December 8, 1955 in Lorain

There's plenty of things of interest on this 'Society' page from the December 8, 1955 Lorain Journal – 70 years ago today.

For starters, there's an article about the Mary Lee Tucker Christmas benefit show, which had taken place the night before. As usual, there was a celebrity emcee. "Bob McFadden, a new star in the entertainment profession, virtually wowed the audience with his impressions of Arthur Godfrey and his Talent Scouts program and other well known personalities," the article noted.

Bob McFadden

"Among the "scouts" was Winston Churchill. Other impressions were of Tony Bennett, Vaughn Monroe, Boris Karloff, Walter Brennan, "Lovable" Liberace, and others."

Bob McFadden would go on to have a long career in Hollywood. His specialty was providing voices for animated cartoons and commercials, including an impression of Boris Karloff for the voice of Franken Berry, the mascot of the same-named General Mills cereal; Milton the Monster; and Rory Raccoon and Lovable Truly the postman for Post Cereals.

(I wrote about Bob McFadden when he announced in November 1955 as the emcee for the upcoming MLT show here.)

Other entertainers at the show included young Ricky Zahnd, who performed his singing hit, "I'm Gettin' Nuttin' for Christmas."

Of interest to me is that Jimmy Dulio and his 12-piece big band performed, as well as providing musical accompaniment as needed to back up vocalists. The Jimmy Dulio band later became the Biz Grove Orchestra (of which my brother Ken and I were members).

Also of interest on the page is the story of the retirement of Captain William M. Ward of Lorain after 41 years of service with the Pittsburgh Steamship Division of U. S. Steel. As the article notes, "He also ended a 46-year career on the lakes, by laying up the freighter Enders M. Voorhees for the winter at Monroe, Mich. The Voorhees was the last ship of many in the Pittsburgh Steamship fleet he had commanded over the years."

Photo by Roger LeLievre and courtesy of
greatlakesships.wordpress.com 

In the article, Ward observed, "I'm sure going to miss being out on the lakes after all these years, but there are many things I would like to do as an ordinary land lubber. Mainly, I am thinking of doing a lot of traveling with my family."

Captain William Ward passed away on Sept. 21, 1972.

Biz Grove Booked for Mary Lee Tucker Show – Nov. 29, 1962

On Monday's post, it was noted that the popular Cleveland TV personality Mike Douglas was going to be emceeing the Mary Lee Tucker Christmas Benefit Show.

Well, as I noted, the rest of the Mary Lee Tucker performers were usually made up of local talent. That included the musical group that would provide backup where needed for the various acts, as well as appear as an act themselves. 

As usual, the Biz Grove Orchestra was that group. As noted in the caption accompanying the photo above, which appeared in the Journal on November 29, 1962, "The Biz Grove Orchestra will perform at The Journal's annual Mary Lee Tucker Christmas benefit, produced by the City Club of Lorain on Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. at the Palace Theatre. Leading the 14-piece band is Chuck Bizgrove [sic] at center. Members are: John Byers, piano; Bob Gawn, bass; Bob Aukerman, Mel Gymorie, Vic Kubiak on trumpets; Dick Reed, drums; Gary Potter, and Bill Sheppard and Dick Cooley on trombones; Paul Kumler, Jack Ruth, Ed Nemecek and Frank Katrick saxophones.

The Biz Grove Orchestra has been mentioned on this blog before, including when it performed at the 1960 Mary Lee Tucker show.

Anyway, I've mentioned before how my older brother Ken and I were members of the Biz Grove Orchestra in the 1980s. Many of the same band personnel from the 1960s were still with the group twenty years later.

I'll be writing some personal reminisces about that experience in an upcoming post very soon. (You know, just like I did with the Pueblo).

Mike Douglas to Host Mary Lee Tucker Show – Nov. 1962

Do you remember Cleveland TV personality Mike Douglas?

If you're a Baby Boomer, I'm sure you do. For years he hosted a popular daily variety program on TV that actually had its start in Cleveland before being syndicated in other markets. (You can read more about the history of the program and why it had to move to Philadelphia here.)

Well, back in 1962 the major component of the Mary Lee Tucker charity program was still the benefit show that featured local talent on the bill. As I noted back on this post, there was usually some well-known regional and even national talent as master of ceremonies, such as Lynn Sheldon (TV’s “Barnaby") (1950), Leo DeLyon (1954), Bob McFadden (1955), Frank Fontaine  (better known to many as Crazy Guggenheim on the Jackie Gleason Show) (1957), Don Webster (1964), and Houlihan and Big Chuck (1968).

And to add to this pantheon of talented performers, we can add Mike Douglas for the 1962 edition of the show. The front page of the Journal of November 20, 1962 tells the story.

"Roll out the carpet, Lorainites, one of Cleveland's most personable TV stars will hit Lorain for a one-night stand early in December.

