1938 DeWitt Clinton High School Bronx, New York
Clintonian Yearbook
Robert Q. Lewis
Walter Mirisch
Bill Ruder
SOME SIGNATURES I DON’T THINK ANY OF THE ABOVE HAVE THEIR SIGNATURE INSIDE. I DON’T KNOW.
PINK WATERMARK WILL NOT APPEAR IN YEARBOOK
Robert Q. Lewis, American radio and television entertainer, comedian, game show host and actor.
Walter Mirisch, American film producer
Bill Ruder, Ruder-Finn Public relations Q. Lewis (born Robert Goldberg; April 25, 1921 – December 11, 1991) was an American radio and television entertainer, comedian,[3] game show host and actor. Although born with the Goldberg name, he grew up as Lewis, his father's professional name.
Robert Q. Lewis
Robert Q. Lewis 1956
Lewis in 1956
Born
Robert Goldberg
April 25, 1921
New York City, U.S.
Died
December 11, 1991 (aged 70)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater
University of actor television personality
Years active
1947–1986
Lewis is perhaps best known for his game show participation, having been the first host of The Name's the Same,[4] and regularly appearing on other Goodson-Todman panel shows. He also hosted and appeared on a multitude of TV shows from the 1940s through the 1970s.
His most distinguishing feature was his horn-rimmed glasses, to the point that the title card for his second Robert Q. Lewis Show[4][5] used a drawing of such glasses as a logo. They were also mentioned in the title of his lecture.As a frequent guest panelist on What's My Line?, Lewis's blindfold featured a sketched pair of glasses.[6]
Walter Mirisch
Born
Walter Mortimer Mirisch
November 8, 1921
New York City, U.S.
Died
February 24, 2023(aged 101)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation
Film producer
Spouse
Patricia Kahan Academy Award for Best Picture as producer of In the Heat of the Night(1967)
* Producer of the Year Award, Producers' Guild of America(1967)
Born to a Jewish family in New York, Mirisch was the youngest of three sons born to Josephine Frances (née Urbach) and Max Mirisch. His siblings included film producer Marvin. His father emigrated from Kraków, Poland in 1891 at the age of 17, arriving in New York City where he worked as a tailor. His mother was the daughter of immigrants from Hungary and Poland. His father was previously married to Flora Glasshut with whom he had two sons; she died of cancer at the age of 40. Walter Mirisch graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School. He was a summer vacation usher in Jersey City's State Theater, his first job associated with the movie business. He soon moved up to higher positions at other theaters.
A heart murmur kept him from joining the Navy, but Mirisch was still eager to serve his country during World War II. He moved to Burbank, California, to work at a bomber-plane plant, where he wrote technical articles, sharing knowledge with other military manufacturers. After the war ended Mirisch immediately turned his attention back to his original passion, the movies. In 1942, he received a BA degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the next year he graduated from Harvard's Graduate School of Business Administration.[10] He produced his first film, Fall Guy (1947), for Monogram Pictures.
At the age of 29, Mirisch became production head at Allied Artists Studio, initially only a division of Monogram, with some 30 films to oversee. During his tenure, he found time to personally produce Flat Top (1952), Wichita (1955), which received a Golden Globe Award from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as Best Outdoor Drama of 1955, The First Texan(1956), and An Annapolis Story (1955). Among other films, he supervised the productions of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Friendly Persuasion (both 1956), and the Billy Wilder-directed Love in the Afternoon (1957).
The Mirisch Company was founded in 1957. It produced 68 films for United Artists, including three that won the Academy Award for Best Picture, namely The Apartment(1960), West Side Story(1961) and In the Heat of the Night (1967), which also won four other Oscars. Among the most noteworthy Mirisch projects that Walter personally produced are: Man of the West (1958); The Magnificent Seven (1960); Two for the Seesaw (1962); Toys in the Attic (1963); the film version of James A. Michener's monumental novel, Hawaii (1966), which was nominated for seven Oscars, and its sequel, The Hawaiians (1970); Midway(1976), the saga of America's greatest naval victory; the tender and moving Same Time, Next Year (1978); and Romantic Comedy (1983).
For the NBC television network, Mirisch was executive producer of Wichita Town with Joel McCrea (1959–1960), Peter Loves Mary (1960–1961), Desperado; Return of Desperado; Desperado: Avalanche At Devil’s Ridge; Desperado: Legacy; Desperado: Sole Survivor; and in 1993, Troubleshooters: Trapped Beneath The Earth. Mirisch was executive producer of Lily in Winter for the USA Network in 1994, A Class for Life for ABC in 1995, as well as The Magnificent Seven, a weekly series for CBS in 1997.
Ron Howard said of Mirisch, "From Bomba, the Jungle Boy to Some Like It Hot and In the Heat of the Night ... Walter Mirisch produced many of the films which dazzled and inspired me (and I'm not kidding about Bomba. I loved those movies as a kid). When I later acted in one of his (lesser) productions, The Spikes Gang, I learned that a prolific and brilliant producer could also be a terrific guy and a wonderful teacher."
