The Advertising Hall of Fame began in 1948 as a result of a proposal by the New York Ad Club and its president, Andrew Haire, to the Advertising Federation of America, the predecessor organization to the American Advertising Federation. The plan provided that the Advertising Hall of Fame be administered by the Advertising Federation of America on behalf of the entire advertising industry. It honors those men and women who have best served the cause of advertising. Since then, 191 extraordinary individuals have been elected to this illustrious group.