"Show time is nearing, Dec. 5 showtime that is, when Lorain will play host to everyone's favorite at The Journal's Mary Lee Tucker Christmas Show.

"A Chicago-born Irishman with a gift of song, Mike Douglas, well-known Cleveland TV star, was named today as master of ceremonies for the Christmas benefit show, produced and directed by The City Club of Lorain.

"Douglas, the star of a 90-minute variety show each day, was signed by members of the City Club last week to emcee the Christmas extravaganza on Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. at the Palace Theater.

"Formerly a featured singer with the Kay Kyser Orchestra, this polished professional is well known to the people of Lorain.

"He is ready with a quip. a question or a song at the drop of a hat and is at ease with a local housewife or a famed guest star.

"Douglas' show, which has been on the air less than a year, has been called "the most ambitious programming ever attempted by an individual station."

Elsewhere on that front page of the Journal is an update on the tensions between the United States and Cuba, and a story about a Minnesota man who claimed to have the biggest ball of twine in the world.

Mary Lee Tucker Christmas Show – 1960

Although these days the Mary Lee Tucker effort at the Morning Journal is focused primarily on the Clothe-a-Child donation program, back in 1960 the big Christmas benefit show featuring local talent was still the main component of fund raising.

There was usually some well-known regional and even national talent as master of ceremonies, such as Lynn Sheldon (TV’s “Barnaby") (1950), Leo DeLyon (1954), Bob McFadden (1955), Frank Fontaine  (better known to many as Crazy Guggenheim on the Jackie Gleason Show) (1957), Don Webster (1964), and Houlihan and Big Chuck (1968).

(Click here to pull up all my posts about the history of the Mary Lee Tucker program, and then scroll all the way down to the bottom to read the multi-part posts in order.)

Anyway, in 1960, Cleveland KYW radio personality “Big” Wilson was the scheduled master of ceremonies for the Mary Lee Tucker benefit show. Here’s some of the pre-show publicity from the Lorain Journal of Nov. 15, 1960.

The Journal also provided a preview of the scheduled entertainment in its Nov. 28th edition. Acrobatic hand balancers Kay and Kay were the featured act. 

As usual, Biz Grove and his Orchestra were to provide background music.

The Capris (featuring well-known local guitarist/musician Ron Zehel) would provide music in the Palace Theater lobby prior to the performance.

Although bad wintry weather prevented “Big” Wilson and Cleveland Indian Jim Piersall from appearing, the show went on as scheduled on Wednesday, November 30, 1960. Cleveland Brown player Bobby Mitchell did show up, however, and was a big hit. Hosting duties were shared by Journal reporter Jack LaVriha and professional emcee Joe DeSantis. 

The Journal's detailed coverage provides all the information on the various acts.

Even with the setbacks, the show was still a big success with a standing-room-only crowd of 2,000 – the largest turnout in the past 15 years.

Wouldn’t it be great if somehow the Mary Lee Tucker benefit show was resurrected in the 2000’s?

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It was nice reading about Biz Grove and his orchestra. Along with my older brother, I was a member of that band in the 1980s while Charles “Biz” Bisgrove was still the leader, and in several different incarnations of the group after he passed away. I’ll write about my experiences as a band member here on the blog eventually – maybe even in 2021!

Kay and Kay, the acrobatic act that performed at the benefit show enjoyed a long career. I found a few online references to them, mainly in Billboard magazines from the 1940s and 50s, appearing everywhere from Montreal to Aurora, Indiana to Galesburg, Illinois. They were usually billed as hand balancers.

Journal Christmas Eve Front Pages – 1935 & 1957

In honor of Christmas Eve, here are a few front pages of the Lorain Journal – decades apart – from that particular date. It’s interesting to compare how each edition addressed the Christmas holiday, as well as the news of the day. 

First is the Christmas Eve edition from 1935. The big news was that famed aviator Charles Lindbergh and his family had moved to England, fearing for the safety of his family after his son Charles Jr. had been kidnapped and murdered. There’s also news of Lorain shoppers jamming the business districts, and a Mary Lee Tucker wrap-up report.

And sixty-two years ago today, the Lorain Journal published the front page shown below on December 24, 1957. It includes a nice editorial about the holiday, as well as the first part of a heartwarming story about Mrs. Calla Donna Woods, an 104-year-old Lorain County resident. There’s also a cute photo of Shelley and Suzanne Stone checking out the gifts under their Christmas tree at their home at 1010 King Avenue.

Journal Christmas Eve Front Page - Dec. 24, 1968

Well it’s Christmas Eve, so it’s a good time to post this.

It should look familiar to anyone who subscribed to the Journal during the 1960s and 70s, because for years the paper ran the wraparound illustration of the Three Wise Men and the Nativity on the front page on Christmas Eve.

If you look closely in the lower right hand corner, you’ll see the initials ‘gp.’ Of course, they belong to Journal cartoonist Gene Patrick, whose “Passing Scene” cartoons I’ve been posting regularly on this blog – as recently as a few days ago.

