Barbara Gardner Proctor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barbara Gardner Proctor
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Photographed in 1974
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| Born |
Barbara Juanita Gardner
November 30, 1932 |
| Died | December 19, 2018 (aged 86) |
| Nationality | United States of America |
| Known for | First African-American Woman who owned and operated an advertising agency |
Barbara Gardner Proctor (born November 30, 1932 – died December 19, 2018) was a very important American advertising expert. In 1970, she started her own company, Proctor and Gardner Advertising, Inc. She was named "Advertising Person of the Year" in 1976. Barbara was the first African American woman to own and run an advertising agency. Her success was even mentioned by President Ronald Reagan and the Smithsonian Institution in 1986.
Contents
Barbara Gardner Proctor's Life and Work
Early Life and Education
Barbara Juanita Gardner was born in Black Mountain, North Carolina in 1932. Her grandmother mostly raised her. She went to high school in Asheville, North Carolina. Later, she studied at Talladega College in Alabama. She earned a degree in English and education in three years. A year later, in 1954, she got another degree in psychology and sociology.
Starting Her Career
Barbara first worked as a teacher, counselor, and social worker. She became friends with Sid McCoy, a disc jockey in Chicago. His family owned a record store. Sid suggested her for a job at VeeJay Records, a music company he was also connected with.
At VeeJay Records, Barbara wrote publicity materials and notes for album covers. She was the only African American woman in such a role in the music industry at that time. Early in her career, she also wrote about jazz music for DownBeat magazine. She later joined their staff as an editor.
Around 1960, Barbara became the director of VeeJay Records' International Division. In this role, she helped bring The Beatles to the United States for the first time in December 1962. VeeJay Records was the first company to release The Beatles' early songs in the U.S. This happened because Barbara made a deal with EMI executives in London in early 1963.
Working in Advertising
In 1964, Barbara started working at the Post-Keyes-Gardner Agency. She began using her married name, Proctor, so she wouldn't have the same last name as one of the agency's owners. She won 21 awards there in just three years!
In 1969, she worked at Gene Taylor Associates as a copy supervisor. Later that year, she moved to another company called North. She felt limited at North, believing she was only given beauty and household products to work on. She also thought the company cared more about pleasing clients than selling products.
Barbara was fired from North because she refused to work on an ad campaign for a hair product. She felt it disrespected the Civil Rights Movement. She remembered in an interview: "they wanted me to do a ‘foam-in’ demonstration in the streets, with women running down the streets waving hair spray cans. I said I would never do that."
Founding Her Own Agency
Because of this experience, Barbara decided to start her own advertising agency in 1970. She called it Proctor and Gardner Advertising, Inc. She used both her maiden name and her married name. She got a loan from the Small Business Administration to help her start. Her marriage had ended in 1963, but she used her married name to avoid any unfair treatment from potential clients. Her agency quickly became the second largest African American advertising agency in the United States.
Sadly, in 1995, the company had to close down.
Awards and Recognition
Barbara Gardner Proctor received many honors throughout her life:
- In 1974, she was named the Chicago Advertising Woman of the Year.
- In 1975, she was chosen as "Advertising Person of the Year" by the American Advertising Federation.
- In 1976, she became the first African American woman to lead the Cosmopolitan Chamber of Commerce.
- She was president of the National League of Black Women from 1978 to 1982.
- In 1979, her name and picture were featured on a Supersisters trading card.
- She received the 1980 Headliner Award from the Association for Women in Communications.
- From 1983 to 1984, she helped lead a commission that studied Illinois' economy.
- President Ronald Reagan mentioned her in his 1986 State of the Union address. He also included her in a special report about women entrepreneurs.
- The Smithsonian Institution honored her in its "Black Women Achievement against the Odds Hall of Fame."
Barbara Gardner Proctor passed away on December 19, 2018, in Chicago. She had been dealing with dementia for some years.
See also
In Spanish: Barbara Gardner Proctor para niños
