| The Anti-Saloon League of America (ASLA) was a church-based social reform movement that became nationally prominent during its drive toward Prohibition between 1893 and 1933. The ASLA was a midwestern organization that established its messages and methods long before public relations pioneers such as New York-based Edward Bernays and John Hill hung out their shingles. The purpose of this dissertation is to expand the current literature of public relations history by examining those efforts, many of which conformed to what is considered today to be modern public relations principles.;Although scholars have studied the ASLA as a political pressure group and in the broader context of the Progressive Movement, the League's communication efforts have not been examined to determine whether they reflected the Movement's use of “moral suasion to excellent effect.” Thus, to gain insight into its communications and how external supporters and critics perceived them, this study examines communication artifacts produced by the League and its leadership over forty years as well as contemporary news articles, brewer publications, and congressional investigation records.;Modern public relations is often depicted as a descendent of press agentry and publicity that rose with American business in the World War I era. This dissertation, however, focuses on strategies and tactics rather than terminology. As a result, it provides evidence that “modern” public relations existed well before World War I. |