The Christmas Eve edition of the paper usually included an update of that year’s Mary Lee Tucker effort, as shown above. Some $8,000 had been donated that year so far.

Anyway, here’s wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

I’ll be taking my usual holiday break from blogging for a few days, but I'll be back as it gets closer to New Year’s Eve.

Frank Fontaine MC's the Mary Lee Tucker Benefit Show – 1957 – Part 2

It’s impressive just how much time and effort went into putting on the Mary Lee Tucker Christmas benefit shows of the 1950s and 60s. Besides booking nationally known talent like Frank Fontaine to headline and emcee the show, there was the auditioning and selection of local acts to make up the majority of the program.

Sometimes there were additional professional acts added to make the show even more spectacular. For the 1957 show, the Cornell Sisters were added to the list of performers. As the article below (which appeared in the Lorain Journal on November 28, 1957) notes, the Cornell Sisters had appeared in Detroit and Chicago nightclubs, as well as on the Arthur Godfrey Talent Scout program.

The Sisters were in town for an engagement at Ben Hart’s Showbar in early December. At some point in their career they issued a 45 RPM record with One Sided Love on one side and Walking Along on the other.

But getting back to the show. On December 4, 1957 the Journal included a last promotional article for the show, which was to take place that night. The High Toppers dance group were featured in a cute photo.

As expected, the show was a big success, raising $1,500 (that’s $13,000 in today’s money). Frank Fontaine was featured in a photo in the article below, which ran the next day.

The article stated that Fontaine kept the show moving at a fast pace. "He ‘fractured’ the audience with his ventriloquist bit in which he used two St. Mary High School boys picked from the audience as his “dummies,” it noted.

“He brought down the rafters with his impersonations of Arthur Godfrey, Amos and Andy, Alfred Hitchcock, Peter Lorre, Claude Rains, Jimmy Cagney, Edward G. Robinson, Charles Boyer, Jimmy Durante, Winston Churchill, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Liberace and Billy Eckstine.”

Other performers included Maria Bryant, who played the accordion while blindfolded and wearing gloves and with the keyboard covered with a black cloth; the Mozambi Trio, three ‘educated and talented apes’ in formal attire (behind the rubber ape masks were Harry Mayer, Russ Owens and Nate Margolis); the Jimmy Dulio 14-piece band, which supplied all the music for both professional and local entertainers; Joe Kohart, who did a pantomime of Elvis Presley; tap dancers Sandy Humphrey and Danny Walker; and many, many more.

Frank Fontaine MC's the Mary Lee Tucker Benefit Show – 1957 – Part 1

The Morning Journal’s annual Mary Lee Tucker Clothe-a-Child program has been underway now for several weeks, so it’s a good time for this post.

Back in 1957, the Mary Lee Tucker program still included a big charity show at the Palace theater as the primary fundraiser. (I’ve written extensively about these shows, with multi-part series about the early days of the program, as well as a more thorough history of it through the decades.)

Anyway, for the 1957 benefit show, there was a very special Master of Ceremonies: Frank Fontaine. Of course, you might know him better from his role as lovable drunk Crazy Guggenheim (shown at right) on the Jackie Gleason Show. Gleason (as Joe the Bartender) would enjoy a comedic chat with Crazy, who would eventually be cajoled into singing a song with his beautiful voice.

But in 1957, Fontaine had not yet created his Guggenheim character. Instead, he was well known from The Jack Benny Program from his appearances as a bum named John L. C. Sivoney.

Here’s a portion of the front page Journal article announcing his upcoming appearance at the Mary Lee Tucker show on December 4, 1957.

The balance of the article reveals his family’s show biz heritage, noting that his parents were vaudeville performers and that his paternal grandparents were a well known Barnum and Bailey circus team. "His grandfather was a strong man and his grandmother, a trapeze artist."

“Frank and his brother Raymond toured with their parents, went to school all over the United States and Canada or had private tutors when truant officers caught up with them.

“Frank’s talent became apparent when he imitated his parents from the time he was five.

“Married at 17, he depended on amateur show prizes for subsistence until he was able to get nightclub bookings.”

Fontaine served his country during World War II, and after his discharge, “returned to the nightclub circuit, then joined up with Vaughn Monroe and toured with the bandleader’s orchestra as featured comedian for two years.”

Here’s the ad that appeared in the Journal on November 29, 1957, with Fontaine in character as John L. C. Sivoney.

The cover of this record album (below) showcasing Fontaine’s singing provides a better view of the photo used in the Journal ad.

Want to see Fontaine in action as John L. C. Sivoney on the Jack Benny show? He makes his appearance on the 1961 program below at the 16:22 mark in a police station sketch. It’s pretty funny, and nice to hear that inimitable laugh again. Fontaine also comes in at the end of the sketch for a final punchline, and even makes a curtain call as himself at the close of the show.

