November 8, 1987 –
Bonaventure Hotel
Los Angeles, California
Edward M. Block was senior vice president in charge of public relations, advertising and employee communication at AT&T for 12 years until his retirement in 1986. He also held the additional post of assistant to the chairman of the board and was the founding chairman of the AT&T Foundation. He was also a director of three of AT&T’s principal subsidiaries.
During his career at AT&T, he was a director of the NCR Corporation and Electronic Associates, Inc., a New Jersey based maker of simulation computers. He was also president of the American Council for the Arts and was a founding director of the National Arts Stabilization Fund, a spin off of the Ford Foundation. He served briefly in the White House in the early days of the Ford Administration.
Mr. Block began his career in public relations in 1952 with the Southwestern Bell Corporation in St. Louis. Subsequently, he moved through a series of managerial positions within the old Bell Telephone System. He was elected to the top job at the AT&T corporate headquarters in New York City in 1972. His achievements in public relations have been generously acknowledged. In 1980 he was chosen public relations professional of the year by PR News.
Source: Arthur W. Page Society
