Kerwin H. Fulton’s career spans 50 years of active leadership and service on behalf of outdoor advertising and the advertising profession.
Born in Canada, Fulton obtained his first job in outdoor advertising at age 19 when he migrated to New York. A born organizer and salesman, he was devoted to the standardization and advancement of his industry.
He was instrumental in raising the standards of the then infant and unorganized outdoor advertising medium. He led in the replacement of crude wooden poster structures with standardized steel sections. He also initiated and secured acceptance of standard service and traffic exposure methods, which gained the medium greater respect among advertisers.
Fulton’s passion for elevating his industry was furthered by his organizational abilities. In 1925 he helped form the General Outdoor Advertising Co., serving as its first president. He resigned in 1931 to become president of Outdoor Advertising, Incorporated, the medium’s national sales organization. Under Fulton’s aggressive leadership, a strong sales network was set up throughout the country.
Fulton also showed interest in the challenges and opportunities of the ad industry through his leadership in the organization of the Ad Council and his service as its vice chairman. He was also secretary-treasurer and director of the Traffic Audit Bureau as well as a former chairman of the board of the Outdoor Advertising Association of America Inc.