The History of the Journal's Mary Lee Tucker Program – Part 5

By 1968, changes had taken place regarding the Journal’s charity program. It was now known as Clothe-A-Child. Mary Lee Tucker – the behind the scenes ‘face of the program’ – was still around, but her name was somewhat downplayed in the Clothe-A-Child promotion.

The Journal explained the program in a front page article over the headline in its November 28, 1968 edition. It noted:

“THE CLOTHE-A-CHILD program consists of:

THE TRADITIONAL Mary Lee Tucker Christmas Show, which has been highlight of the holiday season in Lorain.

--CONTRIBUTIONS, which may be sent directly to the Mary Lee Tucker Fund at The Journal, Lorain. Miss Tucker will have special shoppers to take the children shopping in area stores with this money.

--A MILE OF DIMES promotion in downtown Lorain and at various locations around the county, where residents can contribute a dime to help the clothing program.

ORGANIZATIONS, INDUSTRIES, churches, labor unions, civic clubs, nationality groups, and fraternal organizations will be encouraged to participate in one of the most heart warming parts of the program.

They may want to spend some of their own money to clothe needy school children and may personally take some youngsters shopping for new clothes. It takes approximately $35 to clothe one child.”

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The traditional Mary Lee Tucker charity show sponsored by the City Club went on as scheduled that year with a “Christmas Around the World” theme and all local talent. Fifty-three acts with performers “from every part of the Golden Crescent” auditioned. Eighteen acts were selected to perform at the show, which was held on Wednesday, December 4, 1968.

Hoolihan and Big Chuck from Channel 8 served as masters of ceremony.

The Biz Grove Band once again performed. Members included Charles Bisgrove, Ed Zaphor, Merl “Doc” McDonald, Frank Katrick, Charles Ensign, Melvin Gymorie, Kenneth Lorence, Mitch Hallie, Leonard Gerace, Richard Cooley, Dave Noe, Ralph Woerhman, Floyd Hayes, Richard Reed, and Bob Gawne.

The Mary Lee Tucker program clothed more than 300 needy children that year. Mary Lee Tucker herself was quoted on the front page of the Journal on December 24, 1968. She noted, “You just don’t know what it’s like to see kids who never had a pair of new pants walk into a store and get them. I just can’t thank the people enough who helped and contributed. This will be a little better Christmas for many children because of their generosity."

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The Journal’s Clothe-A-Child program underwent a big change in 1969. 

That was the year that the charity show apparently became independent of the Mary Lee Tucker name. The benefit show was no longer a component of the Journal’s Clothe-A-Child program. It was now known as the Lorain City Club’s Charity Show.

The Clothe-A-Child program benefitted from the unveiling of an illustration by artist Larry Alvarez that first accompanied the stories that year. The logo did a good job of symbolizing the misery and sadness experienced by a child with no warm winter clothes.

The illustration was used for many years and is still well-remembered by longtime readers of the Lorain Journal.

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It is certainly a credit to the Morning Journal that the Mary Lee Tucker program survives to this day.

The Journal's original concept of a newspaper employee devoted to helping the less fortunate in the local community, and known only by her name – Mary Lee Tucker – is a charming and magical one. 

I hope Mary Lee Tucker always has a place at the Morning Journal. She is needed more than ever.

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To donate to the Morning Journal’s Mary Lee Tucker Clothe-A-Child program, click here.

The History of the Journal's Mary Lee Tucker Program – Part 4

Jimmy Dulio and his Band, a featured act at the 1956 Mary Lee Tucker benefit show

The Mary Lee Tucker Christmas benefit show was the highlight of Lorain’s holiday season for decades. Each year the show got bigger and bigger.

The Lorain Journal did receive help in their charitable effort. Beginning in 1946, the City Club of Lorain donated its service and sponsored the Mary Lee Tucker benefit show, making it their own project. The Club planned the programs, judged talent and selected the acts.

Eventually, up and coming celebrities – often at the very beginning of their successful careers – were brought in to emcee the show. Examples of these performers included singer and comic Leo DeLyon, who emceed the 1954 show, and satirist Bob McFadden who was the master of ceremonies for the 1955 show.

Some local acts became popular fixtures of the show. For example, by the late 1950s, Jimmy Dulio and his 14-piece Big Band had provided musical accompaniment for singers and dancers for many years, as well as being one of the featured acts themselves.

