Harold Burson and Burson-Marsteller

Harold was born to Maurice and Esther Burson in 1921. Maurice, who served in the British Army during World War I, suffered severe damage to his lungs after he was gassed while fighting against the Germans. After the War, the Burson family left Britain and settled in Memphis, Tennessee, US, in 1920. A year later, Harold was born.

Because of Maurice's health problems, Esther was the main earner in the family. She used to sell clothes door-to-door. Harold was three when Maurice started teaching him to read, using the newspaper The Commercial Appeal as a textbook. It was probably this that inculcated in him the habit of reading and the urge to 'know'...

Harold was often appreciated for his outstanding communication skills, presence of mind, ability to identify opportunities much before others, and for being an empathic listener and skillful observer. Throughout his career, he successfully helped the CEOs of a number of top-ranking blue chip companies in managing crises, media communications, and building up the public image of their company/brands. To overcome a crisis, Harold always suggested to his clients to focus upon three basic things - educating employees about the truth, telling the truth to the media, and not repeating the same incident...