Philadelphia Blonde Hostess Is Ousted By Ward Czarina.
Philadelphia Blonde Hostess
Is Ousted By Ward Czarina.

Philadelphia Blonde Hostess
Is Ousted By Ward Czarina
______

Visit of Amelia Earhart at
Mayor's Office Ends
Reign of 2 Days.
_______

Special to The Washington Post.
    Philadelphia, April 27.--Like a glorious meteor that rushes across the sky, illuminating a sad dark earth for a moment and then disappearing, came flaxen-haired, blue-eyed Hope Craig Wynkoop--and went. Appointed official hostess for the City of Philadelphia she lingered but two days and then she passed into space.
    "It's just like a dream," murmured this 23-year-old beauty who had been lifted from the reception room of a local broadcasting station by Mayor Harry A. Mackey and installed with all her slender and decorative ways as a fascinating piece of scenery in city hall.
    She came without warning, she left without warning, but in the few hours that she lingered Hope Craig Wynkoop was ever-present, inspirational, and she wore skirts as short as any in the executive office of His Honor, the Mayor. Knew how to wear them too.
    History has recorded that it was the arrival of Amelia Earhart that really and truly, but quite unintentionally led to the passing of Mrs. Wynkoop. For the official greeter has a husband, the same being a radio engineer. On the day that the pretty blonde hostess went to work in the great anteroom of the mayor it was said that the husband party was on his way to California and females less attractive than Mrs. Wynkoop hinted that they wouldn't be surprised if so-and-so didn't figure a whole lot and if this-and-that really wasn't at the bottom of it.
    But the very next morning who should turn up but Mr. Wynkoop with a big bunch of sweet peas and solicitous inquiries as to how the official hostess liked her new job, which proved right away that domesticity agreed with both of them.
    There were other visitors that morning. Checkers totaled 128--all of them men folks. Twelve of them had business with the mayor and the others had alibis and excuses. Any visitation of that sort must needs make conversation, and it's lucky that the flying Amelia, who was the first woman to take a trip across the Atlantic in a

Associated Press Photo
MRS. HOPE CRAIG WYNCOOP.

[Photo unavailable-chw]

plane and received some newspaper notice for it should appear at the mayor's office.
    The great moment had arrived for Philadelphia's official hostess. Up to that time she had been dealing with commonplace mankind and instructing Lawrence Covington, the mayor's messenger, in the technique of using a dust pan and brush to keep the reception room in order. But here was Amelia Earhart. And this on the second day of the big job. It was too blamed good to be true.
    Mrs. Wynkoop, all togged out in flowered chiffon and subdued sunset hued stockings and reptilian footgear, was on the job. Everything was going along delightfully and the hostess and the mayor were surely making an impression on Amelia when a brash news photographer suggested that the flying maid and the fair greeter be photographed with his honor.
    Then the stars went out and the firmament shivered and the universe cracked. Up spoke Mrs. James W. Kyle:
    "I am the hostess of Miss Earhart," she announced. And it was even so. The mayor had forgotten it up to that very moment. Mrs. Kyle is the city statistician. She is much older than Mrs. Wynkoop and she wears her skirts somewhat longer, but she has been known as the lady hostess of the administration. Being a very determined person and able to carry her division in the Forty-sixth Ward any day in the week, she had her way.
    Mrs. Hope Craig Wynkoop stepped out of the immediate landscape. They say that her great blue eyes were filled with tears when she went away.
    While she was on the job, she made a good hostess. She had been trained to the work in receiving visitors and notables and musicians at the broadcasting station. It was there, during his many microphonic messages to the public, that the mayor had been attracted by the appealing personality of Mrs. Wynkoop. He persuaded her to join his official staff at City Hall, and it's likely that she would be there now but for the fact that Mrs. Kyle refused to admit the need of two official hostesses--even one so charming, fascinating, youthful, and slender.


Source:

Unknown, "Philadelphia Blonde Hostess Is Ousted By Ward Czarina," Washington Post, Washington, D.C., Sunday, 28 April, 1929, p. M14.

Created May 20, 2006; Revised May 20, 2006
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