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Notable people · Entertainment

Ruth Lyons

Cincinnati-born radio and television host at WLW whose 50-50 Club (begun as The 50 Club) was the top-rated daytime television program in the U.S. from 1952 to 1964 and raised millions through her Christmas fund for children. Called by some essayists the inventor of the daytime talk show.

At a glance

Born
1905-10-04
Died
1988-11-07
Known as
Entertainment
Organizations
WLW

Life story

Ruth Evelyn Reeves was born in Cincinnati in 1905. Her father taught music at the University of Cincinnati and her mother was a musician.

She began at radio station WKRC in 1928 and got her first hosting chance when the station's only woman host called in sick. During the 1937 Ohio River flood she raised $56,000 for the Red Cross over the air, which led to her becoming program director.

In 1942 she moved to WSAI, then WLW. The 50 Club began on WLWT in May 1949 and became the nation's top-rated daytime program from 1952 to 1964; it was renamed the 50-50 Club when the audience grew to 100 in 1953.

The Ruth Lyons Christmas Fund began in 1939 and has raised tens of millions for children in hospitals. Her daughter Candy died in 1966, and she left television in January 1967. She died in 1988.

Timeline

  • 1905-10-04: Born in Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH) source
  • 1928: Starts at WKRC (Cincinnati, OH) source
  • 1937: Raises $56,000 for flood relief (Cincinnati, OH) source
  • 1939: Christmas Fund established (Cincinnati, OH) source
  • 1942: Moves to WSAI then WLW (Cincinnati, OH) source
  • 1949-05: The 50 Club debuts on WLWT (Cincinnati, OH) source
  • 1953: Renamed The 50-50 Club (Cincinnati, OH) source
  • 1967-01: Retires from television (Cincinnati, OH) source
  • 1988-11-07: Dies at 83 (Cincinnati, OH) source

What Ruth is known for

  • The 50-50 Club, WLW (top-rated U.S. daytime TV show 1952-1964)
  • Founded the Ruth Lyons Children's Christmas Fund
  • The 50 Club / 50-50 Club
  • Ruth Lyons Christmas Fund (1939)

Honors and things named for them

  • Ohio historical marker, 2011 (record)

Family

  • husband: Johnny Lyons
  • husband: Herman Newman
  • daughter: Candace Newman

Ohio places

Where Ruth Lyons was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.

Myths and corrections

  • Her show began in 1946 on radio, according to It's About TV, and in May 1949 on WLWT, according to Wikipedia. Her birth year appears as 1907 in some listings, while Wikipedia says 1905.

Further reading

Sources

Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.

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