Sam Black

Samuel Black (6 January 1915 – 23 January 1999) was a British optician and public relations manager involved in the founding of the Institute for Public Relations in 1948, and the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) in 1955. He wrote 18 books about public relations His elder brothers were the philosopher Max Black and the architect Misha Black. Black attended Dame Alice Owen's School, Angel, Islington, and then went on to study at Northampton Engineering College, graduating as a Fellow of the Spectacle Makers Company (FSMC), UK in 1934. He volunteered to serve on the Association's Parliamentary and Health Services, and Publicity and Public Relations committees.

Black edited the journal Educational Media International for many years, and other journals for other bodies, including Town Guides to Henley-upon-Thames. He and his wife Muriel were directors of The Sam Black Organisation Limited, and The Modino Press Limited.

Exhibitions Black organised 262 overseas exhibitions In 1977 he began to edit the IPRA Review until 1985. Black also became the Secretary-General of the Association from 1977 until 1980. In 1970, the Communication, Advertising and Marketing Education Foundation was formed, and tried to get universities interested in hosting public relations courses. Black sent a copy of the IPRA Gold Paper No. 4 and proposed a course to the university. During his time at the University of London, he captained the Chess Club from 1933–4.

Later life and death Muriel died in 1982, and Sam married Gwen Bowles in 1986. President's citation of the Public Relations Society of America, 1978; Voted one of the leading 40 public relations practitioners in the world by readers of PR News, of New York, 1984; Award for Outstanding Service to Public Relations Education by University of Florida at Gainesville, USA, 1984 President's medal of the International Public Relations Association, 1985; Gold Medal of the Arab Public Relations Society, 1990; Gold Medal of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, 1990; Grand Prix of CERP (the European Public Relations Confederation), 1992; Lifetime Achievement Award from CIPR, 1998. Honorary Membership of Association of Optometrists 7 May 1998

Academic honours

Honorary Professor of the University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland; Honorary Professor of Escuela Superior Empresarial Relaciones Publicas (ESERP), Barcelona, Spain; Visiting Professor of the College of St Mark and St John, Plymouth (University of Exeter), Exeter, England; Honorary Distinguished Lecturer, University of South Alabama, USA; Honorary Professor, Xian University of Electronic Science and Technology, China; Honorary Professor, Xian University Machinery Electric College, China.

Other notable awards

Awarded Member of the Order of British Empire in 1969 for Fellow of the British Institute of Management Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, 1957 Fellow of the Institute of Public Relations Member of the Institute of Marketing Member of the Institute of Journalists Freeman of the City of London Secretary of the British Management Training Export Council