HAMILTON COUNTY OHIO - BUSINESS: History of Stockton, West, Burkhart, Inc.
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September 10, 1999
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                        The History of
                   Stockton West Burkhart, Inc.
               Advertising Agency - Cincinnati, Ohio
                   written by C. Thomas Martin 1982



The company name was in the following order because:

Eric W. Stockton was unquestionably the best known.  Highly respected and 
recognized for his ideas in creative ability, he also invested the most 
money. 

Ranald S. West  while relatively unknown in advertising was a popular 
Cincinnatian, a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and its College of 
law.  On campus he had a dance band of his own and was active on the student 
publication. 

William Z. Burkhart  came from Chicago and was the least known in Cincinnati. 
 A graduate of Northwestern University, he had been a sales representative 
for Curtis Publishing Co. before joining the Ralph H Jones Company as an 
account executive and research man. 

Today, Jane Distler's name would have been included.  As Stockton's assistant 
at Jones, she knew agency operations better than anyone and was a 
stockholder.  No doubt she was excluded because women generally were not a 
part of top management at that time. 

In addition to the principals named, three additional people from Jones 
joined the agency:  May Bruggeman, secretary and general office clerk:  
Richard Rheins a young artist trainee: and  Ted Brieland, a black man, loyal 
to Stockton who had given him the opportunity to be mail, shipping and errand 
clerk. 

In August 1936, Stockton, West, Burkhart,  Inc. leased offices on the 9th 
floor of the First National Bank Building, furnished it with used furniture 
and with great spirit, started in business. 

Their first accounts were:

The Estate Stove Company  -  makers of ranges and space heaters.  A space 
heater designed to look as attractive as the Victrola and called the Heatrola 
was the principal product advertised.  Radio and national magazines were the 
major media used. 

The Baldwin Piano Company  - builders of the prestige piano whose only 
competition was the Steinway. 

The United States Shoe Corporation -  had, through a consolidation and 
reorganization, a new group of investors headed by Joseph S. Stern.  They 
decided to advertise and promote only one brand, Red Cross Shoes.

The Drackett Company - makers to Windex, a nationally distributed window 
cleaner. 


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