Honors and awards
Mirisch received the 1967 Academy Award for Best Picture for his production of In the Heat of the Night.
Throughout the years he was the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including The Producer of the Year Award: first, from the Producers' Guild of America (1967); later, the National Association of Theatre Owners (1972); and then ShowaRama (1975).
In addition, he received the Cecil B. DeMille Award of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for "outstanding contribution to the entertainment field" (1976), the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciencesfor his "consistently high quality of motion picture production (1978), and the Academy's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, which is given to an individual whose "humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry" (1983).
Mirisch served three terms as president of the Producers Guild of America. He served four terms as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He was a former president and Governor of the Performing Arts Council of the Los Angeles Music Center, as well as a trustee of the Motion Picture and Television Fund. Mirisch was also an Emeritus member of the board of directors of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center of Los Angeles, and the board of directors of the UCLA Foundation.
He was decorated by the Republic of France with its Order of Arts and Letters in 1961.
In May 1989, he received an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In June 1989, he was the recipient of the UCLA Medal, the university's highest award.
In 2004, he was honored with a retrospective at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art entitled "The Magnificent Mirisches". The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York honored him in 2006 with a retrospective of twelve films.
On February 2, 2008, Mirisch presented the Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year award at the 19th Annual Producers Guild of America Awards. The top honor (the equivalent of the Academy Award for Best Picture) went to Scott Rudin, Joel and Ethan Coen for No Country for Old Men.
Year Title Notes
1958 Fort Massacre producer
Man of the West producer
1959 The Gunfight at Dodge City producer
The Man in the Net producer
Cast a Long Shadow producer
1960 The Magnificent Seven executive producer
1961 By Love Possessed producer
West Side Story executive producer (uncredited)
The Children's Hour executive producer (uncredited)
1962 Follow That Dream executive producer (uncreated)
Kid Galahad executive producer (uncredited)
Two for the Seesaw producer
1963 The Great Escape executive producer (uncredited)
Toys in the Attic producer
The Pink Panther executive producer (uncredited)
1964 633 Squadron executive producer (uncredited)
A Shot in the Dark executive producer (uncredited)
1966 The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming producer (uncredited)
Hawaii producer
1967 How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying executive producer (uncredited)
In the Heat of the Night producer
Fitzwilly producer
1968 The Party executive producer (uncredited)
The Thomas Crown Affair executive producer (uncredited)
1969 Sinful Davey executive producer
Some Kind of a Nut producer
1970 Halls of Anger executive producer
The Landlord executive producer (uncredited)
The Hawaiians producer
They Call Me Mister Tibbs! executive producer
1971 The Organization producer
Fiddler on the Roof executive producer (uncredited)
1973 Scorpio producer
1974 The Spikes Gang producer
Mr. Majestyk producer
1976 Midway producer
1978 Gray Lady Down producer
Same Time, Next Year producer
1979 Dracula producer
The Prisoner of Zenda producer
1983 Romantic Comedy producer
1993–1996 The Pink Panther executive producer
2010 Pink Panther and Pals executive producer
2016 The Magnificent Seven executive producer
Ruder Finn
Ruder Finn is a public relations firm founded in New York City in 1948 by David Finn and Bill Ruder. The privately held agency is headquartered in the United States and has worked with clients in industries such as technology, healthcare, brand experience, corporate reputation, workplace, and has advised both corporate and government organizations.
Ruder Finn
Communications
Public 78 years ago
Founder
David Finn
Bill Ruder
Headquarters
New York City
Area served
Global
Key people
Kathy Bloomgarden
(CEO)
Nick Leonard
(managing director, UK)
Elan Shou
(managing director, Asia)
Shivaram Lakshminarayan
(managing director, India)
Michael Schubert
(Chief Innovation Officer)
Peggy Walsh
(Chief Operating Officer)
Ian Glover
(Chief Financial Officer)
Tejas Totade
(Chief Technology Officer, Head of AI)
Adeline Phun
(General Manager, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Sophie Simpson
(Managing Director, Middle East)
Number of employees
1,350 (2026)
Since 2011, the company has been led by CEO Kathy Bloomgarden, who is David Finn's daughter.
History
Origins: 1948–2000s
edit
Ruder Finn was established in 1948 in New York by David Finn and Bill Ruder.[1]
The firm's first client was country singer Perry Como. Its success at promoting Como attracted more clients in show business, including Dinah Shore and Jack Lemmon.[2] Ruder Finn eventually expanded to represent consumer product companies and government agencies.[2]
During the 1960s, Ruder Finn provided public relations support for the U.S. government's efforts related to the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treat signed under President Kennedy.[3]
David Finn advised on the curation of the PepsiCo Donald M. Kendall Sculpture Gardens, helping assemble a collection of twentieth-century outdoor artworks. His involvement reflected a long-standing commitment to expanding public access to modern art.[4]
In 1979, David Finn and Bill Ruder were hired to handle the promotion of the new Pritzker Prize, founded by the owners of Hyatt Hotels, Jay and Cindy Pritzker.[5][6]
In 1985 Ruder Finn executed the "Glad Bag-A-Thon," the nation's largest organized clean-up and recycling initiative, in partnership with Glad Bags and Keep America Beautiful.[7]
During this time, Ruder Finn advised Philip Morris (now Altria), on public relations strategies related to growing health concerns about smoking. Ruder Finn recommended adopting public information policies that acknowledge health risks, such as including warnings on advertisements and deferring to medical authorities on scientific findings.[8][9][10][11]
In 1997, Ruder Finn ran the Global Climate Coalition, a group of mainly United States businesses opposing action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.[12]
In 1999, Ruder Finn established RFI Studios, a digital practice, to help clients protect and build their reputation online.[13] The agency expanded in Asia, establishing offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Singapore, Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.
