Gerald Rafshoon

Gerald Monroe Rafshoon is an American television producer and political operative. He is one of the four founding members of Unity08, and was the White House Communications Director under the presidency of Jimmy Carter (in doing so, Mr. Rafshoon became the first professional advertising executive to join the White House staff), and is a television producer.

Gerald Rafshoon
White House Communications Director
In office
July 1, 1978  August 14, 1979
PresidentJimmy Carter
Preceded byDavid Gergen (1977)
Succeeded byFrank Ursomarso (1981)
Personal details
Born (1934-01-11) January 11, 1934
New York City, New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUniversity of Texas at Austin (BA)

In January 2008, Rafshoon and fellow Unity08 co-founder Doug Bailey left that organization to launch a national effort to draft New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to run for President of the United States as an independent candidate.

Rafshoon has spent over 40 years in various aspects of communications including advertising, publicity, politics and film. His experience includes running a successful advertising agency, serving as White House Communications Director and as Producer and Executive Producer of motion pictures for television and cable.

In 1976, Rafshoon was the architect of the advertising and public relations campaign that helped an unknown Southern Governor and peanut farmer, Jimmy Carter, in his drive to become the 39th President of the United States.

Following his White House years, Rafshoon began producing motion pictures and television programs. He is a specialist in international co-productions working closely with the leading television networks and production companies in Europe and filming in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Television productions

He has produced 52 hours of television and cable entertainment for U.S. and international networks. Among them are two Emmy Award winning programs and three Emmy nominees. They include:

He also produced an Emmy-winning documentary series Decisions That Shook the World, about important controversial decisions made by American presidents that defined their character and affected the course of history.

Television work

According to Namebase, Gerald Rafshoon is mentioned in the following books:

  • Greider's Secrets of the Temple 1989 (47)
  • Hertsgaard's On Bended Knee 1988 (23, 38-9)
  • Jones's The Politics of Money 1991 (215)
  • Kilian & Sawislak's Who Runs Washington? 1982 (56)

References

    Political offices
    Vacant
    Title last held by
    David Gergen
    White House Communications Director
    1978–1979
    Vacant
    Title next held by
    Frank Ursomarso
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