"His toasts were always to happiness" ...
JAMES C. FULLER, 1915-2007
Many remember Jim Fuller as the man who helped make Bell Helicopter Textron a household name. But he also spent hours making Tarrant County a better place to live, friends and family told the Star-Telegram in a tribute piece in July.
Mr. Fuller died June 29 at his Fort Worth home. He was 91.
Bell Helicopter's first PR director -- he was hired in 1950 and worked there 30 years, retiring as a vice president -- he also served on the boards of more than 50 community organizations, including Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, the Tarrant County Convention Center, Casa Mañana and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.
"Working for Bell gave him a prominent place in the community, but he did a lot more than just work for Bell," said Kenneth Barr, a former Fort Worth mayor.
Mr. Fuller was Fort Worth SPJ president from 1958-59. He paid his dues in newspapers as managing editor of the Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel, baseball and ice hockey writer for the San Diego Journal and executive sports editor at the old Fort Worth Press.
He was a past president of Colonial Country Club and a member of several national and international aeronautics organizations and the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. A World War II veteran, he had exceptional storytelling skills honed by a life of travel and exchanges with all types of people.
He was instrumental in bringing Bell Helicopter to the fore at the Paris Air Show and developed a love of French food from his many trips there.
"He was the technical consultant for a 1960s show called 'The Whirly-Birds,' " noted his son-in-law, Bill Meadows. "Helicopters were still new. This was at a time when they were just trying to get people to learn how to pronounce the word."
Mr. Fuller always had a good time, whatever he was doing, Meadows said. "His toasts were always to happiness. He was always positive and focused on a wonderful outcome for everyone. International helicopter sales grew out of an effort that he championed. He truly enjoyed life, for a tremendous benefit to a whole lot of people."
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MEETINGS
Hearing You, Hearing Me
Ever felt as if you've communicated right past your top boss? Maybe you overcommunicated, and she tuned you out. Maybe your company discounts communications as being too touchy-feely. Or maybe it leaped ahead and plotted the implications while you were still setting up your proposal.
As a longtime executive and business adjunct professor at local universities, Ron Bordelon has studied this interaction dynamic at the highest levels. He will help set attendees at the Sept. 25 meeting straight on being heard by the big boss.
Bordelon has taught in the University of Dallas Graduate School of Management for 22 years and recently in the EMBA program at Texas Woman's University. Student evaluations consistently rank his courses as among the most beneficial. He is the CEO of Engauge and has been the top financial officer for the Browning Companies, Trammell Crow Co. and Newspaper Enterprises.
Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25
Place: Petroleum Club, Carter-Burgess Plaza, 777 Main St., 39th floor
Parking: $2.50 in parking garage at Seventh and Commerce streets
Cost: members $25, nonmembers $30 (online sign-up add $1)
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Ethics in Action: The Complexity and
Consequences of Misunderstanding(s)
PR professionals work daily to craft clear messages and ensure favorable perceptions for their clients. But what happens when they're misunderstood? How did that occur? What is the effect?
TCU professors and communications experts Will Powers and Melissa Schroeder will present "Misunderstandings: Intentional and Incidental" at the 2007 PRSA Ethics in Action luncheon Wednesday, Sept. 12. A Q&A session will follow their 30-minute presentation.
Dr. Powers, an expert in workforce development with more than 30 years experience, will share his thoughts on the origin of misunderstandings, how PR pros can approach the resulting issues, and the ethics of intent in misunderstandings, especially as it pertains to the PRSA Code of Ethics.
Dr. Schroeder, also from the TCU Department of Communication Studies, will discuss how to sense deception in business communications, including a brief look at the psychological construction of lies and practical advice on detecting them.
Time & date: 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12
Place: Petroleum Club, Carter-Burgess Plaza, 777 Main St., 39th floor
Parking: free valet in parking garage at Seventh and Commerce streets
Cost: members $25, nonmembers $30, students $20
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A Double Dose of Texas Lore
Like stories? Especially stories about Texas? Like Mexican food? Both will be in abundance at Joe T. Garcia's Mexican Restaurant on Wednesday, Sept. 19, for an evening with Mike Cochran and Clayton Williams.
Ace Associated Press and Star-Telegram reporter Cochran has a new book on Williams, Aggie oilman and Republican candidate for governor in 1990. "Claytie" is Cochran's fourth book, and autographed copies will be available.
An evening of Cochran stories alone would shame a Super Bowl halftime. Add Williams, a cross between Yogi Berra and Don Imus when it comes to public pronouncements, and the entertainment value ratchets up a notch. Neither is shy, and both will have yards of yarns about politics, bidness and the Lone Star State.
RSVP by Sept. 17. The 100-person room is already half full just on word-of-mouth advertising, so early reservations are strongly encouraged. No-shows will be billed.
Time & date: mingling 6 p.m., eats around 6:30, then the program Wednesday, Sept. 19
Place: La Puertita, Joe T.'s converted-church banquet room immediately south of the main building at 2201 N. Commerce St.
Cost: $15 members, $20 nonmembers, $5 students
Menu: Joe T.'s famous family-style enchilada dinner
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