A promotional photo for the 1962 show from the December 5, 1962 Journal

By the 1960s, the benefit show was an eclectic mix of local and outside talent. The 1964 edition included WEWS-TV’s Don Webster as the master of ceremonies. Jim “Mudcat” Grant, former Indians pitcher was scheduled to perform a song and dance routine. Acts included singing star Lee Rand (courtesy of the Colony Lounge); vocalist and banjo artist Ron Sluga; vocalist, impressionist and recording artist Jerry Lee; professional dancers Paul and Phyllis Taber; dancing duo Judy Miller and Ron Spangler from the WEWS “Big 5 Show”; 4-year old dancer Little Sammy Willis; and 67-year old Mickey McGuire, who was billed as having danced in every Mary Lee Tucker show since the beginning. Local acts included the Satin Dolls: Nancy Hoyman, Diana Simbell, Donna Sparks and Judy Shilling; Lou Ann Merner, an Avon Lake dance student;

For the 1964 show, Biz Grove (Charles Bisgrove) and his Orchestra – the successor to the Jimmy Dulio band –  provided the musical accompaniment for the acts, as well as being a featured act.

Here’s the article from the December 7, 1964 Journal promoting the upcoming show. It includes a nice history of the Mary Lee Tucker department of the Journal – except it neglects to mention Rhea Soper Eddy.

For 1964, the Mary Lee Tucker benefit show effort also included a Saturday morning “Kris Kringle” version, specifically designed to appeal to teenagers. That show took place on the Saturday before the Wednesday, December 9, 1964 evening edition, and brought the entire “Big 5 Show” to the Palace to the delight of local youth.

As described in the Journal, the star-studded show included recording artist Johnny Cymbal, Dick Blake, Jim “Mudcat” Grant,  and Cleveland’s own Dave C. and The Sharptones.

Next: Clothe-A-Child

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To donate to the Morning Journal’s Mary Lee Tucker Clothe-A-Child program, click here.

The History of the Journal's Mary Lee Tucker Program – Part 3

December 13, 1926 ad from the Lorain Journal

One of the aspects of the Mary Lee Tucker program that is often forgotten is that for decades, there was an annual fundraising event that was an integral part of the charitable effort.

Apparently the first one took place in 1926: the Mary Lee Tucker Christmas Fund Ball. The dance was held at the Moose Coliseum out on Route 5 west of Lorain. The Lorain Street Railway accommodated the attendees by providing extra streetcar service.

The ball was a big success, with between 700 and 800 people attending. Chauncey Lee and his Orchestra out of Cleveland provided the music.

(I wrote extensively about the 1926 Fund Ball here and here.)

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As the years went by, the Mary Lee Tucker program strived to find new ways to spread holiday cheer and happiness.

In 1932, 2,000 boys and girls were treated to a free movie at the Palace Theater courtesy of Mary Lee Tucker. Here’s the announcement that ran in the December 17, 1932 Lorain Journal.

As noted, the movie was Peach O’Reno, featuring popular comics Wheeler and Woolsey.

Possibly the biggest fundraising development in the Mary Lee Tucker program occurred in 1933. That was the inaugural year for the Lorain Follies.

Here’s the front page of the Lorain Journal of November 14, 1933 with the announcement .

The Lorain Follies of 1933 was conceived with the idea of featuring an all-Lorain vaudeville bill of entertainment. Various local acts auditioned before a group of judges for the privilege of being part of the show.

This concept proved so popular that it became part of the Mary Lee Tucker charity effort for decades.

Here's an ad for the 1934 edition of the show that appeared in the Lorain Journal on December 12, 1934.

By 1937, the Mary Lee Tucker department of the Lorain Journal had become a mainstay of the community charitable scene. 

The article below, which appeared in the paper on November 13, 1937, noted that the club did much more than "bringing Christmas cheer to Lorain’s more humble families at Christmas time.”

The article also illustrated that henceforth, 1924 would be the accepted date of the creation of the Mary Lee Tucker program.

Next: Into the 1960s

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To donate to the Morning Journal’s Mary Lee Tucker Clothe-A-Child program, click here.

The History of the Journal's Mary Lee Tucker Program – Part 2

Rhea Soper Eddy was the longtime Journal employee that is well-remembered as the person behind the Mary Lee Tucker program for decades.

She was the subject of an announcement that ran on the front page of the paper on November 18, 1924. A boxed item read, “Today marks another milestone in the era of Journal expansion. With this issue is begun the regular daily publication of Elyria society, church, club and fraternity events, written by Rhea Soper Eddy, a society reporter of long experience.”

As noted in yesterday’s post, she inherited the role of Mary Lee Tucker following the death of Mrs. Katie Hayes.

But she made it so much more than just a once-a-year act of charity. She became Mary Lee Tucker.

She explained it in a full-page history of the Mary Lee Tucker program that ran in the June 21, 1955 Lorain Journal after her passing.

“Soon after I took charge,” she note, "we decided to start an advice column which was just another angle of the Mary Lee Tucker department. It was not a very important one, perhaps, but one that seemed to create a little interest.”

Here is the announcement of the new daily Mary Lee Tucker column that ran in the Lorain Journal on Feb. 15, 1926.

Her reminisce continued. “One day about six weeks before my first Christmas program was to be given, several employees offered their help with the project.

