Ruth Lyons

Ruth Lyons is a Cincinnati institution, known both for her work as one of the nation's premier broadcasters in the 1940s, 50s and 60s, and her charity, the Ruth Lyons Children's Fund. Ruth began her career in radio in the 1930s at Cincinnati's WKRC. She moved to WLW and WSAI in 1942 to host an afternoon show for women called "Petticoat Partyline." Next came "The WLW Consumer's Foundation" featuring Ruth, Frazier Thomas and organist Arthur Chandler. The show was later renamed "Morning Matinee." In 1949, while continuing her duties on "Morning Matinee," Ruth debuted the "50 Club" on WLW, the show for which she is best remembered. Named for the number of people in the studio audience each day, the 90-minute weekday show soon became the "50-50 Club" when it began simulcasting on WLW and WLWT television. By 1951, Ruth Lyons was a household name outside of Cincinnati. NBC aired the "50-50 Club" nationwide for 11 months that year, one of several programs produced in Cincinnati by WLWT and broadcast by every station in the network. The show marked another milestone in 1957 by becoming the first color TV broadcast in Cincinnati. Ruth had a number of co-hosts during her years on the "50-50 Club," including Paul Jones, Willie Thall, Peter Grant and Bob Braun. It was Braun who stepped in when Ruth retired in 1967. She died in 1988.