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PR legend Howard Rubenstein handed away Tuesday (December 29) after a profession in public relations spanning greater than 60 years.
His dying was introduced Tuesday night time by his son Steven, president of Rubenstein, the PR agency based in Brooklyn by his father in his mom’s kitchen in January 1954.
Rubenstein stated: “It is with great sadness that I share the news that my father, Howard J. Rubenstein, passed away today after 88 years of what can only be described as a big, full life.”
He went on to say: “My dad noticed himself as a child from Bensonhurst, a Harvard Law School dropout who had been afforded monumental alternative in and by New York City. But that narrative understates how arduous he labored to change into one of the vital sought-after counselors and advisers to leaders, companies, and civic establishments.
“He helped to invent contemporary public relations, and made it his life’s passion to elevate it into an ethical and honorable profession. He was also a cofounder of The Association for a Better New York [ABNY], which helped solve the city’s fiscal crisis in the 1970s.”
He was greatest recognized for his affiliation with the New York Yankees and the Steinbrenner household, which was celebrated with an on-field ceremony at Yankee Stadium in 2014 to have a good time Rubenstein’s 60th anniversary within the PR trade. He was introduced with a gold ring, engraved with the crew’s brand, by Yankees legend Derek Jeter, then supervisor Joe Girardi, and Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal.
Rubenstein was inducted into the PRWeek Hall of Fame in 2017 and defined in a profile how the ABNY connection led to his affiliation with Steinbrenner and the Yankees.
“I was promoting ABNY and wanted to do a poster with Steinbrenner throwing out a ball,” he recalled. “I went to an empty Yankee Stadium with a photographer, gave him a ball, and asked him to throw it.”
“He looked at me and said, ‘Whaddya do for a living kid?’ and I said ‘I’m a press agent.’ He says, ‘You’re hired.’ I didn’t even know him. He said: ‘How much?’ and I gave him a fee that was so small I kicked myself for years after.”
As Steinbrenner’s first press agent, he “talked to him every day and learned a lot.” “As much as he wasn’t liked by a lot of people, including a lot of media, he and I bonded, and I respected him,” says Rubenstein. “He invited me everywhere and we became very good friends.”
An announcement from the New York Yankees, the Steinbrenner household and crew president Randy Levine stated: “The Yankees group mourns the passing of public relations legend Howard Rubenstein, who was a trusted good friend and confidant to George Steinbrenner and the Steinbrenner household for greater than 4 a long time.
“Howard’s contributions to the Yankees took many varieties through the years, and his optimistic impact on the course of our franchise can’t be understated. He was a self-effacing visionary and trailblazer who might usually see what others missed. An skilled communicator and grasp of his craft, he was an adept and considerate listener regardless of how difficult the difficulty or tense the scenario.
“Howard will be remembered by our organization not just for his incredible kindness, warmth and loyalty, but also for his deep understanding of what the Yankees mean to the Steinbrenner family, the City of New York and to the team’s fans around the world. We have lost one of the greats in his field with his passing, and he will be missed.”
The son of Sam Rubenstein, a criminal offense reporter on the New York Herald Tribune, he began in PR with the Menorah Home and Hospital for Aged and Infirm as his first shopper, however progressed to actual property titans together with Fred Trump, Harry Helmsley, Lew Rudin and Alan Tishman, and establishments such because the Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim, Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic and the Whitney.
He additionally represented New York notables comparable to Larry Silverstein, Michael Bloomberg, Rupert Murdoch, Leonard Lauder, Leona Helmsley and Mike Tyson, metropolis mayors from Abe Beame to Ed Koch to Rudy Giuliani, governors Mario Cuomo and George Pataki, senator Chuck Schumer, and, most notably within the present-day context, President Donald Trump.
The chief of one other PR household dynasty, Richard Edelman, CEO of the eponymous agency based by his father Dan in 1952, paid tribute to Rubenstein: “Howard was a brilliant advocate for his clients. He stood alongside Rupert Murdoch and George Steinbrenner as they emerged as powerhouses in NYC.”
