Father of Advertising

With his widow present in Manhattan's Waldorf-Astoria, last week the first posthumous presentation of the gold medal for ''Distinguished Services to Advertising" was made to Alfred William Erickson. Until his death at 60 last November, "Eric" Erickson was chairman of the board, McCann-Erickson Inc., advertising agency; chairman of the board, Congoleum-Nairn, Inc., floor coverings; chairman of the executive committee, Technicolor, Inc.; member of the executive committee, Bon Ami Co. Leaving acknowledgments to her dead husband's partner, Henry K. McCann, Mrs. Erickson heard him praised as: the father of the commission basis upon which modern advertising agencies operate; one of the fathers of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, the Audit Bureau of Circulation and the Better Business Bureaus.

Some 200 advertising men and women were present for the gold medal ceremony and for the long list of other advertising honors awarded this year by the trade-paper Advertising & Selling in continuance of the Harvard Awards founded in 1924 by the late Edward Bok. To Katharine Fisher, director of the Good Housekeeping Institute, and to Arthur Charles Nielsen, Chicago market researcher, went silver medals. Among agencies, Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn won two firsts, one honorable mention, and B. B. D. & O.'s president, Roy S. Durstine, received first radio medal. Young & Rubicam scored one first, five honorable mentions and second radio medal. Newell-Emmett, Blackett-Sample, Hummert, and G. Lynn Sumner each won a first. N. W. Ayer had three honorable mentions. McCann-Erickson had two honorable mentions, Lennen & Mitchell, Fuller & Smith & Ross, Rickard & Co. and Geyer, Cornell & Newell, Inc. one each. W. J. Cameron of the Ford program won third radio medal.

Short, rotund, always cheerful, "Eric" Erickson, son of a Swedish engineer, was a product of the Brooklyn public schools. His first important job came at 24 as advertising manager for James McCutcheon Co. Two years later, in 1902, he formed his own agency and McCutcheon was his first account. It stayed with him all his life. He made the friendship of William Hamlin Childs, a power in Barrett Co. (Tarvia, roofing, chemicals), and that big Allied Chemical subsidiary became his first major account. Liking his advice, Barrett Co. invited him to become a board member, first of the series of business alliances which made him a rich man.

A Barrett product that was not prospering was called "Congo." Somebody had the bright idea of painting the material and using it for floor covering. Erickson was enthusiastic but unable to persuade his fellow board members to boom Congo with advertising. They suggested that if he believed it was so good, he should buy the company. That he did, and the renamed product, Congoleum, was Erickson's first big killing. In 1924 he merged his company with Nairn Co. (cork, linoleums).

From his Barrett association and his advertising activities he went on into Bon Ami, Technicolor, Boorum & Pease Co. But advertising remained his first love. In 1930, having then but his one office in Manhattan, he merged his agency with H. K. McCann Co., giving the new firm seven U. S. and three European offices, adding to the impressive list of Erickson accounts such majors as the Standard Oil group, California Packing, Zonite, Beech-Nut.

"Eric" Erickson's collection of portraits included choice Rembrandts. His 1,000-acre duck-shooting box at Brookhaven, L. I. was the envy of his gunning friends. The Megantic Fish & Game Club in northwestern Maine prospered under his twelve-year presidency and his fly-casting was respected by the troutiest.

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