The Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication is a research center at the Pennsylvania State University College of Communications. The center is dedicated to the study and advancement of ethics and responsibility in corporate communication and other forms of public communication.
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History
The center is named for Arthur W. Page, widely regarded as the founder of modern corporate public relations, whose views have been distilled into the Page Principles: (1) tell the truth; (2) prove it with action; (3) listen to the customer; (4) manage for tomorrow; (5) conduct public relations as if the whole company depends on it; (6) realize that a company's true character is expressed by its people; and (7) remain calm, patient and good-humored.
Bringing the center to Penn State was the idea of alumnus Lawrence G. Foster, who retired as corporate vice-president of public relations at Johnson & Johnson. The launch was made possible by a $300,000 gift he and his wife, Ellen, made to the college. Foster worked on the project with Edward M. Block, retired vice-president of public relations at AT&T, and John A. Koten, retired senior vice-president of corporate communications at Ameritech. All three played leading roles in the formation of The Arthur W. Page Society, which functions as a separate entity.
Research and projects
The Page Center seeks to foster a modern understanding and application of the Page principles and Robert Wood Johnson’s business philosophy by supporting innovative research, educational or public service projects in a variety of academic disciplines and professional fields.
The center supports three ongoing programs, as set out below.
Page/Johnson legacy scholars
As of August 2010, the center has awarded more than $317,000 to scholars and professionals throughout the world to support research that makes important contributions to knowledge, practice or public understanding of ethics and responsibility in public communication or other principles of Arthur W. Page.
Oral history collection
Printable transcripts, streaming video, and searchable indexed content provide history, analysis and individual comment on public relations and the media from the luminaries in the field. To date, the Center has conducted 31 interviews and has transcribed and indexed many acquired videos from the Arthur W. Page Society and other contributors.
Page archive
The Page Center also is the archive for Page’s previously uncollected papers and memorabilia and related research materials in the area of ethics in public communication and corporate responsibility.