Rubenstein cited Murdoch as one other account that put his agency on the map, when the Australian media magnate, now proprietor of News Corp, acquired New York journal and The Village Voice in 1977, however was not universally common, prompting a narrative in Time with the duvet line “Aussie press lord terrifies Gotham.”
“People abandoned him,” Rubenstein advised PRWeek in 2017. “Someone introduced me to him and he asked whether I would represent him. I said, ‘Of course.’ Through all the criticisms and turmoil I stuck with him, and he never forgot my loyalty to him.”
Rubenstein recalled counseling Murdoch to undertake a a lot decrease profile than he had been doing.
“If you do a lot of interviews, you’re going to look for new things to say,” he stated. “If you do very few, you’re apt to get good play and stick to the truth. If you do too many, the interviewer will go, ‘You said that two days ago, give me something new.’”
Rubenstein’s relationship with high-profile New York politicians began with Abe Beame, when Rubenstein’s household lived within the seaside group of Belle Harbor within the Rockaways.
“I walked to the beach and saw Abe Beame, who was then city comptroller,” Rubenstein advised PRWeek. “I introduced myself and he started talking about becoming mayor. He reached into his bathing suit and pulled out about 10 tiny slips of paper with his program on them in microscopic writing. I said, ‘What happens if you go in the water?’ and he said, ‘I don’t go in the water.’”
That began a long-term connection and Beame, who turned mayor in 1974 at a time of large fiscal and political tumult, turned one among Rubenstein’s closest buddies and associates.
Fellow Brooklynite Larry Silverstein, chairman of Silverstein Properties and proprietor of the World Trade Center throughout 9/11, additionally thought-about Rubenstein a good friend and trusted adviser for many of his life in actual property.
“His keen intellect and boundless wisdom are matched only by his commitment to the highest standards of professional integrity,” Silverstein advised PRWeek in 2017. “His quick thinking, creativity, and sensitivity to others made him an invaluable counselor to me in all my endeavors, including the rebuilding of the World Trade Center.”
Leonard Lauder, chairman emeritus of The Estée Lauder Companies, advised PRWeek in 2017: “Howard Rubenstein is the humble genius of the nation. He sees everything, understands all, and all will be OK.”
He additionally attracted descriptions such because the “dean of damage control,” courtesy of Giuliani, “a natural reconciler,” “a very likable guy,” and “an extraordinarily skilled publicist.”
However, the profiles weren’t universally complimentary. He was additionally variously described as “an evil, duplicitous samurai,” “wily” however “devoid of principles,” “a cheap hack flack,” “the fixer,” “the consummate survivor,” and somebody who has “more conflicts than downtown Beirut.”
The capacity to characterize two sides of seemingly uncrossable divides was actually an indicator of Rubenstein’s profession, which regularly noticed him play sincere dealer between lethal political rivals or super-competitive businesspeople and stay pleasant with each events.
“I made a really good entry into real estate, and the Real Estate Board of New York and individual owners started to hire me to promote their buildings,” stated Rubenstein in 2017.
“I was always careful not to hurt, criticize, or demean clients if a conflict arose,” he added. “I tried to figure it out real early and, in some instances, I resigned for a month or two. I was always cautious and I’ve never been sued as a result.”
Rubenstein’s sons Steven and Richard additionally went into PR. Steven labored at Howard’s facet for many years and now oversees the day-to-day operating of Rubenstein as its president. Richard launched his personal company in 1987, Rubenstein Public Relations.
“His media contacts were unmatched,” stated Richard Edelman. “He was the giant of our industry for four decades. He passed his firm along to a worthy successor in his son Stephen who upholds the family tradition of excellence and decency.”
Rubenstein is survived by his spouse Amy Forman and his kids Steven, Richard and Roni.
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