Neighbor News
Prospect Hill Cemetery Names Bill Atkinson to its Board of Directors
Atkinson will assist the board with marketing and communications strategies to help raise Prospect Hill's profile
Prospect Hill Cemetery, a non-sectarian cemetery located in the heart of Towson and the final resting place of historic figures, heroes and founding families of Towson, announced today that Bill Atkinson has joined its board of directors.
Atkinson, a Towson resident since 1996 and president of Baltimore-based public relations firm Atkinson Strategic Communications, will assist the board with marketing and communications strategies to help raise Prospect Hill’s profile not only as a historic cemetery, but as an active greenspace in the heart of Towson for all to enjoy.
“We are pleased to add Bill to our growing board of directors,” said Carolyn Knott, President of Prospect Hill Cemetery. “His depth of experience in public relations and connections with the media will be a great asset to the organization.”
Founded in 1892, Prospect Hill is a living place of history in the middle of downtown Towson. It is a quiet park-like setting, contemplative garden, space to meditate, walk, practice yoga, bird watch and enjoy.
The cemetery memorializes families and individuals who contributed to the history of Towson, Baltimore County, and the nation. They include the Hillen family, whose members not only include a drummer boy in the American Revolution, but brothers who fought in the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812; Dr. Grafton Marsh Bosley, who was responsible for donating the land for the historic Baltimore County Courthouse; Herschel Heathcote Allen, who designed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge; Baltimore Colts Joe Campanella, who co-founded Ameche’s Drive-In, Gino’s Hamburgers, and Rustler Steak House; members of the Harry T. Campbell family, manufacturers of Sakrete and founders of White Marsh; and Harris Glenn MIlstead, a.k.a. “Divine”, a popular drag queen and character actor known for roles in John Waters’ cult classics.
Atkinson launched Atkinson Strategic Communications in 2020 with his two grown children, Emily Atkinson and Will Atkinson. He has been in public relations for 18 years specializing in strategic and crisis communications as well as reputation management. Before becoming a public relations practitioner in 2005, Atkinson was a business columnist and financial reporter at the Baltimore Sun where he wrote a twice-weekly column that tracked the personal dimensions of the top executives of Maryland corporations.
About Prospect Hill Cemetery
More than 3,000 people are buried at Prospect Hill, a six-acre non-sectarian cemetery located in the heart of Towson, Maryland. Prospect Hill is a non-profit organization run by volunteers with the support of one part-time paid administrative assistant, and it relies on charitable donations to sustain daily operations. The headstones are vivid lessons in history and culture that hold rich narratives of a local and national past. Among those buried in the cemetery are the founding families of Towson, veterans who served in every war from the American Revolution through the Invasion of Grenada, and an infamous movie star - Harris Glenn Milstead, better known as “Divine.”