Harry Sayles Conover, better known as Harry Conover (August 29, 1911 – July 21, 1965), was an American radio performer, model and business executive. He was known for creating the term, "Cover Girl".[1][2]
He was from Chicago and was of Irish descent. His father, Harry S. Conover, was a bigamist who later left the family shortly after he was born.[3] Conover's mother, Mary Byrnes Conover, wanted him to become a priest. Conover said he was not only poor, but also uneducated.[4] Conover went to school at Peekskill Military Academy and later worked a variety of jobs including being a dough mixer, being a disc jockey and a tie salesman.[5] He later became a radio soap opera performer.[1] He accompanied a female friend to an interview at the John Robert Powers modelling agency for a modeling job. His friend got nervous and Conover did the talking for both of them, landing both of them jobs as models.[6][5] While Powers had a near monopoly on models at the time, Conover eventually worked his way into becoming a competitor and a personal friend.[7]
In 1939, Conover invested $500 into a one-room office which served as the headquarters of the "Conover Model Agency". A decade later, he had 12 suites in the same building and was making over $2,000,000 a year.[1]
Conover had unique ideas about modelling, saying that models needed "deglamorized" and preferred his models to have a "natural outdoors" look over a "sophisticated" look.[1] Conover also looked for what he called, "that inner glow".[8]
Conover was credited with inventing and copyrighting the term, "Cover Girl".[1][5] Conover was also credited with launching the careers of Joan Caulfield, Shelley Winters, Nina Fech, Anita Colby, Jinx Falkenburg and Constance Ford.[9] He had also hired models like Joan Bennett Kennedy, Sandra Dee and C. Z. Guest.[3] His models were said to have a knack for reaching stardom and Conover created names for models which helped attract attention.[3] He employed over 200 models in 1945, earning $150,000 in commissions.[5]
Conover's modeling agency collapsed in 1959. He was being sued for withholding money from models and his agency lost its license.[10] Conover then began working for charm schools. Conover later went bankrupt.[9][1]
Personal lifeedit
He married Gloria Dalton in 1940.[11][2] Dalton had modeled for Conover prior to their marriage.[2] Dalton was said to be one of the most glamorous models of the 1940s.[9] The couple later divorced with Dalton accusing him of "extreme mental cruelty".[5] He married Candy Jones in 1946 and the couple had three children together. The couple divorced in 1959[12][6] At the time of his death, Conover had five children and a grandson.[1]
Conover was said to be best friends with Gerald Ford. Ford lent him $1,500 to start his modelling agency.[3]
Conover died on July 21, 1965, at Elmhurst City Hospital due to a heart attack. He was 53 years old.[1]
Referencesedit
^ abcdefghHarry Conover, 'Cover Girl' King, The San Francisco Examiner, 1965, retrieved 13 March 2023
^ abcMiss Gloria Dalton, Model, To Be Wed To Harry Conover, The Sunday News, 1949, retrieved 13 March 2023
^ abcdChristy, Marian (1978), At 37, Carole Conover's heart still belongs to daddy, The Boston Globe, retrieved 13 March 2023
^Varney, Carl (1944), Glamor Isn't Everything, The Edwardsville Intelligencer, retrieved 13 March 2023
^ abcdeHarry Conover's Hectic Summer, The Atlanta Constitution, 1946, retrieved 13 March 2023
^ abHarry Sayles Conover, The Daily Item, 1949, retrieved 13 March 2023
^Models Forget Business Rivalry, The Des Moines Register, 1940, retrieved 13 March 2023
^Sibley, Celestine (1944), Harry Conover, Atlanta Visitor, Says You Need 'An Inner Glow', The Atlanta Constitution, retrieved 13 March 2023
^ abcBaker, Lois (1979), There's a Cover Girl in her past, The Ridgewood News, retrieved 13 March 2023
^Trouble Seems to Be in Bunches, The Kansas City Star, 1959, retrieved 13 March 2023
^Gloria Dalton Wed To Harry Conover In Fredericksburg, The Record, 1940, retrieved 13 March 2023
