The year was 1988. Betty White, animal advocate, was getting a big award from my employer, The Humane Society of the U.S. I was in charge of public relations, which meant to line up interviews for the great Betty...
The year was 1988. Betty White, animal advocate, was getting a big award from my employer, The Humane Society of the U.S. I was in charge of public relations, which meant to line up interviews for the great Betty White in our press room at the conference in Crystal City, VA.
The problem? Betty White was on the wane. The Mary Tyler Moore show was long over. Golden Girls had been on the air for three years, but hadn’t really been wildly embraced as a cult classic yet. And the dimpled star was years away from being a national treasure.
Our so-called local media was the Washington Post, and the only wildlife they were interested in was to be found on the campaign trail with Bush/ Quayle. An annual award? Yawn.
And, so my staff and I sat with Betty White during the press availability time. Apologetically. Horrified. And worried – I had dealt with enough celebrities by then that I knew what an ego blow this was, and what ugly behavior could result.
Instead, Betty White smiled gently.
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “So sorry that I wasn’t enough of a draw to bring out reporters for you.”
And she posed for a photo with me in those pre-digital days that now I would kill to find.
She was lovely. Gracious. And I became a fan for life.
Betty White at the 1988 HSUS Convention