Liener Temerlin, known for his advertising icon status as well as his philanthropic work, donated his business papers chronicling his history in the communications business as well as his philanthropy record in mid-May to the DeGoyler Library here at SMU.
Temerlin began his career in 1953 as a copy editor for Glenn advertising, a small agency in Dallas. Over several decades he guided the company to success through mergers and name changes to what it is today, Glenn, Bozell & Jacobs to Temerlin McClain.
Temerlin is responsible for bringing many national and international advertising accounts to Texas including American Airlines, Bank of America and ExxonMoble. Since retiring in 2001, Temerlin has been inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame.
Temerlin’s relationship with SMU dates back more than 20 years, serving as a member of SMU’s Board of Trustees, the Committee on University Development and the Executive Board of the Meadows School of the Arts. Since his retirement, he along with friends, has created the advertising endowment at SMU. The program has become nationally recognized in advertising education.
Russell Martin, director of the Degoyler library, feels that the papers will give insight to the workings of a creative genius and show Temerlin’s true business character for those wanting to follow in his footsteps.
“The voluminous files of correspondence help to delineate the character of Mr. Temerlin,” Martin said. “His gift for friendship and his creative genius emerge in the papers, and will be useful for both teaching and research, for students of advertising and for historians of American culture as well.”
Patricia Alvey, distinguished chair and director of the Temerlin Advertising Institute said that this is going to create a great opportunities for both those involved with the field and students alike.
“Liener’s reputation in winning and keeping clients is remarkable” Alvey said. “For our faculty and students to have access to a 50-year record of that success is remarkable. “The original pitch wherein he won the American Airlines account is legendary. And the resulting 30-year history of building that business and many others will make great research fodder for both practitioners and scholars.”
The collection of archived work will include material from the years 1953 through 2000, including Temerlin’s daily correspondence files over a period of two decades. Also included are numerous TV commercials, layouts for ads that were both accepted and rejected, and new business presentations, both the successful and those at the bottom of the waste bin.
Parts of the collection will be available for use beginning in Fall 2008.
