Lois Wyse

Lois Wyse (October 30 1926 - July 6 2007) was an American advertising executive, author and columnist. At the time of her death, Wyse was credited with writing more than 60 books [http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/07/06/ap3890188.html AP via "Forbes", "Ad Exec, Author Wyse Dies" July 6 2007] ] on diverse topics such as business, love and family.Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2002. "Lois Wyse"]

Early life and career

Born as Lois Wohlgemuth in Cleveland, Ohio, she started working as a journalist at the age of 17 for "The Cleveland News" and "The Cleveland Press". At 18, she worked on a piece for "Life" magazine with photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt. She later worked for "Vogue" and "Cosmopolitan".

Advertising career

She married Marc Wyse, and they started an advertising agency in Cleveland called Wyse Advertising; they came up with a tagline for a small Orrville, Ohio company called the The J.M. Smucker Co. that made them famous throughout the United States - "With a name like Smucker's, it has to be good". She also advised Carl Stokes on his successful campaign to be elected as Mayor of Cleveland in 1967.

Lois Wyse opened the New York City office of Wyse advertising in 1966. She worked for a wide range of clients on campaigns including American Express and Revlon.

Publications

Wyse had her first book, "The I Don't Want to Go to Bed Book for Boys", published by Macmillan in 1963. She wrote prolifically over the next few years, including books of poetry best described as "commercial poetry or greeting card gift booklets". One of these volumes "Love Songs for the Very Married" published in 1971 sold over 200,000 copies.

She also wrote a couple of novels, "The Rosemary Touch" (1974) and "Kiss Inc." (1977). "Good Housekeeping" published a weekly column on her life and family called "The Way We Are". She wrote about love, family and career issues in "Funny, You Don't Look Like a Grandmother" (1989).

Personal life

Lois and Marcus Wyse divorced in 1980, and she married theatrical producer Lee Guber in 1982. Guber died in 1988. Wyse had two children, a stepson and eight grandchildren at the time of her death at the age of 80 from stomach cancer at her home in New York City.

References