Adelaide Hawley Cumming

Adelaide Hawley Cumming (1905–1998) was an American actress and television personality, best known for her role as Betty Crocker in General Mills commercials from 1949 to 1964.

Early Life

Cumming was born on March 6, 1905, in Spokane, Washington. She began her career as a vaudeville performer and later transitioned to radio and film.

Career

In the 1930s, Cumming appeared in several Broadway productions, including The Ziegfeld Follies. She also had roles in films such as The Big Broadcast of 1936 and The Great Ziegfeld.

In 1949, Cumming was chosen by General Mills to portray Betty Crocker, a fictional character used in advertising campaigns for food and recipes. She played the role for 15 years, becoming one of the most recognized faces in American advertising.

Later Life and Death

After retiring from her role as Betty Crocker, Cumming continued to work in television, hosting a cooking show on WABC-TV in New York. She died on December 19, 1998, in Bremerton, Washington.

Legacy

Cumming's portrayal of Betty Crocker helped to establish the character as a symbol of home cooking and domesticity in the United States. Her image was used on packaging and in advertising for a wide range of General Mills products, and she is still recognized as one of the most iconic figures in the history of American advertising.