Milford chronicle., 1932-12-02
4 WOMAN'S SUCCESS

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Perhaps there are a few thousant
bright young women, in, differen
parts Of the United States who ma.
be inspired to attempt to reach tn,
top in their vocation, business, ol
even in fjob", by, the example o.
Clara May Downey. 1t. doesn't take
long, if You go at it right, and keel
i raising the standards. She did it in
only six years.
1T was then that Mrs. Downey
bought an old farm house ON q
Maryland country road between
Washington and Baltimore and
opened an inn, and served five
guests the first day. Today 0lney
Inn is one of. the largest and most
successful institutions Of its kind in
the United States and Mrs. DOwney
was elected at the recent annual
convention of the National Restau-
rant Association held at ST. Paul, as
the third woman to be given a. place
on its board .of directors She was
invited to an honor seat on the
platform during discussion of the
subject of Human Engineering" in
which all the problems of personal
service. and management were dis
ciIssed. Her own manual Of train
ing her assistants and help was re-
! ferred to as one of the best that has
ever. been devised. Her deep-dish
apple pies stood in the front row
among hundreds of dessert exhibits,
and. someone fastened the name of
comforts for Senator'S nerves." on
Them 3. ~ -s ..5 6f
3 With thousands of restaurants
aud inns spreading out over all the
landscape. it Is little wonder that
the three thousand persons at the
st. Paul convention wanted to know
more about Olney Inn,, that they
had seen featured in their periodi-
Gals and publications.. 4Y. .S4
Well. there WAS their heroine in
their .midst-a young, viyacious, in
telhgent woman, who had husband
and a little daughter in the Maryland
Quaker settlement back home. How
come, they asked, had she captured
tile patronage. of the highest officials
in. the Nation and The best people2
Why. was there a. y restaurant. in
Maryland, miles away from cities,,
where as9many as q thousand guests
had been served on fair day. And
Mrs. Dowhey gave them some of the
outstanding points,: She told them
no liquor was allowed, no boisterous
conduct Food and service were of
the best What did she think most
Important to- improving the stand-
ards .iof restaurant services? Her an
sager was: College courses such as
that at Cornell for training as high
a grade OF graduates for hotel and
restaurant nlauagement as. already
exists in other Professions She adj
Yocates scholarships to advance the
education and training for hotel and
restaurant service. She may have
told them (and she may not), but
every Sunday morning before the
work starts, the staff, including
whites and blacks, get together for
a brief song service and readings.
from the Scriptures. Thus each week
begins. ss- .-asi
The Downey Manual of Service
covers every detail that concerns the
success and reputation Of Olney Inn.
It is gone over, and over, in informal
classes of Instructions. =e
Those are the threads of the story
of a young woman who started. out
a few years ago by getting jobs as
q waitress, as a hostess, and by tak-
ingsa business course. And then she
put all she had---nloney, self. and
heart and intelligence back of the
venture. To-day, one of the dining
rooms is decorated with mural paints
ings. by the artist OslKar Hauensteim
It is the Maryland Room, depict
ing. scenes in the old history of the
old State, where Southern hospital
ity still floufishes. rs @r aga