USO Senior Hostesses

No Group has contributed more liberally of its time and energy to the USO than have the Senior Hostesses. Were it not for the women who placed the USO first in their list of activities the organization could not possibly have functioned as smoothly as it did.
The Senior Hostesses were first organized for the opening of the drop-in center, and reorganized when the USO supplanted it. Mrs. Helen Garst was appointed chairman of the hostess groups, and served in this capacity until becoming secretary to the director in June, 1944. Mrs. George Barrett succeeded her.
The hostesses were divided into four groups with captains at the head of each. Those originally holding the positions were Mrs. Amos W. Glad, Mrs. George Barrett, Mrs. L.B. Mathews and Mrs. Jerry Harrel. When the latter two moved from town they were replaced by Mrs. Sue Cochran and Mrs. J.H. Cosgrove.
Duties of the Senior Hostesses were many and varied. They helped keep the club tidy. They served as an information bureau. In some instances they were called on to pinch hit for Dorothy Dix or Beatrice Fairfax. They helped fill out reports and keep track of attendance. And, as their primary function, they did what they could to entertain the service men and make them feel at home.
The Pratt Tailwind states: They're called senior hostesses of the USO, but we call them swell. This group of women spends its time looking after our comfort while we relax and enjoy ourselves at the Pratt USO. Which explains why it's one of the coziest and homiest clubs we've drug into.
Those Senior Hostesses receiving awards for service of 100 hours (the minimum for awards) or more are:
3000 Hours - Mrs. Pearl Barrett
2000 Hours - Mrs. Lydia Staehlin
1000 Hours - Mrs. J.C. Eubank, Mrs. Perry Child, Mrs. Anna Slief, Mrs. R.H. Brockman, Mrs. Sophia Shackelford
500 Hours - Mrs. Sue Cochran, Mrs. R.A. Flanders, Mrs. Grace Hilliard, Mrs. Margaret Helsel, Mrs. Dulcie Schaefer, Mrs. Roy Skelton
100 Hours - Mrs. O.H. Bock, Miss Edith Brandt, Mrs. C.E. Clark, Mrs. J.H. Cosgrove, Mrs. John Daly, Mrs. L.A. Dean, Mrs. Dale Earlywine, Mrs. George Fincham, Mrs. Dean Fleming, Mrs. Jack Goertz, Mrs. Jess Goodman, Mrs. B.A. Gray, Mrs. W.F. Harkrader, Mrs. B.H. Hawk, Mrs. W.B. Hess, Mrs. Emma Hiskett, Mrs. Dave J. Leahy, Mrs. A.E. Lippincott, Mrs. Fred Lighter, Mrs. Benny Maynard, Mrs. J.R. McNicholas, Mrs. Luke Mowbray, Miss Dorothy Neal, Mrs. Mirt Newhouse, Mrs. Ferris Norvell, Miss Gertrude Orelup, Mrs. Maye Peel, Mrs. Pearl Richardson, Mrs. Ray Rowland, Mrs. C.C. Scott, Mrs. J.D. Scott, Mrs. E.W. Spear, Mrs. A.J. VanVranken, Mrs. J.E. Whitman
The following have previously received awards for minimum 100 hours service:
Mrs. Frank Adams, Mrs. Frank Curtis, Mrs. N.V. Benson, Mrs. Ray Earlywine, Mrs. Earl Frost, Mrs. Amos Glad, Mrs. Jerry Harrel, Mrs. B.F. Henry, Mrs. Leslie Hull, Mrs. Karl Kramer, Mrs. Fred Ladd, Mrs. W.A. Law, Mrs. L.B. Mathews, Mrs. Oscar Norby, Mrs. T.A. Hacker.
Women who at various times have helped out as Senior Hostesses, but not frequently enough to achieve 100 hours, many because they have been engaged in other war work, are:
Mesdames Ada Barker, Horace Barker, Harry Chapman, C.L. Cramer, Robert Cutter, Maude Doan, Jess Douthart, George Eble, Fred Ferrin, C.H. Fisher, Gertrude Freeman, Fred Gardner, George Glaser, Ista Grantham, R.J. Grover, Mattie Haskins, J.A. Hinds, Virgil Hoffman, J.S. Irwin, F.E. Kessler, J.E. Mauldin, W.E. Marshall, O.R. Muecke, Ray McCaslin, Hazel McPherson, George Nelson, W.H. Petty, Webb Ramey, C.V. Sanders, W.H. Shaffer, O.K. Stewart, H.B. Unruh, Gretchen Walcup, L.G. Ward and Misses Lottie Barton, Merle Caldwell, Nelle Duvall, Gertrude Gillam, Agnes Jacobs, Agnes Peterson and Gladys Scott.