Before he died, my ex-ad man dad saw a few episodes of the TV show Mad Men. He hated it—he said, because "you don't make great ads by drinking and having sex all day."

I think he hated it because it made him man jealous of his own working life, as an advertising creative director from the same era.

I'm going through some of Dad's old memos for a writing project, and came across this one, written to his counterpart on the Admiral appliance account, in 1967.

From: TOM MURRAY

Confidential

I was told the other day by Mr. Meyers that the old man at Admiral doesn't want sport coats, long hair, or colored shirts.

I will not, repeat will not tell my people what they can and can't wear, from sideburns to smoking jacket. [The agency chairman] made a tough speech about keeping out of our hair and letting us make advertising. Certainly if we aren't going to let them tell us what to write we're not going to let them tell us how to dress.

Just in case someone bugs you about this.

Tom

I always wished I had a boss like that, but I guess I'm lucky to have had a dad like that.