The Advertising Council of Rochester was founded in 1950 by a group of “Rochester ad men” who were gathered together by Waldo “Pete” Potter. Pete was Kodak’s Director of Advertising, and a member of the board of directors of the Association of National Advertisers and the Advertising Council.

The Ad Council was officially incorporated on June 29, 1950. We consider Dec. 2, 1949 as the date of conception for the organization. On that evening, at the “Rochester Advertising Dinner of 1949,” Pete Potter was honored for his accomplishments and community collaborations. Pete had just been named chairman of the Association of National Advertisers, and had been serving on the board of the national Ad Council as well.

Sometime prior to this evening, the idea had been suggested of using the model provided by the national Ad Council to accomplish works for the betterment of the community here, in Rochester. This dinner was the public discussion of this idea, and led, 6 months later, to the official incorporation of the organization and the model we have had for the past 60 years. The legacy of Pete Potter lives on in the work done by the Ad Council every day and the W.B. Potter Founder’s Award is given annually at the Ad Council’s Spring Luncheon. The award recognizes “a volunteer team — including individuals and organizations — that have succeeded in bringing to life a results-oriented, collaborative initiative that fills a community need; and, in so doing supports the Ad Council’s vision and mission while serving as a role model for other partnerships.”

Conception: December 2, 1949
Incorporation: June 29, 1950
First offices open: August 28, 1950 (at corner of East Ave & Alexander Street in Hiram Sibley Building)

For most of these 60 years, the Ad Council has been an organization that helped a variety of nonprofits with strategic advice and tactical implementation support.

AD COUNCIL PRESIDENTS

1950 – 1960	Edward Harrison
1960 – 1972	Willis Jensen
1972 – 1982	Dexter Johnson
1982 – 1989	Bob Edwards
1989 – 1994	Barbara Biben
1994 – 2005	Dawn Borgeest
2005 – present	Todd Butler