The San Francisco call., 1907-01-29
Rapid Rise Of Charles R. Erwin, President
of Lord & Thomas Advertising Firm

Charles Roswell Erwin, who recently
became the President of Lord &
Thomas, the Chicago agency which con-
trolls advertising appropriations run
ming into millions of dollars annually,
is in every sense of the term a self
made man. He started at the foot of
the ladder.
The rise of Mr. Erwin from a ten
dollar-a- week advertising solicitor to
the president Of one of the largest ad-
vertising agencies in the world forms
one of the interesting chapters in the
annals of advertising.
Incidentally the story of his success
throws a side light upon the wonderful
development of modern advertising.
FROM ~MESsENGER" TO TELLER
Mr. Erwin has been connected with
Lord G. Thomas for over twenty two
years, but his active business life be-
gan in his sixteenth year, when he Sc
cured position with the Commercial
National Bank of Chicago as mes
senger.
He worked for six months without
salary in order to get alfoothold. In
eight years he was receiving teller,
with a foothold sufficiently secure, but
the top rungs of the banking ladder
were blocked by others and his in
stincts as a climber made him restive.
So he clambered down from the
banking ladder and began looking
about for one that reached to greater
heights.
Although the advertising business
was then in its infancy. Mr.. Erwin,
with that rare foresight which has
made his judgment carry weight with
the heads of so many great commercial
interests, decided to make ii his life
work as the possibilities of the new
business appealed to his imagination
and aroused his ambition.
FROM $40 A WEEK TO CONTROL OF
MILLIONS
The young firm of Lord & Thomas
offered him a job as solicitor at
salary of $40 a week, and Mr.. Erwin
promptly accepted it, though he hhad
been earning five times that sum in
the bank This was In 1884
Advancement came rapidly. Adver-
Using was fast becoming factor of
great Importance in the promotion of
all lines of business, and Mr.. Erwin was
far-sighted enough to realize its al
most unlimited possibilities. BY it's aid
the foundations of big. fortunes were
being laid. Mr.. Erwin became a recog
nized authority on methods of success
full advertising He acquired at first
hand a IunQ Ol luLOiiLdliOl covering
every phase of the subject, and kept
his finger on the pulse of publicity. His
knowledge of publications kept pace
with their phenomenally rapid increase.
He kept his eyes open. and worked
with tireless industry.
HAS GENIUS FOR BIG THINGS
His success as a business getter'
is attested by the fact that for ten
years-from 1892 to 19O2-he controlled
a larger volume of advertising than
any other one man in the United States.
For the last four years the business
controlled by Albert d. Lasker, Secre-
tary and Treasurer of the Company,
and the appropriations controlled by
Mr.. Erwin have been of about equal
volume.
In manner and methods Mr. Erwin
combines the bankers hard headed con-
servatism with the aggressiveness and
buoyant optimism of the advertising
man.
SUCCEEDS AMBROSE L. THOMAS
The marked executive ability dis
played by him while Vice President of
Lord & Thomas. in the building up Of
the most efficient advertising organiza-
tion in the world gives assurance that
the place at it's head recently made
vacant by the death of Mr.. Ambrose
l.. Thomas will be acceptably filled by
Mr.. Erwin.
For the three or four years preced-
ing his death. Mr.. Thomas had prac-
ticalIy relinquished to his younger as
sociates, Mr.. Erwin and Mr.. Lasker
the active management of the agency
The business, therefore, will be con-
Quoted along the same aggressive and
remarkably successful lines as here
tofore.
a WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION
The working force is wonderfully or
ganized The various departments are
headed by highly trained men who
have grown UP with the agency.
The Space Buyer-the man who
comes in contact with the publishers