Radio doings (Dec 1930-Jun1932)

She Has Lived in THREE WORLDS! by James Warner TT 7 ERE you to meet her on the %/%/ street, you'd say, "There is a ▼ » cute girl — probably some co-ed out shopping." And if you saw her in her studio giving a lesson, you'd think, "A gracious hostess — a charming artist." But if she starts talking business — look out! She can out-discount, outsupply and out-demand some of your most seasoned business veterans without batting an eye. If one were at all superstitious, he might imagine Maude Hughes to be some super-human being, a mysterious creature embodying three distinct individuals in one body. For she belongs to three worlds — business, art, and a personal little world of her own creation. She exists with equal success in each of the three. I arrived at her cozy music studio a little early for our luncheon engagement, and she was just finishing a piano lesson. She noticed my entrance into the outer office, smiled and waved her hand to indicate that she would be through in a moment. That flashing Page Eighteen smile and comradely wave immediately made me feel as if I had dropped in to see an old friend. I felt I already knew her, although we had never met. Maude Hughes is like that. With the abandon of a little girl, she treats everyone as her friend, and one can't help liking her on sight. Across the restaurant table she looked more like a little girl than ever. Tiny (she is five feet two, and weighs 104,) dark and shiny eyed, with two deep dimples framing her whole-hearted smile, she was then the co-ed on the shopping tour. And as we talked, I witnessed and silently marvelled at the swift succession of changes that came over her as we discussed her life. / talked to three persons when I talked with Maude Hughes! Naively she told of her girlhood days, when she started "taking piano." Like many children, she hated to practice, when the rest of the kids were out playing. Only the grim patience of her mother kept her at it; a patience that Maude is grateful for today. When she entered high school, at Polytechnic, Los Angeles, for the first time music began to really "get in her blood." She practiced with a new vigor, born of a desire to be a master pianist. Soon she was being given special training by the musical director. She accompanied the school orchestra, and appeared on every musical program. The sound background of harmony and classical training stood her in good stead when she began attacking popular pieces. And even from her modest description of her school activities it was evident that she was extremely popular. She was asked to join everything; she was prominent in girls' athletics, dramatics, andparties. Always ready for anything, good-humored and full of pep. "Bring Maude along — she's a lot of fun." During the World War, when every able-bodied man was drafted, her father, who introduced a well-known automobile appliance to the market, was left without a sales manager. Immediately Maude's business personality showed itself. "Dad," she said, "I can handle that job. Anything any man can do, I can do." After much persuasion, her father consented. Maude made good, went out and gained business the firm had never dreamed of, handled the organization like a veteran, and when she turned the reins over to another a couple of years later, had increased the sales to 1250 daily, more than five times their former volume! Her piano work was relegated to the background, although she still kept in constant practice. For several years, she was purely a business woman, and was prominent among automotive circles as one of the few women in the business. When the Cleveland automobile came out, and a courtesy campaign was inaugurated, Maude Hughes attracted much attention by driving around in a Cleveland, showing the [Turn to Page 39] RADIO DOINGS