Doris Eaton Travis appeared on Broadway for the first time as a Ziegfeld girl when she was just 14 years old. The youngest Ziegfeld girl ever.
In 1998, she made Broadway history by appearing at The New Amsterdam Theatre after an eighty year absence where she tap danced in a benefit for AIDS.
At the tender age of 101 she received an honorary doctorate of humanities from Oakland University and two years ago wrote and published a book, “Days We Danced: The Story of My Theatrical Family From Florenz Ziegfeld to Arthur Murray” (Marquand Books).
Today she is enjoying her third career. After dancing and acting she and her husband owned and operated the nation’s largest chain of Arthur Murray dance studios. In 2000 she and her late husband purchased a 400-acre horse ranch which she continues to operate.
Despite an extremely full life, she still found time to enroll at the University of Oklahoma, where she became the oldest graduate at age eighty-eight, with a degree in History.
And when the curtain goes up in March of this year at The New Amsterdam, Doris will once again be on stage. She’ll be 102-years-old, proving once again that it’s never too late!
I believe we have to “believe within ourself” that we can achieve anything in this world if we put our mind to it.
Too many times people have been heard saying I am too old for this and that. It is all in the MIND.
I like it Vic….I think she will be my new Hero and I am going to do the same…..B
http://www.BobProctor.com
Friends keep telling me to hurry up, to get my busines started and they are right but I plan to be around for a long time so I take care of my health. I plan to live until I die but sometimes I wonder… I love the story about Doris Eaton Travis and I will remember it when I begin to doubt myself!
It is always a blast to read about people that continually do new things as they disregard what others say cannot (or should not) be done!. In contrast, I know many people that use that same ‘manta’ of,”It is never to late”, but use it against themselves as a crutch. They rationalize their lack of action by stating, “It is never too late to start xyz”, so I can start it tomorrow.” Talk about actively being a procrastinator!
I like the quote from the movie, “The Paper” with Michael Keaton. At some point when a deadline is coming up, one of the characters tries to motivate others by repeating the phrase, “Today. Today. Today. Today.”
Thanks for the story!
Doris is a wonderful inspiration for my 10 year old daughter, Kirsten who loves to dance and dreams about dancing on Broadway some day! One of our favorite songs is “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack.
Vic…I work out several times a week with a 90 year old retired doctor, “Whit” Cannon. People like Doris and Whit are the role models–leaders–for our generation. I made the decision some time ago to take my life in the same direction…they’ve arrived where I’m headed.
Of course you are never too old, age is only a number…except when, with age, you become physically incapable of achieving, let alone living, your dreams. I became too old, at the age of 38, when I had a stroke that aged me 40 years, so, yes, I can say that I am too old to fulfill my life’s dreams.
Yes, if you have been fit and healthy all your life, and have not had any disabling health problems, like I did, then you are never too old, provided that you do not STOP, it is when you stop that you get too old, if you keep on living then you CAN keep on living