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August 20, 2007
Michael Deaver; Good-bye My Friend and Mentor
Mike Deaver finally gave up the fight against pancreatic cancer on Saturday morning, when he died in his home in Bethesda, Maryland, surrounded by his loving family. His passing leaves all of those he touched in his fifteen years at Edelman with a lifetime responsibility, to make sure that we continue his legacy of creativity, excellence and integrity.
Mike joined Edelman in the Washington office in 1992. My father, Dan Edelman, met him through a mutual friend, Chris Ogden, Time Magazine correspondent in Washington. Mike had been through a difficult period following his service in the White House and was looking for a place to practice his craft. It soon became clear to all of us that we had a unique resource, a man with exquisite judgment, dedicated to client service and to mentoring younger staffers. And yes, he had the brand name, based on his nearly 20 years of working with President Ronald Reagan, whose public image as the Great Communicator was at least in part attributable to Mike.
I had my first opportunity to work directly with Mike when Edelman won the Church of Latter Day Saints account in the mid 90s. The LDS leadership was tired of being stereotyped, with legacy issues such as polygamy needing to be addressed. The challenge of reintroducing the Church appealed to Mike; the Midwestern values, the importance of family, the commitment to a life without liquor and desire to give back to the community. He forged a close personal bond with Church President Gordon Hinckley and with several others in the leadership group of twelve. He conceived a bridge-building program, introducing Church leaders to top editors, academics and business executives. He persuaded President Hinckley to invite Mike Wallace, the legendary hard-boiled reporter from investigative show Sixty Minutes, to Church headquarters in Salt Lake City, leading to a transformational piece on that top rated show. He was intimately involved in the 150th anniversary of the Church, including the walk from Nauvoo, IL to Salt Lake City, and helped to secure a cover story on the Church in TIME Magazine.
Mike was the personal counselor to several chief executives. He helped Carlos Ghosn to set out a clear path to success for Nissan, persuading him that personal leadership and frequent communications were central components of the culture change necessary at the car giant. He worked with top Microsoft executives in the wake of the Justice Department antitrust proceedings in the late 90s. He was intimately involved with Fannie Mae, helping its CEO manage their reputation. His constant mantra to these corporate leaders was to be yourself and be true to your values. He often related a tale from the Reagan years, when he and then Governor Reagan were walking on Fifth Avenue. A New Yorker on the street stopped them and said to Reagan, “I know who you are. You are Ray Milland. Will you sign this piece of paper for me?” Reagan dutifully signed the paper Ray Milland and then walked on. Deaver asked him why he did not correct the fellow and Reagan said, “I know who I am.”
The Deaver touch was perhaps best seen at times of great public need, such as the publicity for both the 9-11Commission Report and the Iraq Study Group Report. Former Secretary of State and co-director of the Iraq Study Group, Jim Baker, said that Mike’s leadership gave those on both sides of the political aisle the confidence that there would be a fair presentation of the content. He was also a close advisor to the board of the US Holocaust Museum in Washington as it sought to broaden its mission without losing its focus. Mike and I were on a phone call earlier this year with two board members and naturally, given his superior knowledge of the subject, he offered the greater part of the advice. Five minutes later, he was on the phone to me, apologizing for dominating the conversation, which, of course, was totally unnecessary but in keeping with his humble nature. He wanted his disciples, including me, to have the opportunity to lead.
Mike understood our business to be communications, not just public relations in its narrowest context but the full complement of disciplines that could deliver the message in the most powerful manner. He led in the design of our integrated programs for the American Petroleum Institute and the Association of American Railroads. Just last summer, as a team sat around trying to come up with a tag line for the Panama Canal’s expansion efforts, Mike sat at the table and listened intently for an hour. Then he leaned forward and said calmly, “Let’s try to simplify things and just say, ‘A better way to go.’ With that, our work was done. He was a keen analyst of research; he loved our annual Edelman Trust Barometer and his tour of European capitals, spreading the gospel of “a person like me” as the new credible source. He often talked to me about the power of impressions and advised me to turn off the sound during political debates to watch the body language of the candidates. He admitted that he urged President Reagan to have a little sip of red win prior to TV appearances because it helped dilate his capillaries and provided him with a healthy, rosy tone on the air.
