Jim Burke, One of Nation's Most Revered CEO's, To Receive Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's Highest Civilian Honor

Business Wire, August 9, 2000

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WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 9, 2000

President Bill Clinton today will bestow the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Jim Burke, chairman of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America (PDFA) and chairman emeritus of Johnson & Johnson.

Burke will receive the honor at a ceremony hosted by the President at the White House.

"No American has done more to save the children of this country from the horror of drug abuse than Jim Burke," President Clinton has said in the past. "We all owe him a very great debt of gratitude."

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian award. Created by President John F. Kennedy in 1963, this great honor is reserved for individuals the President deems to have made especially meritorious contributions to the country. Burke is receiving the medal for his unique contributions during his career in both the private and public sectors. As one of America's most respected corporate leaders and as the current chairman of the Partnership, his career has come to define modern-day corporate social responsibility, as well as civic responsibility.

"I am deeply honored to receive this very special award," Burke said, reacting to the honor in a letter to President Clinton. "I am grateful to my colleagues at the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, and at Johnson & Johnson for their years of dedication and support. Mr. President, thank you for deeming me worthy of this honor. I must also thank my good friend, General Barry McCaffrey, for his extraordinary leadership and contributions to the fight against illegal drugs."

Burke & The Partnership for a Drug-Free America

Burke assumed the chairmanship of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America upon his retirement from Johnson & Johnson on April 26, 1989. Today, at the age of 75, Burke remains the Partnership's guiding force, serving as its full-time, unpaid chairman.

Under Burke's leadership, the Partnership has created the single largest public service campaign in the history of advertising. To date, the Partnership has generated more than $3 billion in donated media exposure for its anti-drug effort. With deep roots in the advertising industry, more than 600 advertisements from scores of agencies have been created pro bono for the Partnership's anti-drug campaign; thousands of communications professionals have dedicated their time and talent to the cause. PDFA's advertising has won every award in the industry for creativity and effectiveness, including the most prestigious, the Grand Effie -- making it the only non-profit organization ever to receive this award. (The Partnership's advertising topped 132 commercial ad campaigns to win this particular award.)

Today, the Partnership is a key participant in the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign (NYADMC) - an unprecedented public-private initiative. With bipartisan support from Congress and leadership from Barry McCaffrey and his Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the campaign is using a multi-million dollar paid advertising effort to deliver powerful anti-drug messages to children, teenagers and parents. While the campaign is multi-faceted, at its core is paid advertising. With Burke's active support and leadership, the Partnership provides all advertising to the effort pro bono and receives no funding for its role in the campaign. The effort, firmly grounded in research, is modeled on the pioneering work done by PDFA.

After just two years in the marketplace, tracking data suggest that the campaign is beginning to make inroads. After steadily increasing throughout the 90s, drug use among teenagers is now leveling off and in some measures, declining; drug-related attitudes among youth are improving dramatically. The changes are concurrent with the launch of the NYADMC. Attitudinal shifts among youth suggest that drug use may continue to decline over the next few years.

"Jim's passion, energy and vision built the Partnership into what it is today," said Richard D. Bonnette, president & CEO of PDFA. "He is one extraordinary person, one extraordinary leader."

Burke's Career at Johnson & Johnson

Burke joined Johnson & Johnson in 1953 and soon demonstrated his extraordinary marketing skills - the same skills that have made him so effective at the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. During his early years at Johnson & Johnson, he helped launch a stream of new products and demonstrated that he was adept at taking risks to build the business. He was named president of Johnson & Johnson in 1973 and chairman and CEO in 1976, leading the company during an era marked by rapid global expansion.

During Burke's years as CEO, he helped to reaffirm the company's commitment to the Johnson & Johnson Credo, a unique statement of corporate responsibility. Written by Robert Wood Johnson Jr. some 30 years earlier, the credo was strengthened under Burke's guidance and widely embraced by company employees around the world. It was the credo philosophy that guided Johnson & Johnson and its McNeil affiliate during their highly-acclaimed management of the Tylenol tamperings of 1982 and 1986. By putting the public interest first, Burke and Johnson & Johnson gained a place in business history. Today, in fact, every student passing through the Harvard Business School studies the values-based decision making process behind the Tylenol crisis under Burke's leadership.