harry, conover, harry, sayles, conover, better, known, august, 1911, july, 1965, american, radio, performer, model, business, executive, known, creating, term, cover, girl, bornharry, sayles, conover, 1911, august, 1911diedjuly, 1965, 1965, aged, spousesgloria. Harry Sayles Conover better known as Harry Conover August 29 1911 July 21 1965 was an American radio performer model and business executive He was known for creating the term Cover Girl 1 2 Harry ConoverBornHarry Sayles Conover 1911 08 29 August 29 1911DiedJuly 21 1965 1965 07 21 aged 53 SpousesGloria Dalton m 1940 wbr Candy Jones m 1946 wbr Children5Modeling informationAgencyJohn Robert Powers Modeling AgencyInformation editHe was from Chicago and was of Irish descent His father Harry S Conover was a bigamist who later left the family shortly after he was born 3 Conover s mother Mary Byrnes Conover wanted him to become a priest Conover said he was not only poor but also uneducated 4 Conover went to school at Peekskill Military Academy and later worked a variety of jobs including being a dough mixer being a disc jockey and a tie salesman 5 He later became a radio soap opera performer 1 He accompanied a female friend to an interview at the John Robert Powers modelling agency for a modeling job His friend got nervous and Conover did the talking for both of them landing both of them jobs as models 6 5 While Powers had a near monopoly on models at the time Conover eventually worked his way into becoming a competitor and a personal friend 7 In 1939 Conover invested 500 into a one room office which served as the headquarters of the Conover Model Agency A decade later he had 12 suites in the same building and was making over 2 000 000 a year 1 Conover had unique ideas about modelling saying that models needed deglamorized and preferred his models to have a natural outdoors look over a sophisticated look 1 Conover also looked for what he called that inner glow 8 Conover was credited with inventing and copyrighting the term Cover Girl 1 5 Conover was also credited with launching the careers of Joan Caulfield Shelley Winters Nina Fech Anita Colby Jinx Falkenburg and Constance Ford 9 He had also hired models like Joan Bennett Kennedy Sandra Dee and C Z Guest 3 His models were said to have a knack for reaching stardom and Conover created names for models which helped attract attention 3 He employed over 200 models in 1945 earning 150 000 in commissions 5 Conover s modeling agency collapsed in 1959 He was being sued for withholding money from models and his agency lost its license 10 Conover then began working for charm schools Conover later went bankrupt 9 1 Personal life editHe married Gloria Dalton in 1940 11 2 Dalton had modeled for Conover prior to their marriage 2 Dalton was said to be one of the most glamorous models of the 1940s 9 The couple later divorced with Dalton accusing him of extreme mental cruelty 5 He married Candy Jones in 1946 and the couple had three children together The couple divorced in 1959 12 6 At the time of his death Conover had five children and a grandson 1 Conover was said to be best friends with Gerald Ford Ford lent him 1 500 to start his modelling agency 3 Conover died on July 21 1965 at Elmhurst City Hospital due to a heart attack He was 53 years old 1 References edit a b c d e f g h Harry Conover Cover Girl King The San Francisco Examiner 1965 retrieved 13 March 2023 a b c Miss Gloria Dalton Model To Be Wed To Harry Conover The Sunday News 1949 retrieved 13 March 2023 a b c d Christy Marian 1978 At 37 Carole Conover s heart still belongs to daddy The Boston Globe retrieved 13 March 2023 Varney Carl 1944 Glamor Isn t Everything The Edwardsville Intelligencer retrieved 13 March 2023 a b c d e Harry Conover s Hectic Summer The Atlanta Constitution 1946 retrieved 13 March 2023 a b Harry Sayles Conover The Daily Item 1949 retrieved 13 March 2023 Models Forget Business Rivalry The Des Moines Register 1940 retrieved 13 March 2023 Sibley Celestine 1944 Harry Conover Atlanta Visitor Says You Need An Inner Glow The Atlanta Constitution retrieved 13 March 2023 a b c Baker Lois 1979 There s a Cover Girl in her past The Ridgewood News retrieved 13 March 2023 Trouble Seems to Be in Bunches The Kansas City Star 1959 retrieved 13 March 2023 Gloria Dalton Wed To Harry Conover In Fredericksburg The Record 1940 retrieved 13 March 2023 Case History Candy Jones Secret Don t Tell 2023 retrieved 13 March 2023 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Harry Conover amp oldid 1180153747, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
