Laurie, Marilyn

Marilyn Laurie (1939–) was the first woman to hold senior leadership positions for American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T). A graduate of Barnard College with an MBA from Pace University, Laurie was a nationally recognized environmentalist before joining AT&T in 1971. She was one of the originators of Earth Day in 1970, a cofounder of the Environmental Action Committee, and a writer for The New York Times environmental section. Her association with AT&T, one of the first corporations in the United States to acknowledge its social obligations and responsibility under the first AT&T public relations leader Arthur Page, is consistent with her commitment to public service.

As of her retirement in 1998, Laurie had worked for AT&T as a speech writer, Vice President of Bell Laboratories, Senior Vice President of Global Communications, and Senior Vice President of Public Relations and Employee Information. From 1997 until her retirement, she held the position of [Page 479]Executive Vice President of Brand Strategy and Marketing Communications. She also served as a member of the company's Management Executive Committee and worked as a trustee of the AT&T Foundation. Her responsibilities included “managing one of the world's best known brands and counseling AT&T's chairman on managing the communications and corporate reputation for the company's 300,000 employees” (“AT&T's Marilyn Laurie,” 1995, p. 11). Ms. Laurie currently heads Laurie Consulting in New York.

Laurie took responsibility in 1993 for an offensive cartoon that appeared in a company employee magazine. To the employees of AT&T she said, “There's no excuse for it, and we have sincerely apologized for publishing such insulting materials. We also have taken a number of steps in response, including ceasing to publish the magazine” (Laurie, 1993, p. 17).

Laurie has served on the board of directors of the New York City Ballet and has worked for the Fund for New York City Public Relations Education and the New York City Partnership. In 1995 the Women's Campaign of the American Jewish Committee recognized Laurie with the Human Relations Award for her professional achievements and dedication to civic service. She was elected to the YMCA Academy of Women Achievers, served as an officer of the PR Seminar, and is the only female member of the Arthur Page Society Hall of Fame. Other professional honors include a Women in Communications Matrix Award, the Tribute to Women in International Industry Award, and the Women's Equity Action League Award.