William Arrott

He was a good student, like most of his family, and became the third generation to attend Princeton University.

His studies there were interrupted by World War II, when he, along with most of his classmates, put schooling aside in the service of our country. Bill enlisted in the Marines.

He later returned to Princeton and received a B.S. in electrical engineering, thus completing the link of a trained scientific mind with a background strong in liberal arts.

After establishing himself as the youngest editor for McGraw Hill (Power Magazine), he moved from New York to Chicago and into public relations. Subsequently, as senior vice president of Hill & Knowlton, then the largest public relations firm in the world, he created a special niche for himself where he combined his keen scientific understanding with the industrial and promotional know-how necessary to introduce new and unusual products to both industry as well as the general public.

He introduced the MRI (magnetic resonance imaging e.g., three dimensional anatomical images) and, later, the hyperbaric oxygen chamber. In the automotive industry, he Introduced the retractable seat belt, which made it feasible to have this life-saving addition installed on all future automotive products.

He started his own PR firm in the late 60s, and in 1975 he was awarded the coveted Silver Anvil award, a major national award of the Public Relations Society of America. Bill guided a public relations program which swept the country in the form of automobile cash rebates after it was initiated by his client the Warner Brake and Clutch Company, Beloit, Wisconsin, a supplier to the automotive industry. This program was regarded by many as having saved the automotive industry from collapse.

Bill holds an electrical engineering degree from Princeton University, is a member of the IEEE, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American medical writers Association and was a founding trustee and past-president of the Board of the Midwest College of Engineering.

He was well known for his keen and quick sense of humor. Example, whenever someone learned he was a World War II Marine, they often asked, “And where did you serve?” “I served 10 days in the brig on bread and water,” was the quick reply. He neglected to add that during those 10 days, he also regularly called out to the guard–“Can we please have some raisins in our bread?”

His wife Elizabeth, formerly Elizabeth Karkanen, was a resident of Baraga as a child when she lived with her grandparents, Johann and Henrikka Karkanen, owners of the Karkanen Dairy, one of the very first to service Houghton and Hancock.

He is predeceased by his parents and also by grandson, William Scott Arrott.

He is survived by his loving wife, Elizabeth; son, William Arrott Jr. (Sue); brother, Tony, (Patsy, d); sister, Lyde (Jon, d); granddaughters, Christiana (David) and Hailey; grandson, William Arrott III; great-grandson, A. J. (Katie), and great-great-grandson Noah.

He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

Intermittent burial will be held Wednesday, October 27, 2021, at 11 a.m. at Evergreen Cemetery in L’anse.