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vM*»i m- ■■■■ ■■ "w-viwa . Garden State Memos By FRED GAJLIANI Garden State Has Lady Publicist Ruth Chilton Does Excellent Job Fair Sex Bring About Improvements GARDEN STATE PARK. Camden, N. J., May 20. — Garden State Park is one of the few tracks, if not the only one, in the nation that that has has a a woman woman on on vM*»i m- ■■■■ ■■ "w-viwa that that has has a a woman woman on on its publicity staff for the express purpose of publicizing the sport to the fair sex. Years ago, women were definitely in the minority as patrons of a race track, but in recent years they have become such ardent fans that they constitute a good portion of any days attendance; tendance; and and further, further, tendance; and and further, further, they have become more and more numerous as owners and even trainers. In 1946, Eugene Mori and Walter H. Donovan, cognizant of this growing class of patrons, decided to promote it to its fullest possibilities and hired Ruth Chilton to publicize the womans angle via radio and television shows. Since then, this petite redhead from Massachusetts has been filling the air waves with plenty of material. She writes and transcribes the spots used on the air, and books the sustaining radio and television interviews with various racing personalities. One of the daily radio features is a description of the sixth race, not the feature as that is carded as the next to last race here, and arranges for an interview with some personality for the broadcasting stations. Often, Ruth deviates from having a turf figure and will pick out some fan at random and have him interviewed on the air, giving the so-called layman a chance to voice an opinion. The only paid spot radio announcements Garden State has are delivered by a womans voice and directed to the ladies; the idea being that racing is a wonderful sport — bring your husband and enjoy it. On this, Ruth is certain that the many improvements made at todays race tracks, not only at Garden State but at others, have been dictated because of the tremendous increase in racing by women. "The growth of racings popularity with women," she said, "necessitated improving tracks. The added lounges, restaurants, seats and other comforts were vital. Women now frequently come to the tracks in groups, such as clubs, have luncheon parties and enjoy a day at the races. Comfort is a must with women." In addition to the radio spots, a fashion show is presented each year in cooperation with Gimbels and this years revue is the eighth such. Needless to say, such frilly affairs are popular with the fair ones and the males often interrupt their handicapping long enough to examine some of the proceedings, although not necessarily to inspect the styles. Ruth is the commentator. When the racing clinic made such a big hit, it was decided to stage such proceedings to educate women reporters and commentators to the sport. For three years now, such round table discussions have been held, with panel members selected from owners, trainers, exercise girls, jockeys wives and others. These turf figures are open to all sorts of questions from the ladies of the press, TV and radio, with Ruth acting as the moderator. When the stakes races at Camden have been on any national hook-up in recent years, Ruth was probably the only woman in racing who shared the color for a stake, again accentuating the womans angle. She has worked with Ted Husing, Bill Coram, Jack McCarthy and others on such broadcasts. The Garden State, the 00,000 two-year-old fall race, will more than likely get on a nationwide broadcast and Ruth is determined to get in and keep the womans angle alive. In addition to her radio work from the track, Ruth has her own a. m. show, emanating from her apartment in Philadelphia. A microphone is nothing new to her, this being her twenty-eighth year in commercial radio. A native of Lynn, Mass., She studied voice, dancing and dramatics at the New England Conservatory of Music on scholarships and when radio first came into being, promptly attached herself to it. Being both a student of drama and a singer, she whipsawed the opposition, so to j speak, in that she could handle most any | Continued on fog* Forty j I Garden State Memos By FRED GALIANI Continued from Page Four of the early assignments of the era of the crystal sets and was much in demand. So much so, that while appearing in vaude-velle, she never had any trouble in getting on a radio show in town, if the town happened to have a station. After nine and a half years as staff artist for a Boston station, she wandered to Syracuse for seven years and then to Philadelphia in 1943, which is now her base. Ruth was one of the organizers and for three years president of the National Association of Women Broadcasters of NARTB. She participated in the first panel discussion for women in radio, sponsored by NBC in 1941, is a member of the Philadelphia Club of Advertising Women and has an advertising agency in her name. In November, 1952, Ruth became associated with the Philadelphia Radio and Television Broadcasters Association as executive secretary. In addition to all this she finds time to be a housewife, said busybody Ruth Chilton becoming plain Mrs. Robert M. Burns when her radio shows are completed. Joseph Flanagan, state steward in Maryland, and E. Ted McLean, racing official at Pimlico, took advantage of the dark day in Baltimore to see some racing in New Jersey, as did Raymond Haight and his wife. Ray is the track announcer at the Maryland plants ... On the subject of announcers, Morris Tobe received a call yesterday from "Jimmy" Kilroe to handle the public address at Arlington and Washington. Tobe was forced to decline because of previous commitments.
