A man of many talents--Advertising Executive, Religious
Writer, Copy Writer and United States Congressman.
The son of William Eleazer Barton and Esther Treat (Bushnell)
Barton.
He was Born in Robbins, Tennessee, on August 5, 1886.
He married Esther Maude Randall in Oak Park on October
2,1913; they had three children: Randall, Betsey Alice, and Bruce Jr.
Barton died in New York on July 5, 1967. He was buried
in his adopted city.
Barton's
Childhood And
Education
Barton spent his childhood in rural Tennessee and Oak
Park, Illinois where his father was a circuit preacher and his mother a
school teacher.
By age 9, he had a paper route and by 16 he was earning
$600 a year selling his uncle's maple syrup.
Barton received his diploma from the public high school
in Oak Park and matriculated at Berea College in Kentucky in 1903.
Having been elected to Phi Beta Kappa and being voted
"the most likely to succeed", he graduated from Amherst College
in 1907.
Barton's
Early
Professions
Barton had difficulties in finding a job after his graduation
as the country was in a severe recession at the time. The only employment
he could find was as a timekeeper in a Montana railroad camp.
After a few months Barton moved to Chicago where he worked
as an editor at the Home Herald, a small religious paper, and Housekeeper
magazine, both of which failed.
In 1912, Barton moved to New York where he became assistant
sales manager at Collier's magazine. This was the turning point of his
career life.
Becoming
a Writer
In 1914 Barton edited a magazine called Every Week, to
which he contributed an uplifting, inspirational essay in each issue.
His first book, More Power to you, was published in 1917.
Advertising
vs.Religion
Barton met two advertising men, Roy Durstine and Alex
Osborn in 1918 and joined them to form an advertising agency the next year.
Barton became the chairman of the agency.
"Described as 'suave and hearty,' Barton proved
to be a successful advertising man from the start." (Bruce Barton
in Who is Who in America, p.27)
Despite his success in advertising, Barton continued
to write religious works in the 1920s. He used his talents for his religious
responsibility.
For instance, Barton published The Man Nobody Knows in
1925. The book was part of an attempt in the early decades of the twentieth
century to bring people back into the churches and reinvigorate their religious
commitment. It portrayed Jesus Christ as a salesman and an advertising
man. Despite its controversial nature, the book topped the nonfiction best-seller
lists and sold more than 750,000 copies for two years.
In 1927, Barton sought to capitalize on the success of
his earlier book by publishing The Book Nobody Knows, a story of the Bible.
However, this and two later books on religious themes were notably unsuccessful.
In 1928, BDO agency merged with the George Batten Company
to form Batten, Barton, Durstine and Osborn (BBDO), with Barton as the
chairman of the board.
Facing pressures in his career as well as his marital
life, Barton admitted himself into a sanitarium in1928.
Barton
In Politics
Barton went into Politics in the 1930's. He ran successfully
for Congress in 1936, and for two terms he represented Manhattan's affluent
"silk-stocking district."
Barton was one of the first advertising professionals
to apply his skills to nonprofit and political marketing.
A losing campaign for a Senate seat ended Barton's political
career in 1940, and he returned to BBDO as the chairman until his retirement
in 1961.
Who
is Bruce
Barton
ruce
Barton
