CPR Foundation - Our History

In 1979 a group of leading Canadian communications practitioners had the foresight to create an organization dedicated to supporting public relations education and the conduct of original communications research that would increase public knowledge and awareness about the role of communications and public relations. Public relations programs were being established at Canadian colleges and universities and there was much discussion about the conduct of research that would help establish a Canadian body of knowledge.

Led by Canadian PR pioneers Charles Tisdall, APR and George Lawrence, APR, the Communications + Public Relations Foundation* set out in the early years not only to promote awareness of public relations, but also to raise money to sponsor lectures, place public relations text books in public libraries and establish the Communications and Public Relations Resource Information Centre at Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax.

In 1984, The Foundation published a reference text, Public Relations in Canada: Some Perspectives, an anthology about the practice, edited by Walter B. Herbert and John R.G. Jenkins, and published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside. The publication included commentary on the development of formal public relations education programs across Canada.

In 2004, under the leadership of then Foundation Chair Barbara Sheffield, APR, FCPRS, the Foundation launched two projects in partnership with the Canadian Public Relations Society – the Jack Yocom Public Relations Profile Collection and the Diana and Charles Tisdall Lecture in Communications.

Today, this charitable, not-for-profit foundation continues and enriches the work begun by our forward-thinking colleagues. The Foundation’s single original scholarship has expanded to five in addition to to a Prize, an Award and a variety of grants. Along with its dedicated research work, donations to libraries, publication of educational materials and its sponsorship of the annual Diana and Charles Tisdall Lecture in Communications, the Foundation is certainly fulfilling the vision of its founders.

Our thanks to the 1979/80 founding board for its work in establishing the Communications + Public Relations Foundation.

*on July 31, 2019, the name of the Foundation was changed to CPRS Foundation.