Acting

Merrie Spaeth

Merrie Marcia Spaeth, born on August 23, 1948, is a distinguished American consultant specializing in public relations and communications. A native of Philadelphia, she is the daughter of Dr. Philip G. Spaeth and Marcia Ryan Spaeth. Spaeth completed her early education at Germantown Friends School and graduated with honors from Smith College in 1970. She furthered her studies with an MBA from Columbia Business School, where she graduated cum laude.

In her early career, Spaeth gained prominence as an actress, appearing in the film *The World of Henry Orient* at just 15. Between 1970 and 1978, she contributed to various print outlets and worked as a reporter for local television stations. Notably, she served as a speechwriter for CBS founder William S. Paley and produced segments for ABC's *20/20*, covering diverse topics, including Liberace and motorcycle gangs.

In the early 1980s, Spaeth became a White House Fellow and later served as the Director of Media Relations under Ronald Reagan from 1983 to 1985. After relocating to Dallas, she founded Spaeth Communications in 1987 and taught business leadership seminars at the Cox School of Business in the 1990s.

Spaeth's role in the 2004 presidential campaign, advising the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, became controversial, and she has since referred to it as her “biggest regret.” She has also worked with Ken Starr during the Baylor University scandal and has contributed to numerous publications, including *PRWeek* and *The Philadelphia Inquirer*. Her literary contributions include three books: *Marketplace Communication*, *Words Matter*, and *You Don’t Say!*.

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