate the generous support from Marcia Ross and Ron Rogers and look forward to preparing public relations students with the tools for successful careers and a commitment to the highest ethical standards.”
"Henry Rogers was a visionary with an eye to the future of the profession," said
Ron Rogers, founder of The Rogers Group, one of the nation's leading public relations firms. "It is important for industry leaders today to help prepare the next generation of public relations practitioners. Marcia and I are pleased to celebrate our father's memory by offering deserving students the scholarship assistance they need to pursue their goals and hope others will find ways to encourage PR education in our colleges and universities."
Contributions to the Henry Rogers Endowed Scholarship Fund may be made payable to the USC Annenberg School for Communication and sent to:
Henry C. Rogers Endowed Scholarship Fund Office of Development and Alumni Relations USC Annenberg School for Communication 3502 Watt Way Los Angeles, CA 90089-0281 Phone: 213-821-1660
Located in Los Angeles at the University of Southern California, the USC Annenberg School for Communication is among the nation's leading institutions devoted to the study of public relations, journalism and communication, and their impact on politics, culture and society. With an enrollment of more than 1,900 graduate and undergraduate students, USC Annenberg offers bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in journalism, communication and public relations.
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