On March 17, Shelley Spector, Founder and CEO of the PR Museum and founder of Spector Associates, spoke about the history and impact of women in PR. She highlighted that while the first women-led PR firm was founded in 1918, women’s contributions were largely unrecognized for decades. During World War II, media campaigns like Rosie the Riveter encouraged women to work in factories, but after the war, advertising and television pushed them back into domestic roles, creating the “suburban mom” and shaping consumer culture. Initiatives like Tupperware parties provided women with social and economic opportunities outside the home.
Spector also discussed The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan, which exposed the widespread dissatisfaction of educated housewives and helped inspire the creation of the National Organization for Women (NOW). By the mid-1970s, women had gained more rights, and media began portraying working women balancing careers and families, with role models like Peggy Olson from Mad Men. For aspiring PR professionals, she emphasized the importance of writing skills, news awareness, earned media, credibility through third-party endorsements, and resilience. She also noted that feeling insecure or experiencing impostor syndrome can be motivating when channeled positively.
PRSSA at UGA welcomed Shelly Spector.
