The Advertising Hall of Fame began in 1948 as the 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 creators of the Hall of Fame wanted this honor to be different from the many awards available to advertising leaders. They decided the honor should be given for special service that "added materially to the social and economic values of advertising" and felt such service could best be measured by looking back at the individual's place in history. The first ten inductees were honored at the AFA's 45th annual convention May 31, 1949, in Houston, Texas.