Fairfax M. Cone
Encyclopedia
Fairfax Mastick Cone or Fax Cone, was an American
businessperson
, advertising executive and the former director of the American Association of Advertising Agencies
.
, originally intending to be an illustrator. Eventually he graduated with a degree in English
. Due to a problem with his credentials, Cone got a job as an advertising clerk with the San Francisco Examiner rather than a teaching fellowship. In 1928, Cone left the paper for an advertising agency, thus embarking on a career that would leave an indelible mark on his life.
, Cone steadily rose up the corporate ladder, eventually impressing the head of the firm, Albert Lasker
.
In 1941, Lasker wished to retire and liquidate Lord and Thomas, but he passed of the bulk of the agencies clients to three of his rising stars; Emerson Foote, Don Belding, and Cone. On December 29, 1942, the three opened a new agency, Foote, Cone and Belding.
Following the retirements of Foote and Belding (whose positions were subsequently filled by others), Cone became the last of the three founders on the Board of Directors
, a position he retained until 1975. In 1946, he became the director of the American Association of Advertising Agencies. He is sometimes called the "father of modern advertising" and is a member of the American National Business Hall of Fame
. He died in Monterey, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessperson
Businessperson
A businessperson is someone involved in a particular undertaking of activities for the purpose of generating revenue from a combination of human, financial, or physical capital. An entrepreneur is an example of a business person...
, advertising executive and the former director of the American Association of Advertising Agencies
American Association of Advertising Agencies
The 4A's is an American advertising agency trade association.Founded in 1917, their website states that 4A's membership "produces approximately 80 percent of the total advertising volume placed by agencies nationwide." The association issues annual awards for the best agencies, in different...
.
Early years
Cone's father was a prospector and a mining engineer. His mother, Isabelle Fairfax Williams (1869-1940), was a schoolteacher in San Francisco. In 1921 Cone enrolled at the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, originally intending to be an illustrator. Eventually he graduated with a degree in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. Due to a problem with his credentials, Cone got a job as an advertising clerk with the San Francisco Examiner rather than a teaching fellowship. In 1928, Cone left the paper for an advertising agency, thus embarking on a career that would leave an indelible mark on his life.
Advertising career
After a year with the L.H. Waldron advertising agency, Cone joined Lord and Thomas as a copy-writer. Despite health problems stemming from an over-active pancreasPancreas
The pancreas is a gland organ in the digestive and endocrine system of vertebrates. It is both an endocrine gland producing several important hormones, including insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin, as well as a digestive organ, secreting pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes that assist...
, Cone steadily rose up the corporate ladder, eventually impressing the head of the firm, Albert Lasker
Albert Lasker
Albert Davis Lasker was an American businessman who is often considered to be the founder of modern advertising. He was born in Freiburg, Germany when his American parents Morris and Nettie Heidenheimer Davis Lasker were visiting their homeland; he was raised in Galveston, Texas, where Morris was...
.
In 1941, Lasker wished to retire and liquidate Lord and Thomas, but he passed of the bulk of the agencies clients to three of his rising stars; Emerson Foote, Don Belding, and Cone. On December 29, 1942, the three opened a new agency, Foote, Cone and Belding.
Following the retirements of Foote and Belding (whose positions were subsequently filled by others), Cone became the last of the three founders on the Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
, a position he retained until 1975. In 1946, he became the director of the American Association of Advertising Agencies. He is sometimes called the "father of modern advertising" and is a member of the American National Business Hall of Fame
American National Business Hall of Fame
The American National Business Hall of Fame , established in 1972, as the result of an idea by Willard F. Rockwell, Jr. and Alan Hilburg...
. He died in Monterey, California
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
.
Quotations
- Advertising is what you do when you can't go see somebody. That's all it is.
- There is no such thing as a Mass Mind. The Mass Audience is made up of individuals, and good advertising is written always from one person to another. When it is aimed at millions it rarely moves anyone.