History

by Don Blum, 1972 President

The San Francisco Bay Area Publicity Club was officially founded in 1955. The fact that it is now in its sixth decade is a frightening thought to a few of the founding fathers. There was no real plan in the minds of the founders to create a new organization. There existed, at that time, the illustrious Public Relations Society of America and the Public Relations Round Table, which was entrenched at The Press Club.

The Club's origins actually date back a couple of years before the first official organization date. A group of free-spirited publicists used to convene for Friday luncheons at The Press Club. The leader of the group, Don Arlett, was a leading publicist with a great and outrageous sense of humor. Don invited other publicists, friends, and clients to these lively luncheons. Friday was eventually selected as the best day for these affairs, in case anyone wanted to adjourn upstairs to the bar for the rest of the afternoon.

Guests at these Friday luncheons were frequently figures in the public eye that week. The Friday table fame began to spread and it became an open forum for gossip and the exchange of information. Movie houses were still packing them in and the film publicists from Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount and United Artists frequently accompanied by celebs, were usually free and easy with the comps. This luncheon arrangement rolled happily along for several years. The number of publicists grew and it became a practice to sendout an advance notice when something special was planned. This required the cutting of a stencil and three cents postage. After much fuss, the momentous decision was made to assess each person for mailing expenses. The first assessment was $3.00 and promptly was raised to $5.00 per year. After great discussion, it was decided that there would be only one official mailing and meeting a month. After the group began to have regular monthly meetings, there was the feeling that there should be some structure and shortly after, officers were elected. Don Arlett, the ringleader of the group, was naturally elected the first president in 1955. Under Don Mills, the second president, the monthly meetings took on a more serious character with invitations to specific media people (those who could do you some good). And, from that time on, under various presidents, the club has continued to remain interested in media guests.

The formal monthly luncheons began to move out of The Press Club in view of he fact that most of the publicists represented a variety of restaurants. A couple of he most successful luncheons were held at the then-unknown Buena Vista. Lou Hurley had bought an interest in the bar. Don Arlett was representing Lou. So we trekked to the waterfront long before Stan Delaplane discovered the place.

Incidentally, the informal Friday luncheons continued to be held in the back corner F.O. The Press Club dining room. Early guests included such local television personalities as Jack LaLanne, Lou Hurley (without his dog Myrtle), Wanda Ramey, Lucille Bliss, Evangeline Baker, Chef Candini, Del Courtney, and Les Malloy. Unknown entertainers of the period included a brunette housewife and mother of five by the name of Phyllis Diller and a couple of daffy kids named Tom and Dick Smothers (clients of Don Arlett). Add special appearances of press agents' life-sized rabbits, gorillas (anything to grab space in the four papers), and free tickets. It's easy to see why these Friday luncheons were such fun!

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