“Our editor agreed with our plan to remember the old folks in the county home on Christmas. It seemed that the children in the county home in Oberlin were always being remembered at Christmas time but the old folks had very little share in the yuletide joys.

“The matron and superintendent of the home were enthusiastic about the program. To raise the funds to finance the party we gave a dance at Antlers hotel.

“We arranged a program of home talent and took ice cream, cakes and oranges to the home with us. We gave each person in the home a box of candy. There were about 50 men and women there at that time.

“That same year we made quite a campaign for clothes, food and toys to give out in Christmas baskets. The names of between 300 and 400 families had been turned over to us and we were anxious to do what we could to make the supplies go around.

“Gifts were collected in a storehouse not far from the Journal. Christmas came on Tuesday that year and we decided to pack the baskets on Sunday. Journal employees volunteered to help.

“The articles were to be brought over to the Journal office Saturday night after the employes had left. I went home expecting to come down early Sunday morning to supervise the packing of the baskets.

“Early Sunday morning I received a telephone call from the business manager of the paper. He informed me that there was everything from shoes to potatoes piled in the editorial and business rooms, that the truck drivers still had another load to bring over  and we had no place to put the things.

"A corps of about 25 worked all day Sunday packing baskets with food, toys and canned goods. We finished about 11 o’clock that night and had about two truck loads left over. We called the Salvation Army to take it to their store room so we could have the rooms cleared before employes came to work Monday morning.

“There were bushes of potatoes, carrots, a load of cabbages, bacon, hams, eggs, canned fruit, box after box of jelly, clothes, books, toys, – everything. That was a wonderful Christmas and we all felt happy when we saw the cartons being taken away in Journal trucks on Christmas eve for delivery to needy families.”

The article also described how Rhea Soper Eddy kept the Mary Lee Tucker department busy all year helping the community.

“It was during the depression years from 1929 through the 1930s that the department was called on many times over to help those in need. Here are some of the accomplishments listed by Mrs. Eddy during that time period.

“Bought medicine for the sick, gave out layettes, gave clothes to school children and high school boys and girls in particular, bought glasses for several children with defective eyesight, obtained cans for families who had been given vegetables and fruits but who had nothing in which to can them, averaged 175 interviews each Thursday during the four depression years, had children’s teeth fixed, saw that many children with ailments had medical attention, furnished milk to children in needy families, obtained work for men, women and high school girls, got pianos for two girls who wanted to take piano lessons (the lessons were furnished gratis by friends), bought an average of 200 pairs of shoes each Christmas for four years, got overshoes for children, sought legal advice for several families."

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Rhea Soper Eddy passed away on Monday, January 16, 1950. Her obituary appeared on the front page of the paper that day.

Death Takes Rhea Eddy Early Today

Widely Known For Quarter-of-Century as Mary Lee Tucker

Mrs. Rhea Soper Eddy, woman’s editor of The Lorain Journal and head of the Mary Lee Tucker department of the newspaper for 25 years, died early this morning.

Ill for more than a year, she had continued to write the daily Mary Lee Tucker column almost until the last. From her bed, she directed the 1949 Christmas sharing program for the benefit of the old folks at the county home, the children at the Oberlin home and the underprivileged of the community – an annual program she helped institute and which she carried on for a score of years.

Never Had Harsh Word

In a speech recorded for the Christmas meeting of the Rotary club, she told something of her work and said she had found that nothing was more important than forbearance, tolerance and getting along with others by speaking kindly and refraining from anger.

Only a few days ago, a committee representing the women’s organizations of the city called upon her and presented her with a scroll. The scroll expressed appreciation of civic, service, fraternal, patriotic and other groups for “her many years of devoted and unselfish service to the community.”

Mrs. Eddy had spent months in St. Joseph’s hospital, but went home for Christmas. Her son, daughter-in-law and other loved ones were with her at the end.

Mrs. Eddy started in newspaper work as a reporter on the old Times-Herald on graduating from Lorain High School in 1913. She joined the staff of The Journal in 1924, following the death of her husband.

As society editor, she was one of the most widely known and respected women in the community, but she made the name of Mary Lee Tucker even wider known. Friend and counsellor, her advice was sought by hundreds on all manner of problems. And her counsel was always in keeping with her philosophy of speaking kindly and refraining from anger.

She lived in accordance with her advice. Associates on The Journal never heard her speak ill of anyone.

Came To Lorain in 1910

Mrs. Eddy was born at Hamilton, N.Y.. May 5, 1893 and came to Lorain with her parents at the age of 13. She graduated from Lorain High school June 13, 1913.

On Nov. 23, 1917, she was united in marriage to James Eddy who died in 1924 shortly after their son, J. William Eddy, was born.

She was a member of the Congregational church, director of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority, the Lorain Business and Professional Women’s club, Ohio Newspaper Women’s Association, Rotaryanns, Duquesne club, Lorain Sorosis, Lorain Sisterhood, at one time served on the Salvation Army board and was an honorary member of the exemplar club of Beta Sigma Phi, an honor recently bestowed upon her.

