Ruth Cleveland
| Ruth Cleveland | |
|---|---|
 Ruth Cleveland Aged 6 | |
| Born | October 3, 1891 |
| Died | January 7, 1904 (aged 12) |
Cause of death | diphtheria |
Resting place | Princeton Cemetery |
| Parents |
Grover Cleveland Frances Cleveland |
| Relatives |
Esther Cleveland (sister) Rose Cleveland (aunt) |
"Baby" Ruth Cleveland (October 3, 1891 – January 7, 1904) was the first child of United States President Grover Cleveland and the First Lady Frances Cleveland. Her birth between Cleveland's two terms of office caused a national sensation. However, she was a sickly child who died at the age of twelve of diphtheria. She was buried in Princeton Cemetery.
The Curtiss Candy Company asserted that the "Baby Ruth" candy bar (formerly known as Kandy Kake from 1900–1920) was named after Ruth Cleveland, a claim that the urban legends website Snopes.com has debunked. The renaming of the candy bar took place in 1921, thirty years after Ruth Cleveland's birth and seventeen years after her death. That same year, legendary baseball player George Ruth, better known by the nickname Babe Ruth, was nearing the top of his popularity, having just broken the single-season home run record.[1]
As Richard Sandomir of The New York Times pointed out, "For 85 years, Babe Ruth, the slugger, and Baby Ruth, the candy bar, have lived parallel lives in which it has been widely assumed that the latter was named for the former. The confection's creator, the Curtiss Candy Company, never admitted to what looks like an obvious connection – especially since Ruth hit 54 home runs the year before the first Baby Ruth was devoured. Had it done so, Curtiss would have had to compensate Ruth. Instead, it eventually insisted the inspiration was "Baby Ruth" Cleveland, the daughter of President Grover Cleveland. But it is an odd connection that makes one wonder at the marketing savvy of Otto Schnering, the company's founder." [2]
See also
References
- ↑ Barbara and David P. Mikkelson (2007-02-21). "Baby Ruth". Snopes.com. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
- ↑ "Sandomir, Richard. "Baseball adopts a candy, whatever it's named for". The New York Times (New York: New York Times Company). ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 16, 2012.