William "Bill" Ruder was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 public relations

Public relations

Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....

 executive and co-founder of Ruder Finn

Ruder Finn

Ruder Finn is an United States public relations firm founded in 1948 by David Finn and William Ruder.Ruder Finn is a privately held, family-owned company that employs more than 600 people...

 with David Finn.

They started the firm in 1948 when both were 27. They originally called their company Art In Industry, Inc. Their first clients as Ruder & Finn was Perry Como

Perry Como

Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...

. His success that year led to other celebrity clients, including Dinah Shore

Dinah Shore

Dinah Shore was an American singer, actress, and television personality...

, Frankie Laine

Frankie Laine

Frankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005...

, The Mills Brothers, Jack Lemmon

Jack Lemmon

John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III was an American actor and musician. He starred in more than 60 films including Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Mister Roberts , Days of Wine and Roses, The Great Race, Irma la Douce, The Odd Couple, Save the Tiger John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III (February 8, 1925June...

 and Rosalind Russell

Rosalind Russell

Rosalind Russell was an American actress of stage and screen, perhaps best known for her role as a fast-talking newspaper reporter in the Howard Hawks screwball comedy His Girl Friday, as well as the role of Mame Dennis in the film Auntie Mame...

.

In 1960, Ruder was appointed by John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....

 as Assistant Secretary of Commerce and took a two-year leave of absence from the firm. He later co-authored A Businessman's Guide to Washington with Ray Nathan. His work landed him on the master list of Nixon political opponents

Master list of Nixon political opponents

A master list of Nixon political opponents was compiled to supplement the original Nixon's Enemies List of 20 key people considered opponents of President Richard Nixon. The master list was compiled by Charles Colson's office and sent in memorandum form to John Dean. Dean later provided this...

.

He has been quoted explaining the Kennedy administration's use of the Fairness Doctrine

Fairness Doctrine

The Fairness Doctrine was a policy of the United States Federal Communications Commission , introduced in 1949, that required the holders of broadcast licenses to both present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was, in the Commission's view, honest, equitable...

 to limit conservative broadcasters, saying:
In 1980, he formed a personal consulting firm while continuing to be a stockholder in Ruder Finn and a member of its board.