[1] After Princeton, Durstine was a reporter for the New York Sun for four years, before taking a job as public-relations director for Theodore Roosevelt's 1912 presidential campaign on the "Bull Moose" ticket.
[3] The couple had three daughters: Deborah Ann, Harriet Celia, and Kathrine Sarles (1921–2006).
[8][9] In a letter to his parents, Barton had determined to go into advertising with Roy Durstine at least as early as late summer 1918.
[11] In 1921, Durstine was elected to the executive board of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, and was the group's youngest president in 1925 and 1926.
[1][12] In 1925, Durstine brought The Atwater Kent Hour to the air on which many of the stars of the Metropolitan Opera made their broadcast debuts.
[17] Durstine and Barton made history in the advertising world in 1935 when they acquired the account of the US Steel Corp.
[21] In a 1949 interview, Durstine said he left BBDO and started a new agency because he was tired of spending so much time managing personnel rather than doing creative work, and a smaller agency would allow him to keep abreast of all of the creative work.