Gerald Rafshoon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gerald Rafshoon
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| White House Communications Director | |
| In office July 1, 1978 – August 14, 1979 |
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| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | David Gergen (1977) |
| Succeeded by | Frank Ursomarso (1981) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Gerald Monroe Rafshoon
January 11, 1934 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Texas at Austin (BA) |
Gerald Monroe Rafshoon was born on January 11, 1934. He is an American who has worked in television and politics. He is well-known for helping Jimmy Carter become President of the United States. Rafshoon also served as the White House Communications Director for President Carter. This made him the first advertising expert to work directly in the White House.
Early Life and Learning
Gerald Rafshoon was born in New York City, New York. He went to the University of Texas at Austin. After college, he served in the United States Navy for three years.
His Career Journey
Rafshoon started his own advertising company in Atlanta in 1963. Before that, he worked at 20th Century Fox in Atlanta and New York.
In 1966, Rafshoon decided to help Jimmy Carter's campaign for governor of Georgia. He heard a bad campaign song on the radio and wanted to make it better. In 1976, Rafshoon planned the advertising and public relations for Carter's presidential campaign. Carter was a mostly unknown governor and peanut farmer from the South. Thanks to Rafshoon's work, Carter became president.
After his time at the White House, Rafshoon began making movies and television shows. He is good at working with international partners. He has filmed projects in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
In January 2008, Rafshoon and another co-founder, Doug Bailey, left an organization called Unity08. They started a new effort to encourage New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to run for president as an independent candidate.
Making TV Shows
Rafshoon has produced many hours of television and cable entertainment. These shows were for networks in the U.S. and other countries. Among his productions are two programs that won Emmy Awards. Three others were nominated for Emmys. Some of his notable works include:
- Circle of Violence starring Tuesday Weld and River Phoenix
- The Atlanta Child Murders starring Morgan Freeman and Martin Sheen
- The Nightmare Years, a story about William L. Shirer and Nazi Germany's propaganda
- Joseph starring Ben Kingsley
- Running Mates, a political comedy with Tom Selleck and Laura Linney
- Georgetown, a drama series for CBS starring Helen Mirren
He also produced an Emmy-winning documentary series. It was called Decisions That Shook the World. This series looked at important choices made by American presidents. These decisions showed their character and changed history.
