Don Deming Sez....

Don Deming

Don Deming was a PR person for Greene Line. I don't remember when he retired, but he was notorious for stretching the truth, or even totally ignoring it, if it fit his purpose. There are many DD stories out there, but probably the most famous one is where he told people that the calliope was playing all the way through the lockages in the Panama Canal on her transfer trip in 1947. Of course, the calliope wasn't installed until 1960, but so what to DD. DD rode the boat, how often I don't know. But on one trip, he somehow got a Captain's hatband to affix to his cap. He went into town and invited several ladies down to the boat for dinner, and he returned to the boat. When the ladies arrived, told the person at the end of the stage (who happened to be Capt. Wagner), that the Captain had invited them to dinner, it didn't take long to figure out who the faux Captain was. So one of the officers slipped into DD's room and removed the Captain's hatband - what could DD say? I'd have to go through stuff to recall other DDisms, but there were many. DD was a charming man and was an asset to the Greene Line, don't think too ill of him, but his 'truthiness' was laughable!

*RE: Don Deming's 'stories*

Hi, steamboating colleagues:
I'd back Judy up 100% on her memories of Don Deming. Another fanciful story he told giving DELTA QUEEN promo talks on the 'cold green beans, rubber chicken banquet circuit' was how the NEW ORELANS of 1811 was fitted with Tifany glass windows, chandeliers. I rembembered Don well before 1970 when he'd been associated with the GREENE LINE off and on. Don had traveled the world on leading ocean lines on the Atlantic run or long cruises and those around the world in their cruise director, sales, promotion offices on board and ashore.

Don returned to Cincinnati around 1970 when I was doing an internship with a leading shipping office here dealing with cruises and cargo while working on my graduate degree at University of Cincinnati. He filled the position then with GL, Betty Blake, Bill Muster, as an outside sales representative. Up to then many agencies, shipping offices did not handle the DELTA QUEEN directly. Potential passengers were told, "Phone or write their offices direct on your own. We do not represent that cruise brand." Anyway, in came Don one day introducing himself with a satchel of DQ folders, schedules, literature and was introduced all around. Mr. Nils Holm, office manager from Denmark, had also served on ocean ships and knew Don from those days. I saw Don often in the ensuing years and only assume he retired in/around the 1980s. I returned to education. Frank Prudent and others may know if Don had any work direct with the AMERICAN QUEEN. Don suffered from some digestive disease and for a year could eat nothing but a kind of non-allergenic rice pablum.

Tall tales notwithstanding, Don charmed his audiences--especially the little older ladies--with DQ booking rates moving up on the charts. Life was never dull with Don. He was a member of one of my parent's social groups for years. Don retired, lived in northern Kentucky where he passed away several years ago. Part of his estate going to nephews/nieces with the residual going to benefit inner city children's charities, outreach programs. In truth a lot of things were said/done in promotions for the boat back then and Betty Blake was right in the middle. Betty focused on the then emerging market for 'nostalgia' and took it to the heights and beyond.

One time Betty, Don and company hosted a number of high zute travel writers/executives on the DELTA QUEEN--all free naturally. The trip went well, as trips like that often due, until the 'reviews' began appearing in papers, travel magazines. One writer stated, "The DELTA QUEEN is nothing more than a well maintained relic." OUCH! Betty went ballistic. I'd help set up a piece with a writer from TOWN AND COUNTRY Magazine that went much better. After that even she toned down her romantic appeals to the country writing, "Take the DELTA QUEEN for what she is." Well, what do I know?

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.

Don Deming was the "Cruise Director" on the Delta Queen in 1968. He claimed to have been the "Original Marlboro (sp?) Man"--(like in cigarettes).

*re: Don the MARLBORO man*

Steamboating colleagues:
Jim, thanks for jolting my memory RE: Don Deming as the MARLBORO cigarette man. I was still slugging through the military until late 1968 and missed quite a bit. When Deming returned here, joined the GREENE LINE, there was quite a squib with photo in the local papers with mention of his advertising venture with the cigarette brand in the announcement of his new GL position. MARLBORO brand also featured the rugged cowboy in their ads for years and when that guy passed away, there was additional publicity.

I recall Don telling, I 'think,' one of his later positions on the Atlantic liners had been with SWEDISH-AMERICAN LINE, along with others. He'd been around the world on ships more than a few times. Corporate sales reps were more common then before electronic communication with such reps making frequent business calls to shipping agencies/travel companies in person with materials in hand along with working on cruise bookings etc.

The GREENE LINE, under Betty Blake and others in the office, were working hard to promote the new image for the boat nationally/internationally. In every cruise ticket, hotel/resort booking we make there's a 'commission' fee paid to the originating office for passengers. Larger the cash booking $$ with the commission being in proportion. It's the same today. Don was also working on that aspect then as the GL upped their commissions. Big blue water lines had district sales reps all across North America.

"What did he look like?" somebody who 'lurks' here just asked. Don was smooth, distinguished, silver hair, nice dresser looking 'a little' like Billy Graham...to me in retrospect. An interesting era concerning the DK. Don still 'worked' the district here after DQSB CO moved to New Orleans. He still may have been around [?] for the company until the late 1990s + when we met at a funeral here. Who knows for sure? Back to washing windows. Well, what do I know?

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.

The DQSB 101 class has just come in from recess (yard work). Thank you for filling in the story of Don Deming.

Wesley