Obituary of Archa Osborne Knowlton

Archa Knowlton, a 48-year resident of Darien, died at home on January 26. He was 89 years old. Born the son of a physician on 14 August 1917 in Holyoke, Massachusetts, he graduated from Philips Exeter Academy in 1936 and Williams College in 1940, where he played football and lacrosse. During World War II, he served first as a gunnery officer on the naval destroyer USS Champlin, sailing in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean. In 1944, he completed flight training in the US Navy Air Corps, earning his wings as a fighter pilot. He retired from the US Naval Reserves as Lieutenant Commander in 1950. His career in advertising began touring the midwest for John Deere & Co. selling tractors from a panel truck. After the war, he was Vice President and Marketing Director for American Home Magazine. In 1958, Mr. Knowlton and his family moved to Darien, and he joined the General Foods Corporation in White Plains, NY. He was the founding director of the Media Services Department, and was responsible for the planning, purchase and control of all media activities for General Foods, at the time America’s third largest advertiser. He was a pioneer in the use of computers to evaluate media options, and an early and vocal proponent of using advertising might to reduce violence on television. “When you are a big advertiser...you have a responsibility bigger than selling product” he argued in articles, speeches and before the Senate Commerce Committee. After nearly 20 years, he retired from General Foods and became Executive Vice President with Vitt Media International. In 1978, he joined the International Executive Service Corp (IESC), where he devoted 11 years to bringing business expertise to developing countries. He served a number of roles at IESC, eventually becoming US Marketing and Regional Vice President for Asia, Africa and the Near East. During his long career in advertising, Mr. Knowlton performed many additional services and received many awards. He chaired the Media Policy committee of the Association of National Advertisers, the National Media Committee and Publications Committee for the United Way, the Traffic Audit Bureau, the Media Communications Council of the Advertising Research Foundation, and he served on the boards of the Audit Bureau of Circulations and the New York Advertising Club. He served as a Gannett Distinguished Visiting Professor of Advertising at the University of Florida, and his published articles appeared in the New York Times, Advertising Age, Marketing and Media Decisions, Television & Radio Age, and Business Week among others. He was profiled by the New York Times as Media Spokesman for All Seasons in 1977, and was the recipient of the New York Ad Club Silver Medal Award, the Gallagher Report’s Advertising, Marketing, Media Executive of the Year in 1977, and cited by Advertising Age as one of the top ten advertising newsmakers for the years 1970 and 1976. He was honored by Media Decisions Magazine as Media Person of the Year in 1977. Mr. Knowlton loved the water and was devoted to his family. Weekends were often spent on Long Island Sound on his boat “Old Blue”, fishing and cruising, highlighted by beach barbecues, camping and water skiing. He was a former long-time member of The Tokeneke Club and enjoyed playing tennis with his daughters. In later years, nothing gave him greater pleasure than to sit and watch the sailboats on Long Island Sound from his living room window. He was also the family chef. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Aline Knowlton; daughters Sally Knowlton-Keen and Joanne Gabriel of Darien, Susan Knowlton of Elkton MD, and Nancy Knowlton of La Jolla CA; sisters Harriette Wulfeck of Santa Monica CA and Bessie Tyler of East Longmeadow MA; brother Edward Knowlton of Lincoln MA; and grandchildren Adrienne and Marisa Keen, Rebecca Jackson, Darcy Dobis, Jack and Christopher Gabriel, and step-grandson Stephen Jackson. He was predeceased by his sister Syliva Duncan. A celebration of Mr. Knowlton’s life will be held at the First Congregational Church of Darien on Sunday February 4 at 1 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Explorer Post 53 Emergency Medical Service, P.O. Box 2066, Darien, CT 06820. Funeral Home: Edward Lawrence Funeral Home 2119 Post Road Darien, CT USA 06820