March 20, 2019 – Luncheon Meeting

Steve Mihaly

The Marketing of the Presidency

Steve Mihaly is a recent retiree from HJ Heinz Co., Pittsburgh, where he was a Vice President.  He began collecting political Americana at the age of 10, and has now been collecting for over 50 years, with a collection that encompasses over 20,000 items.

Mr. Mihaly has been featured in numerous newspapers and magazines across the country, including in this area, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, the Beaver County Times, The Butler Eagle, and Pittsburgh Magazine. Beyond the Pittsburgh area he has been featured with his collection in the Washington Post, LA Times, as well as several national news and morning TV programs. Today, he still enjoys the thrill of “the hunt” and in particularly, sharing his love of political history.

He developed the “Marketing The Presidency” presentation 3 years ago in response to a friend’s request that he speak at the Joan Crawford Distinguished Speakers Series in Maryland. Most folks, when they hear the word “marketing” think of it as a relatively modern-day term, but in terms of presidential candidates, from George Washington to today, candidates have been marketing themselves, their ideas, or marketing against their opponent, from the beginning.

The presentation focuses on the array of “odd” artifacts that candidates have produced to get the candidate’s name and ideas in front of the electorate. Thus, some of the items in the presentation include a James Monroe snuff box promoting the Monroe Doctrine, a Teddy Roosevelt cast iron door stop, an Eisenhower bar of soap with Ike’s image on it and the words “Clean Up with Ike” and a Richard Nixon shower head where the water comes squirting out of his mouth, just to name a few.

The presentation is NOT political.  It tends to focus on the whimsical, while at the same time, explaining to the audience why the candidate would produce such an oddity and what is the historical significance behind it.

RSVP NO LATER THAN March 15, 2019 TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF RESERVATION PRICE OF $17.00

All luncheons start at Noon at the
DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton
Take Exit 67 off Parkway West, I-376
Turn left onto Mansfield Avenue
Turn right at the DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton sign

ACRA members – $17.00 w/reservation
Guests w/reservation – $20.00

ACRA members w/o reservation – $20.00 paid at the door
Guests w/o reservation – $23.00 paid at the door

Mail all reservation checks to:

ACRA
P.O. Box 112615
Pittsburgh, PA 15241-0215