In the early days of radio he proposed that the programs should be paid for by the government and carry no advertising. When he was made a member of the Advertising Hall of Fame in 1974, he said in his acceptance speech, ‘The national obsession with television is decreasing the literacy of the nation’s children and making the job of the schools much tougher. It is also obsessing the country with crime. Industry and advertising could perform a huge public service if they could induce the television networks to cut down the advertising and cut down the crime.’ The ad on the left, written by Raymond Rubicam in 1919, now looks old-fashioned. The ad on the right, written in 1982, has a contemporary look. But which ad is more memorable? Click here for hi-res image and text. During World War II he was a special assistant to the chairman of the War Manpower Commission in Washington, but the environment did not fit him. Like all the other giants, Rubicam was a perfectionist and had a habit of vetoing advertisements when the account executive was on his way to present them to the client. He used to say, ‘The client remembers an outstanding job years after he has forgotten that it was two months late.’ He worked non-stop – until he found happiness in his second marriage. He then retired, aged 52, and went to live in Arizona, where he speculated in real estate and served as consultant to Campbell Soup