Office of Communications records

The Office of Public Information was established by Northeastern University President Asa S. Knowles in 1959. In the mid-1980s, Senior Vice President for Public Affairs, James B. King divided the office into two subdivisions: University Relations and Public Relations. The Division of University Relations focused on internal communications while Public Relations focused on external relations. In 1986 the Office of Public Information became the Office of Communications whose mission was to promote and support the University's “position as leader in higher education by marketing its programs and educational philosophy and by publicizing its accomplishments and resources to a wide array of internal and external audiences.” The Office of Communications was renamed the Division of Marketing and Communications in 2004. The Division oversees public relations, branding, photography, and the production of informational and editorial publications and websites about the University. It consists of six departments: Communications and Public Relations, Web Services and Marketing, Creative Services, Northeastern University Magazine, the Northeastern Voice, and University Photography.