THE TEMPLE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Ex-May Queen Is Star of TV Show

December 10, 1954

By MARGARET WARNER

Former Temple May Queen Claire Coleman tells a story to
the children in her televised kindergarten, "Romper Room."

The unpredictable antics of four or five small children might try the patience of the most seasoned television veteran but former Homecoming Queen Clair Coleman's personality and poise carry, "Romper Room," a TV kindergarten, to its successful conclusion daily.

Romper Room is broadcast Monday thru Friday at 10:30 am on WFIL-TV.

Claire, Business ‘53, was named "Sweetest Co-ed" and May Queen while attending the University and served as Traffic Manager at WRTI, campus radio station.

She says that he job is exacting and she loves every minute of it. "This is what I have always dreamed of doing," Claire said. When it was suggested that greater things might be in store for her on TV, Claire commented that she is completely happy in teaching little children.

She mentioned an instance when one of the small boys on the program spontaneously helped a little girl with her chair during a broadcast, explaining to Miss Claire: "I am being friendly," a term which she has emphasized in encouraging helpful behavior.

"It makes me feel good to have this opportunity to teach children how to be nice to one another. My experience in teaching Sunday school has been helpful to me in handling my little charges," she said.

It wasn't an easy or quick success for Claire who took a position with a commercial firm after graduation while hoping that an opportunity might allow her to do what she hoped for.

TV Debut

Finally the chance for an audition arrived and she was selected from among many applicants. Even on the first broadcast morning, television viewers noted no nervousness nor any mishaps in Miss Claire's performance though she had to face cameras, TV booms and hardest of all — four small children. Later Claire laughingly pointed out that her eyes roved the set constantly during the show but everything else was under control.

Claire was asked whether she had ever had any technical complications that threatened to disrupt the program or her poise during the broadcast. "Well," she said, "one morning I was halfway through a program when I realized that the easel containing all the materials needed for the balance of the show had somehow failed to be put on stage with me. After many frantic cues from the director I managed to indicate with my eyes and a slight tilt of my head that I needed the easel offstage to my left. It was a tense few minutes but suddenly my message got through and the crisis was over with my audience none the wiser."

Claire spends a good bit of her time in the library finding material for her show and although she spends only a half-hour on the air daily there is considerable preparation necessary. She interviews her little guests and selects those to appear with her. She also personally answers the mail from her large audience, most of it from children who follow her show daily.

She has found the children most observant and considers their reactions when buying a new dress to be worn on the program. Since the children are often startlingly natural in their comments Claire has found she must be constantly alert.