(March 15, 1931 – March 16, 2011) |
Early life
Wirthin was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, the son of Joseph L. Wirthlin, the presiding bishop of the LDS Church. As a young adult, he spent two years as a Mormon missionary, serving in Switzerland and Austria between 1951 and 1953. Wirthlin was assigned to Basel, Switzerland for his entire mission.[3] After finishing his missionary service, Wirthlin studied for a B.A. in economics and an M.A. in economics and statistics from the University of Utah. From 1954 to 1955 he served in the United States army.[3] He received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of California at Berkeley.[4]Career in polling firm and politics
In 1969, Wirthlin founded a survey research firm based in Los Angeles. Over the years his firm had various names, including Decision Making Information, Inc., The Wirthlin Group, and finally, Wirthlin Worldwide.[5] The firm was acquired in 2004 by Harris Interactive. After the merger with Harris Interactive, Wirthlin served on its board of directors.[6]In 1980, when California governor Ronald Reagan decided to run for president, he turned to Wirthlin for political advice. Wirthlin, together with his consulting firm, played a pivotal role in both the 1980 and 1984 elections of Reagan. After Reagan won the 1980 presidential election, Wirthlin moved to Washington, D.C. and continued to assist the president and the Republican National Committee.[7] His work on the first Reagan campaign earned him the title, Adman of the Year, declared by Advertising Age.[8]
In addition to his consulting work, he has been the author of two books and at least one podcast:
- The Greatest Communicator: What Ronald Reagan Taught Me about Politics, Leadership, and Life, co-authored with Wynton Hall, Published in 2004, the book describes his years working with former president Ronald Reagan
- Estrategia Electoral: Persuadir Por La Razon, Motivar Por La Emocion, La Estrategia De La Comunicacion Politica, published in 1995
- Podcast on Entrprenuerism, February 12, 2007 [9]
Service in the LDS Church
Among many other ecclesiastical assignments over the years, Wirthlin served for a time as a bishop in the LDS Church.[3]In 1995, Wirthlin returned to his native Utah and eventually took up a full-time ecclesiastical position with the LDS Church. In 1996, Wirthlin was asked by church president Gordon B. Hinckley to serve as a general authority of the church. Wirthlin accepted and served as a member of its Second Quorum of the Seventy until October 2001, when he was honorably released from his duties.
Family
On 23 November 1956, Wirthlin married Jeralie Mae Chandler in the Salt Lake Temple of the LDS Church. They became the parents of eight children.Wirthlin has several relatives who have held prominent leadership positions of the LDS Church. His father was the presiding bishop of the church from 1952 to 1961. His older brother, Joseph B. Wirthlin, was an apostle and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the church from 1986 to 2008. He is a first-cousin on his mother's side to Gordon B. Hinckley, president of the church from 1995 to 2008 and the official who invited him to his last post with the church.
Death
Wirthlin died of renal failure [1] in his Salt Lake City home one day after his eightieth birthday.[10][11To see more of who died in 2010 click here
No comments:
Post a Comment