St Patrick's Day
It's St Patrick's Day, and time to put on those shamrock earrings, strap on the leprechaun beard and wear head-to-toe green.
Some folks will be stepping out for parades, others plan take in some Irish music and down a pint or two of green beer at the pub. What will you be doing to celebrate?
On St Patrick's Day in March 1949, (seventy years ago!) it was the grand opening of The Shamrock Hotel in Houston, Texas.
Were you there? Or do you remember the luxurious hotel opening, which to this day, remains one of the largest social events in Houston history, with 50,000 guests showing up, including Dorothy Lamour, Ginger Rogers, Errol Flynn and Lana Turner.
Maybe you hold cherished memories from weddings, honeymoons, senior proms, or hangouts at its prized swimming pool? (the biggest pool on the planet - so big that people water-skied in it!) I would love to hear your stories!
The Shamrock Hotel was built by larger-than-life Texas oil tycoon Glenn McCarthy, and was the largest built in the United States in the post-war era, costing a whopping $21 million. It was nicknamed the Houston Riviera, an 18-story tropical oasis in the middle of muggy Houston, with 1,100 air-conditioned rooms, each with a TV and radio.
It was also the setting for one of the Quiz Kids shows on 25th March 1951, who were especially transported to the largest city in the largest state on a Douglas DC-6 plane. Jam packed into the Emerald Room of the Shamrock Hotel, there is a huge audience waiting for one of the Quiz Kids to receive a little brown Colt from rancher Montie Richie; as well as a special appearance on the show from Glenn McCarthy.
You'll find lots more St Patrick's Day shows on RUSC on this special St Patrick's Day page, or if you'd prefer, you can listen to the RUSC St Patrick's Day radio station. We've also added several new radio shows to RUSC especially for the celebrations on Sunday!
Have a great weekend!