Final answer:
Walter Dill Scott was the advertising executive who had a college background and aimed to make advertising more honourable. He was married to Helen J. Lansdowne and introduced psychology into advertising and business, which influenced the evolution of political advertising as seen with candidates like Eisenhower and Kennedy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The advertising executive who was the first major figure in the industry with a college background and aimed to make advertising a more honourable profession was Walter Dill Scott. He married Helen J. Lansdowne and was a pioneer in applying psychology to advertising, creating a more scientific approach to marketing and personnel selection.
In 1903, Scott published 'The Theory of Advertising' and 'Psychology of Advertising', the first books to outline the application of psychology in business. Scott's work anticipated the importance of marketing education, as institutions like the Wharton School began launching professional business degree programs. These programs trained advertisers not just to sell products, but to sell visions and lifestyles associated with those products.
During the mid-20th century, political advertising evolved with candidates like Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy leveraging television to shape public perception, each using distinct strategies and styles in their presidential campaigns, as seen in Eisenhower's TV commercials and Kennedy's sophisticated branding.