Arthur Meyerhoff

During World War II, Philip K. Wrigley was in charge both of the Wrigley Company and the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball club. Wrigley decided to found the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League as a promotional sideline to maintain interest in baseball as the military draft was depleting Major League rosters of first-line players. He approached other Major League team owners, but the idea was not well received. Then, four non-Major League cities were selected that were in close proximity to the AAGPBL headquarters in Chicago and close to each other: Rockford of Illinois, South Bend of Indiana and Racine and Kenosha of Wisconsin. Meyerhoff was given the responsibility of coordinating operations with city officials and civic leaders in the communities, as well as a projected budget was developed. In 1943 the league made an auspicious debut, but after the 1944 season Wrigley sold the AAGPBL to Meyerhoff.

It was under Meyerhoff management that expansion to six teams, as well as the publicity campaign of the AAGPBL reached its peak. He re-organized the league so that each franchise would be governed through a League Board of Directors with representatives from each franchise. Each club now had a voice in the adoption of rules and regulations and the direction of the sport. All assets were turned over to the new directors and Wrigley was no longer involved with the league. The AAGPBL excelled in attendance and performing during the 1948 season, when 10 teams attracted 910,000 paid fans.[1]

Meyerhoff also organized several companies outside his advertising agency to develop new products. One company he owned developed PAM, a substitute for fats or oils that can be sprayed on pots and pans. In the mid-1950s, when Meyerhoff was looking for a side business, he advertised for ideas and heard from two chemists who had developed something like a cooking spray. First, Meyerhoff had the formula perfected so it could be sprayed; then he campaigned for grocers to shelve PAM in the baking aisle with the flours, not the aerosol section next to insecticides and hair spray.[2] The name PAM is an initialism for "Product of Arthur Meyerhoff."

In the 1960s Meyerhoff wrote his book The Strategy of Persuasion,[3] which reflects his point of views that the United States Information Agency should get out of the news business and into the business of selling democracy abroad. He sold his agency in 1979.[4] Meyerhoff died on August 29, 1986, at his home in Rancho Santa Fe, California, at the age of 91.[4]

Meyerhoff died in September 1986; services were held at the Fourth Presbyterian Church in Rancho Santa Fe, California.[5] He was survived by his wife, Elaine; two sons, Arthur E. Meyerhoff Jr. and Dr. William L. Meyerhoff; three daughters, Judith Meyerhoff Yale, Jane Meyerhoff Bussier and Joanne Meyerhoff.[5]