She was also an honorary member of many clubs and organizations thruout the city.

Surviving with her son, William, and his wife, Patricia Ann, are a grandson, Rex; her stepmother, Mrs. William T. Soper, and her mother-in-law, Mrs. Alice M. Eddy, all of whom resided together at 445 9th-st.

Funeral services will be held at 12 noon Wednesday at the Walter A. Frey Funeral home. Rev. Herbert Loomis of the Congregational church will officiate and burial will be in the family lot in Elmwood cemetery.

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On  December 17, 1950 the Lorain Journal ran this wonderful tribute (below) to Rhea Soper Eddy on the editorial page.

Next: It’s showtime!

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To donate to the Morning Journal’s Mary Lee Tucker Clothe-A-Child program, click here.

The History of the Journal's Mary Lee Tucker Program – Part 1

The Morning Journal’s annual Mary Lee Tucker Clothe-A-Child program has been underway for several weeks now, so it’s a good time to look back at its history.

I wrote about some of the program’s early days back here in a 2013 four-part series, but this new series will cover its history from its inception to the late 1960s, when the program underwent a major change.

Anyway, for the past few years, the Morning Journal has boiled down the history of the program to a single paragraph: “Rhea Soper Eddy was a journalist at the Journal, precursor to the Morning Journal, when she started the program back in 1924.”

But it’s a much richer story than that, to be found only in vintage editions of the Journal itself.

The earliest Journals available on microfilm at the Lorain Public Library reveal that the paper’s Christmas charitable efforts predated the Mary Lee Tucker program.

In December 1922, the paper launched its Good Cheer club. The front page of the paper’s December 11 edition introduced the program, which had the goal of collecting used toys that would be distributed to children who otherwise would not receive any gifts.

On December 12, the paper announced in another front page article that the Red Cross would be aiding the paper in this endeavor.

Surprisingly, I could not locate any mention of a Journal-sponsored Christmas charity effort for 1923 or 1924 (the year of the tornado) in its pages. Perhaps some behind-the-scenes work was done by its staff, but there was no publicized, front page Christmas charity program during those two years.

Fortunately, the Journal itself shed some light on how the Mary Lee Tucker program got started in an article that appeared in the June 21, 1955 edition. It attributes the program to a Journal staffer whose name has been lost to time.

The article noted, “The Mary Lee Tucker department of The Journal was organized in 1924, the idea of a Chicago woman then a member of the editorial staff of the newspaper.

“Naming the department Sally Joy Brown, she later discovered that name was being used by a western paper, was copyrighted and could not be used by The Journal. Mary Lee Tucker was the second choice.

“Work of the department at the beginning consisted mostly of obtaining clothes for needy persons. Even though this was before the depression of 1929 and the 30s, there was a need for this kind of help.

“When the Chicagoan left The Journal a short time after organizing the department, her work was turned over to Mrs. Katie Hayes. An elderly woman, Mrs. Hayes was a long time Lorain resident well qualified to do the work since church and civic activities had acquainted her with the people she contacted.

“Six families were helped in the first Christmas program conducted by Mrs. Hayes. She gathered clothes from her friends, solicited toys from merchants and asked various groups for baskets of food.

“About a year later Mrs. Hayes moved to Florida, became ill and died. After her death Mrs. Rhea Soper Eddy, then The Journal’s courthouse reporter in Elyria, took charge of the department and remained in the position until her death Jan. 16, 1950.”

Next: Rhea Soper Eddy talks about her early Mary Lee Tucker work.

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To donate to the Morning Journal’s Mary Lee Tucker Clothe-A-Child program, click here.

Passing Scene Christmas Edition – 1965

Here's some more 1965 holiday fun from the pages of the Lorain Journal.

Continuing in my unwitting effort to reproduce every one of Gene Patrick's Passing Scene comic strips, here are two more from December 1965.

In the first one (below), which ran on December 4, 1965, we see that Lorain County has experienced its first snowfall of the season, and that a big local talent show was still part of the Mary Lee Tucker charitable effort. (I wonder when they stopped doing that? The good folks at the Morning Journal should really consider reviving it.)

In the second strip, which ran two weeks later on December 18, 1965 we get a caricature of then-Mayor Woody Mathna (who helped settle the strike by the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 1034 against the Employees Transit Lines Inc.), and another nod to the Mary Lee Tucker program (featuring a comical drunk).

Leo DeLyon Plays the (Lorain, Ohio) Palace – December 1954

Although the Morning Journal's current Mary Lee Tucker Clothe-a-Child program depends on cash donations to purchase warm winter clothing for school-age children, its original source of income (when the program first started in the 1920 and well into the 1950s) was a gala Christmas benefit show. It was usually at the Palace Theater and featured local bands (such as Jimmy Dulio and his band).