In 2005, pro bono work done for the UN raised speculation when Kofi Annan's nephew, Kobina, worked as an intern at the firm. Ruder Finn was not awarded any U.N. contract because of Kobina's employment.[14]
These decades laid the groundwork for future growth under the leadership of David Finn's daughter, Kathy Bloomgarden, who became the firm's CEO and expanded their international presence into China.[15]
2010s
edit
Kathy Bloomgarden, Finn's daughter, became CEO when he retired in 2011.[2] That year Ruder Finn acquired Thunder Communications, a Chinese event management, brand and marketing consultancy, and formed a partnership with Kyodo Public Relations.[16]
In the 2010s, Ruder Finn partnered with Novartis on meningitis campaigns, "Meningitis: Keep Watching" and "Protecting Our Tomorrows," featuring photography by Anne Geddes and collaborations with Meningitis Research Foundations, Meningitis Trust, and Meningitis UK. The campaigns earned a Bronze Lion at Cannes Health.[17][18]
In 2012, Ruder Finn accepted a controversial contract from the government of Maldives that was condemned by the Commonwealth of Nations for organizing a political coup d'état that led to the fall of the first democratically elected President of the Maldives.[19] Vice-president of Ruder Finn Emmanuel Tchividjian "admitted there were 'diverse points of views' surrounding the circumstances around the change of government"[20] The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group reiterated its call for early elections to be held in the Maldives.[21]
The agency has won the PRSA Bronze Anvils, Big Apple Awards, SABREs and PRWeek Awards.[22][23][24][25] David Finn received a Big Apple Award.[26]
In 2015, Ruder Finn acquired the Japanese business of Kyodo Public Relations, one of the largest independent PR firms in Japan and the first PR agency to be listed on JASDAQ Securities Exchange.[27]
In 2018, Ruder Finn launched rf.techlab, an analytics and emerging technology incubator, supporting the development of proprietary offerings in data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.[28][29] In 2019, they introduced rf.relate, a practice focused on advocacy, sustainability, and public affairs that develops social impact campaigns connecting communities with representative organizations.[30][31]
2020s
edit
In June 2020, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Neom city project signed a $1.7 million contract with Ruder Finn that seemed to be an effort to counter criticism and controversies surrounding the project and its founder, such as mass arrests, the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, and conflict over forced evictions on Howeitat tribal land.[32][33] The firm has since ceased working with Neom.[34]
In July 2020, Ruder Finn acquired the video content studio Osmosis Films, headquartered in Brooklyn, New York.[35]
In 2021, Huawei spent $3.5 million with Ruder Finn according to media reports and public records.[36] In 2023, the two companies ended their partnership.[37]
In 2021, Ruder Finn was ranked 30th on the Global Top 250 PR Agency Ranking.[38]
In October 2023 Ruder Finn was named the PR Agency of the Year. This award was given at the Medical Marketing and Media Awards (MM+M), in New York.[39][40] In the same month, Ruder Finn acquired Pandan Social, a Malaysian firm that was founded in 2018.[41] The same year Ruder Finn established rf.studio53, rf.engage, and rf.Digital.[42][43]
In March 2024, Ruder Finn acquired the digital marketing agency Flightpath.[44]
In 2024, Ruder Finn formed an AI Advisory Council chaired by Zack Kass, formerly of OpenAI, to advise clients on AI adoptions and product innovation across practices.[45][46] The same year, they introduced an agency generative engine optimization tool, called rf.aio. It was developed with influenceAI to help brands track and improve how they appear in large language model results.[46][47]
On January 28, 2025, the New York City Mayor's Office proclaimed "David Finn Day" in honor of Ruder Finn's founder and the business. To commemorate the occasion, Ruder Finn donated the David Finn Archive to the Museum of Public Relations.[48]
The 2025 PRWeek Agency Business Report recognized Ruder Finn for distinction in culture and new business.[49]
The Ruder Finn Group is made up of wholly owned subsidiaries including Touchdown,[50] Peppercomm,[51] RF Comunicad,[52] Mantis,[53] Flightpath,[54] Atteline,[55] Pandan Social,[56] Missouri Creative,[57] and Big Sky Communications.[
Clients
Ruder Finn's clients have included companies in healthcare, technology, and consumer industries such as Pfizer, Adobe, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, L'Oréal, BMW/Mini, and MetLife.
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