Mike Deaver was at his core a decent, hard-working American, a family man whose reality of goodness and integrity in the end is much more important than his legendary mastery of the photo opportunity. He had an almost constant teen aged affair with his long time bride and love of his life Carolyn. Once while walking to a meeting in Washington and waiting for a light to change, he pointed across the street and said, “Look at that beautiful woman over there… It’s my wife.” He was always excited to talk about her achievements at the Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrance Association. He was mad about his daughter, Amanda, teasing me that I got the lesser Deaver, as he related the latest new accounts at her fledgling agency. He loved his son Blair and constantly talked about how proud he was of Blair’s integrity. And he was absolutely enthralled with all three of his grandchildren, whose photographs filled prominent spaces throughout his office. He was a positive thinker, always looking at the bright side. With his bionic knees, replaced after years of racquetball, he was determined to get back on the court, to whip younger opponents. I will always remember the glint in his eye, the humor and the stories of his youth, including his piano playing in Santa Clara under the pseudonym, Michael Keith.
He was so proud of the Edelman DC team, whom he had worked with for so many years, speaking excitedly about how Jere Sullivan was thriving in Brussels, how well Neal Flieger was taking on the supervision of Strategy One research, how Pete Segall had made the difference for the Morocco Government, how smart Ben Boyd was on the GE business, what Jeff Surrell was doing for the Church of LDS and Chris Hayes' great work on the Panama Canal. And there was always a special word for Rob Rehg, whom he helped grow into the leader of the DC office, able to manage the most complex challenges. For years he and Leslie Dach guided the DC office and Mike would always say, “He’s the smartest guy I ever worked with.” He was so close to my parents, Ruth and Dan Edelman, helping my mother on her pet cause of mental illness, helping my father through the difficult days following his prostate surgery. He was my outside mentor, on family issues, on my relationship with my father and on management of the firm.
In closing, I quote from Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar. Mark Antony, in describing Senator Brutus, his late rival and member of the cabal that overthrew the dictator, said, “This was the noblest Roman of them all…He only, in good honest thought and common good to all, made one of them. His life was gentle and the elements so mixed in him that Nature might stand up and say to all the world, ‘This was a man!’ Mike, we were privileged to have you as a friend and mentor.
We have a tribute set up for Mike on our home page, www.edelman.com, and I encourage you to visit it and share your own stories about Mike with the broader community.
Posted by Edelman at August 20, 2007 9:50 AM |
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Comments
Michael K. Deaver
What a man...
For me... It was different... I was playing the piano at the Hay Adams Hotel, across from The White House. Michael (Mike) was Deputy Chief of Staff of the Reagan White House.
One evening Mike and Carolyn came and sat at a banquet right near the piano. Michael kept requesting many of his tunes. I respectfully accommodated all of his requests. He invited me to join them... We seemed to have had an immediate rapport, He said "I would love to do what you do." I replied "Well, we can switch positions." (Jokingly) "Ok, I would like to do something with you musically."
The next morning I received a call from George Stevens, Director of The Kennedy Center. He said the White House requested me to perform at The Kennedy Center with two pianos and the National Opera Symphony. The two pianists were Michael Deaver and yours truly. Mike called me the next morning asking when we could rehearse. He asked me to come to The White House and use the piano in the East Room. This went on for six weeks. He brought me in to Oval Office to meet the President. During our rehearsals Michael would share some wonderful stories. He was so multifaceted and strived for excellence, even at the piano. As we communicated during this period his fairness, integrity and his sensitivity of life left it's mark.
Mike, I hope we meet again...
George Cort
My sincerest condolences to you Carolyn, Amanda, Blair and your entire family.
Posted by: George Cort at August 27, 2007 12:56 PM
I met Mike in Frankfurt. He was a great and sophisticated man. My sincerest condolences to his family and the Edelman employees.
Posted by: sebastian at September 12, 2007 1:59 PM