The emcees for these shows were often up-and-coming performers (like Bob McFadden) who went on to have great careers.

Recently I was digging around on microfilm and discovered that one of my favorite Hanna-Barbera voice artists – Leo DeLyon – hosted the show back in December 1954 at an early stage in his career. (Do you remember which animated TV characters he voiced? If you don't, I'll reveal it shortly.)

Anyway, it was announced on the front of the Lorain Journal of November 18, 1954 that Leo DeLyon would be hosting the show (below). (Note that on the same page the infamous Dr. Sam Sheppard murder trial was underway.)

Here is the text of the article about Leo DeLyon (below). It provides a nice biography of him at that stage of his career.   

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Comic, Pianist, Singer

Versatile Leo DeLyon Will Spark Yule Show

That Versatile Gentleman Leo DeLyon, comic, pianist and singer, is coming to town. He will bring a fresh, sensational type of humor to his Lorain audience when he serves as master of ceremonies for the annual Mary Lee Tucker Christmas benefit show.

Three Hour Show

Announcement of his acceptance for the sparkling three hour vaudeville show sponsored by the City Club was made today by Gus Athanasoff, show director.

The show, a one night stand, is scheduled for 8 p. m. Dec. 8 in Palace theater.

Foremost trade observers have tabbed DeLyon for immediate success. His first New York engagement resulted in a wave of press notices that pushed all other amusement news in the background.

His voice, remarkably versatile in tone and depth, performs the almost unbelievable trick of going from deep basso to extreme soprano in a few notes.

Nine Different Voices

He has sung in nine different voices and can do an entire opera from start to finish. He seldom sticks to the straight and narrow, however, with the result of his efforts coming out as pure, hilarious comedy.

Sitting at the piano, DeLyon can look like a concert musician, a ragtime honky tonker, or like the zany character he really is.

Once he starts playing, it's every man for himself and may the walls hold together. He gets more laughs per line than any other comedian in the business.

New Jersey Native

Born in Paterson, N.J., 23 years ago, DeLyon displayed a remarkable talent for music. In 1942 he began his professional career with a small band in the Borscht Circuit of New York State.

Though he played piano in the group for 12 weeks, it was not until the final day the leader found DeLyon could not read music.

It seemed unbelievable that a thorough and talented keyboard stylist like DeLyon had faked his way through the summer. While admitting that DeLyon was adequate, the maestro convinced him that piano lessons could make the future brighter.

Winner of an Arthur Godfrey Talent Scout radio show, DeLyon in one of the fastest Broadway hit appearances in history went from the Strand theater to the Roxy theater, then to the Carnival.

Capacity Crown In London

At the Carnival he was instrumental in helping establish that club as one of the foremost in Gotham. He also played the New Yorker, in New York City and in such other locations as the Oriental theater in Chicago.

Nor has he limited his activities to this side of the Atlantic. He played to packed audiences in the Paladium in London and the Empire in Glascow.

He is kept busy playing theaters, night clubs and TV guest appearances and is readying a new format for his own show on TV that is expected to go on very soon.

Appearing with DeLyon on the benefit show will be the best of local talent selected through auditions. Second of three auditions for talent will be Sunday at 1 p. m. in Sons of Italy hall, 15th at Reid.

More than 20 acts appeared for the first audition held last Sunday. Final chance for talent to try out for a spot on the show will be Nov. 28, also at 1 p. m. in Sons of Italy hall. 

Tickets on Sale Saturday

Funds raised through the show will be used to spread Christmas happiness to young and old throughout Lorain county. They will provide gifts and entertainment for county home and children's home residents as well as patients in rest homes, hospitals and Pleasant View sanatorium.

Tickets for the show, all reserved seats, will go on sale Saturday, selling for $1.50 each or $1.25 each in blocks of 10.

Orders are being taken at The Journal office for patron tickets selling at $2.50 each.

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The Mary Lee Tucker Christmas benefit show was a smash, with a packed audience of close to 2,000 at the Palace Theater. The nationally known vocal quartet, The Crew Cuts, came on near the end of the two and a half hour show. Jimmy Dulio's 13 man band performed, as well as the Tracey Twins.

Leo DeLyon held the whole show together with his emceeing. As the Journal noted the next day, "DeLyon, a master of versatility, highlighted his offerings with a deal that involved simultaneous whistling of one tune and humming of another. He demonstrated a wide vocal range and ability to imitate all manner of sounds, human and otherwise; he tickled the ivories, and he pretty well managed to keep his listeners in a happy frame of mind with his fast change of pace comedy routine."

Do you remember which Hanna-Barbera characters he provided the voices for? If you're a big Top Cat fan like me, then I'm sure you'll remember both of the cool cats on the show that he voiced: Spook (the beatnik cat with the necktie) and Brain (the dumb one wearing a T-shirt).

Happily, Mr. DeLyon is still with us today. Here is a link to his Facebook page.