In One Ear: Rudolph rules
Published 6:00 am Thursday, December 18, 2025
Ever wondered how Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer became part of the Christmas scene? According to ClausNet, the character was created by a Chicago department store, Montgomery Ward, to one-up its holiday competitor, Sears.
Previously, Montgomery Ward bought and gave out free coloring books to kids at Christmastime. In 1939, they decided to create their own coloring books, with their own animal character.
One of the company’s advertising copywriters, Robert L. May, was assigned the task. His personal life was in turmoil at the time — he was in debt, and his wife was dying of cancer — so he based the tale on his own childhood loneliness and his daughter’s love of reindeer.
The store gave out $2.4 million copies of the reindeer booklet that year. World War II intervened, but in 1946, the Rudolph coloring book returned, and another 3.6 million were given out to children.
In an almost unheard-of gesture of corporate generosity, Montgomery Ward gave Robert May the copyright to the Rudolph story in 1947. Songwriter Johnny Marks, May’s brother-in-law, adapted Rudolph’s story to lyrics, and in 1949 cowboy singer Gene Autry recorded the song, which sold millions of copies. In fact, 75 rpm original records of the song are available on eBay even now.
And then there was the Rudolph book, and the highly successful TV special. Happily, Rudolph’s success ensured May’s. “It’s the only reindeer I know,” he said in 1972, “that ever put six kids in college.” (Image: Dartmouth College Library)
