 Lady
Greyhound - Purebred white and gold Greyhound seen on The Steve Allen
Show and other TV appearances in the 1950s (with Jack Benny, Art Linkletter,
Garry Moore and Ed Murrow, among others). Born January 28, 1957, in Clay Center,
Kansas, Lady Greyhound was the living symbol of the Greyhound Bus Line's
"running dog mascot" that first appeared as the company's official trademark in
1930 when the Motor Transit Corporation became the Greyhound Corporation.
In 1957, the Greyhound Corporation introduced "Lady Greyhound" as its goodwill
ambassador during their sponsorship of NBC's THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW on April 7,
1957 (she weighed only ten pounds). The dog earned the nicknamed "Steverino."
Lady Greyhound grew to be 58 pounds and for the next decade the black-eyed
beauty appeared at numerous civic events nationwide.
Bred by Roy Lee of Clay, Center Kansas, Lady Greyhound's parents were Little Shamrock (Dam) and Happy Yet
(Sire). Lady, who later gave birth to nine puppies, was registered with the
National Coursing Association in Abeline, Kansas.
Lady's canine kudos included being crowned Queen of National Dog Week, founding "Be Kind to Dog Owner's
Week"; winning a Bachelor's of Animal Letters Degree at Moravian College;
introducing a new dance with Xavier Cugat and Abby Lane; inspiring new beach hat
styles for the Millinery Institute; winning an American Humane Society Award,
and serving as a symbol for World Animal Day.
TRIVIA NOTE: The Greyhound Bus
Lines trace their lineage back to immigrant Eric Wickman from Vamhus, Sweden who
began transporting miners on the Mesaba Transportation Company in 1914 from
Hibbing, MN, to Alice, MN. He charged 15 cents one-way or 25 cents round-trip
for a ride in his seven-seat Hupmobile. In the 1934 film classic It Happened One
Night, starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, a Greyhound bus was
prominently featured in the story.
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