William Lazer: reflections on my American Marketing Association presidency

Purpose – The purpose of this article is intended to record the author’s personal reflections on his term of office as President of the American Marketing Association (AMA). Design/methodology/approach – Personal reflections are provided in an autobiographical approach. Findings – The article discusses the AMA situation during the 1970s, membership and conferences, the Office of the President and the author’s goals and objectives as President of the AMA. Other issues discussed include certification, Canadian affiliates, the New York Chapter and how the AMA handled the Journal of Consumer Research and the Journal of Marketing during this period in time. International issues during the author’s Presidency included the International Marketing Federation, AMA’s International Activities and Strategic Plans and the Global Division. Political issues included dealing with the Doctoral Consortium, Bureau of the Census, the White House Department of Consumer Affairs, AMA Advocacy and a definition of Marketing. Originality/value – This article records events and memories that might otherwise be forgotten. No other such account has been published of William Lazer’s term as President of the AMA.