Another great donation.

Jamie Hormel, the widow of Geordie Hormel II, recently shared more of her collection of Hormel family artifacts with the HHH in the form of a bass drum that was used and signed by the Hormel Girls of the 40s and 50s.

The creation of the Hormel Girls is just one example of the ingenuity of Jay C. Hormel. I have previously written about his creative business and marketing practices when he was a young boy. At one time he bought kitchen grease from neighborhood housewives and sold it to his father at the packing house for a profit. When a city ordinance required that all gasoline cans be painted red, he marketed himself to local auto owners and offered to paint their cans for 15 cents each. During his college years at Princeton, Jay showed his entrepreneurial side by taking on the management of the college laundry, unfortunately, at the expense of his studies. In June of 1914, Jay left college and for the next 40 years put his creativity into helping grow the business his father had started.

Following World War II, there was concern over ensuring that returning veterans could find employment. Jay’s compassion and innovative nature led him to the idea of creating opportunities for returning servicewomen. His vision was to develop teams of ladies who would promote the growing line of Hormel products by making direct contact with housewives. He also wanted the girls to be able to present musical programs within the communities in which they were marketing products.

To ensure that the Hormel Girls could perform at special Legion activities including the National Drum and Bugle Contest held in New York, Mr. Hormel required the girls to become part of the newly created all-female American Legion Spam Post 570. An all-female team had never before competed in the national competition but that didn’t stop Jay from recruiting women who had the talent and drive to do so.

According to “In Quest of Quality, Hormel’s First 75 Years,” by Richard Dougherty, the group’s first assignment was in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin in 1947 and was a great success.  The musical portion of their program included piano and drum numbers, a trumpet duet and a medley of songs. Over time, the Hormel Girls grew to six teams of women promoting products throughout the country. Their marketing and entertaining efforts resulted in increased sales and nationwide appreciation for the Hormel Company brands and honored the Company’s commitment to helping war veterans.

The particular use of the drum we received is unknown but one side it says Season’s Greetings. It now makes a perfect addition to our holiday and historic displays.

Hearth & Home Series

10 a.m., Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015

Scandinavian Holiday Traditions presented by Ramona Swenson. Learn about the Santa Lucia tradition and sample traditional snacks from the region.

 History Happy Hour

5:30 p.m., Monday, Dec. 14, 2015

“Travesia Musical” Piano concert by Peggy Reich.

Free for members of the HHH, the Mower County Historical Society, and the Friends of the Library. $5 for non-members. Seating will be limited.  Reservations required. Call 507-433-4243 for details.