Scott Cutlip facts for kids

Scott Munson Cutlip (born July 15, 1915, died August 18, 2000) was a very important person in teaching about public relations. He helped shape how we understand and learn about this field today.

Who Was Scott Cutlip?

Early Life and Education

Scott Cutlip was born in Buckhannon, West Virginia. He started working at newspapers in 1933. He later moved to Morgantown, West Virginia and worked for a newspaper company there.

In 1939, he earned a bachelor's degree from Syracuse University. He studied journalism and political science. His work in public relations began in 1941. He worked for the West Virginia State Road Commission. He continued his studies at the University of Wisconsin. There, he earned a master's degree.

In 1942, he joined the United States Army Air Forces. He served with the Fifth Air Force from Australia during World War II.

A Career in Public Relations

After the war, Cutlip joined the University of Wisconsin in 1946. He taught news editing. He also started teaching about public relations. He helped many U.S. military officers with their graduate studies. This program was started by General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

In 1952, he co-wrote a very important textbook called Effective Public Relations. He wrote it with Allen H. Center. This book has been updated many times. The 11th edition came out in 2012. He also wrote a book about fundraising in the United States in 1965.

From 1976 to 1983, Cutlip was a dean at the University of Georgia. He worked at the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Later, in the 1990s, he wrote two books about the history of public relations. These books told the stories of people working in the field.

Scott Cutlip was a member of important groups. These included the Public Relations Society of America and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

What is Public Relations?

Scott Cutlip believed that public relations is a "vital cog" (a very important part) of a nation's information system. He said that public relations helps different groups share their messages. These groups include governments, political parties, and non-profit organizations.

He thought that people working in public relations have a social responsibility. This means they should use their skills carefully. They help clients share their ideas. They also help people get the information they need.

Cutlip explained that public relations can help leaders. For example, it can help a company's CEO understand public opinion. This can help the company avoid problems. Public relations can also help people talk to each other better. It can help bring different ideas together.

He also said that public relations workers can be called many things. These include "propagandist," "press agent," or "lobbyist." They all work under free speech rules. In a democracy, people need good information to make choices.

Some of Cutlip's university friends worried about public relations. They thought it could make people distrust information. But Cutlip believed that public relations helps many voices be heard. He said it helps "causes, industries, individuals and institutions make their voices heard." He thought it helped prevent things from becoming like the Tower of Babel, where no one could understand each other.

He also believed that public relations helped businesses become more responsible. This happened after the Great Depression.

Awards and Recognition

Scott Cutlip received many honors for his work:

• In 1971, he received an honorary degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College.
• In 1972, he won the first Outstanding Educator Award. This was from the Public Relations Society of America.
• In 1984, he received the Commander's Award for Public Service from the U.S. Army.
• In 2003, he was added to the U.S. Army Public Affairs Hall of Fame.
• In 1987, he was nominated to the Hall of Fame of the Arthur W. Page Society.
• In 1990, he joined the College of Fellows of the Public Relations Society of America.
• In 1995, he received the Golden Anvil award from the Public Relations Society of America.
• Also in 1995, the International Association of Business Communicators gave him a special award. This was for their 25th anniversary.
• He was also added to the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Hall of Fame. This was for his work in journalism education.

His Lasting Impact

Scott Cutlip married Erna K. Flader in 1947. Erna passed away in 1997. Scott Cutlip died in 2000 after being diagnosed with cancer.

Today, there is a scholarship named after him. The Scott Cutlip Scholarship helps students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. These students are interested in public relations. His work is also remembered in a special issue of Public Relations Review from 1991.

Books by Scott Cutlip

• 1952: (with Allen H. Center) Effective Public Relations, Prentice Hall (many editions).
• 1965: Fundraising in the United States, its role in America's philanthropy, Rutgers University Press.
• 1965: Public Relations Bibliography, second edition, University of Wisconsin Press.
• 1994: The Unseen Power: Public Relations: A History, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates ISBN: 0-8058-1464-7.
• 1995: Public Relations History: from the 17th to the 20th Century, Lawrence Earlbaum Associates ISBN: 0-8058-1780-8.