Evening star., 1952-08-10
Miss RedtheI Odun1
As Shy as Her Boss
Personal Secretary to Mrs. Truman
Possionoteiy Shuns News SpotIiQht


on many Of her concert tours,
when. among other things, she
made herself useful by pressing
out the singers glamorous con-
cert costumes which had become
muSSed in travelling.
There is suspicion that Reath-
ell also did most Of the cooking
in New York. although neither girl
will admit this. The two have
very little to say about the de-
tails of their housekeeping ar
rangements. The suspicion grows
out of the fact that Margaret has
frequently admitted she loathes
cooking, while Reathel. according
to her friends, likes it.
Then to Europe
Growing touch to Miss Odum's
Cinderella-like story is the six
week trip to Europe she took last
summer with Margaret. They
visited Britain. France, Belgium,
the Netherlands, Luxembourg and
Italy, meeting celebrities every
step Of the way.
Reathel stayed retiringly in the
background, as she has consist
emily all her years in Washing
ton. She didn't accompany Mar
garet on all occasions, as when
the Presidents daughter had din
ner at Buckingham Palace with
the Queen Of England and the
King Of Norway, or when she
lunched with Winston Churchill
and. separately. Clement Atlee, or
when she attended q dance with
the PrinceSses Elizabeth and Mar
garet. But Reathel met Queen
Juliana of the Netherlands, the
Queen Mother Of Belgium. and
many lesser celebrities, and had
herself a perfectly marvellous six
weeks.
Through it all the girl from Illi-
noiS has maintained the same
quiet reserve. the same combina-
ton of innate shyness and secre-
tarial discretion, which undoubt-
edly attracted Senator Truman,
and later his wife, to her in the
first place.
She has a virtual horror Of see
ing her name or face in print
which made her an ideal secretary
for the equally press-shy Bess
Truman.
Needless to say. her semiweekly
meetings with press women,
(Which Mrs. Helm conducts alone
since Reathel went to New York;
were not very successful so far as
the reporters were concerned
though they undoubtedly were
satisfactory to her boss, Mrs. Tru-
man.
Mrs. Helm. whose reticence at
press conferences is part of White
House lore. like Harry Truman's
penchant for written angry letters.
is positively voluble compared to
Miss Odum.
Probably no one in Washington.
with the exception of President
Truman and Margaret. Is in as
good a position to give out the
little details of the First Lady's
life which the public is SO eager to
know.
The two spent most Of the
in their cubbyhole Office,
several days a week, and even
since Margaret and Reathel went
to New York, the latter frequently
comes down here-more often
than is generally realized because
her comings and goings don't at
tract the attention that Margaret's
do.
Yet no one has had less to say
about Mrs. Truman. In fact. you
can't say less than nothing. Even
details for this story. such as the
fact that Miss Odum sometimes
filled in at White House dinner
parties. had to be cleaned from
other guests who were there.
And how had she enjoyed her
several years in the reflected glory
of the White House? working
with Mrs. Truman has been q very
pleasant association. It has been
a wonderful experience I wouldn't
have wanted to miss"
And working with Margaret? II