Bill Nielsen, public relations legend and long-time Page Center chair, has died

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Willard “Bill” Nielsen, a leading figure in the public relations industry and chair of the Arthur W. Page Center advisory board since 2015, died on Jan. 13. A believer in communication’s role in maintaining successful organizations, Nielsen was a staunch advocate for building back public trust in the industries of communication. He felt truthful communication was more than just good business, it was essential for a healthy society.

"Bill believed deeply that organizations must speak truthfully, act responsibly and place integrity at the center of everything they do," said Denise Bortree, Page Center director and interim dean of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State. "We are profoundly grateful for Bill’s leadership, wisdom and friendship, and we feel his loss deeply. Even in our sorrow, we are thankful for the example he set and the lasting impact of his life and work."

In 2004, Nielsen retired from Johnson & Johnson as the corporate vice president of public affairs after 17 years with the company. He was named chair of the Page Center, a research center in the Bellisario College, in 2015. In that position, Nielsen was a guiding voice for several initiatives that strengthened the center’s mission. He was also a major fundraiser and host of the Page Center Awards, an annual event that celebrates “icons of integrity” in business, journalism, public relations and other industries.

“I can’t think of anyone who has done more for the Page Center than Bill Nielsen," Bortree said. "I remember my early days as director, when we did not yet have a board chair. Even then, I knew intuitively that Bill was the right person for the role. In every conversation, he had a remarkable way of bringing us back to the Center’s core mission — integrity in public communication. It was his soapbox and his passion."

After retiring from his 30-year career, Nielsen remained deeply engaged in the industry. He continued work as a consultant and served as a mentor for the next generation of communicators in many capacities.

A native of Sacramento, California, Nielsen graduated from Oregon State University. Prior to Johnson & Johnson, Nielsen worked as a public relations agency consultant with Carl Byoir & Associates and Hill and Knowlton. He also served as a public information officer in the U.S. Air Force for five years.

Nielsen served on many boards, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Josephson Institute for Ethics and the TEDMED Conference. He served two terms as president of the Page Society, a professional organization for corporate leaders, which is unaffiliated with the Page Center.

Nielsen was inducted into the Society’s Hall of Fame in 2003. He was inducted into the PRWeek Hall of Fame in 2014.

“The times demand the very best from us,” Nielsen often said at awards dinners. “Let's commit to meeting that demand to answer our calling with the unique skills we have and the values we hold … This is the promise of integrity in public communications, and it's too big to fail.”