Christmas time is here once again!
I love Christmas. It's all about the birth of Jesus, and the expectant eyes of
children, and adults, as they anticipate this most wonderful time of the year.
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was a favorite book of mine, and, like any child, I loved for mother to read it to me at Christmas. Everyone knows the story of Rudolph, that he was the last one selected to join Santa's crew, but few know about the department store copywriter who brought this story to the world, a man whose ambition was to write a great novel.
The year was 1939, and the Montgomery Ward store was asked to create a children's book for the annual holiday promotion. The boss asked Robert May to take a crack at this. He came back with the story of an underdog, red-nosed reindeer who was in the right place at the right time, just when Santa needed a reindeer with exceptional skills. It was a success beyond anyone's dreams. Montgomery Ward printed and distributed more than two million copies that year. After World War II, Montgomery Ward's then CEO, Sewell Avery, released the rights to Rudolph to May. Well, it just so happened that May's brother-in-law was a song writer. May talked him into writing a song about Rudolph, which was picked up by none other than the singing cowboy, Gene Autry.
Rudolph did go down in history, as did May. This holiday classic earned the author enough money to keep him and his family comfortable till the end of his life and beyond. May passed away in 1976, and the story lives on to bring holiday joy to us all!
There are many who sing about this special reindeer at Christmas, but I must admit, Gene Autry stands out as a favorite!
