Merrie Spaeth

Merrie Marcia Spaeth (born August 23, 1948) is an American public relations and communications consultant.

Spaeth is the daughter of Dr. Philip G. Spaeth and Marcia Ryan Spaeth. She attended Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia. In 1970, Spaeth graduated with honors from Smith College and later earned an MBA from Columbia Business School, where she graduated cum laude.

At the age of 15, Spaeth was cast to play Marian "Gil" Gilbert in The World of Henry Orient.

Between 1970 and 1978, Spaeth wrote for numerous print publications and was a reporter for several local television stations. Additionally, Spaeth was a speechwriter for William S. Paley, founder and chairman of CBS. In 1978 Spaeth hosted and produced a nightly television show in Columbus, Ohio, for Warner-Amex Cable. In 1979, Spaeth was a producer for 20/20, where she produced segments on Liberace, gifted children and motorcycle gangs.

In the early 1980s, Spaeth was accepted to the White House Fellows program where she was assigned to work under FBI Director William Webster as his special assistant, after which she worked for two years as director of public affairs for the Federal Trade Commission. In 1983, she became White House Director of Media Relations in the administration of Ronald Reagan, serving until 1985.