Women Judge Auto Show

This article was originally published in the March 4, 1910 Indianapolis Star and reports on planning for that city's 1910 edition of its annual auto show. Specifically, the article shares ideas to include women as judges for the Floral Parade feature which refects the industry's recognition that women influenced purchase decisions. For perspective, you can find collections of articles on the Indianapolis Automobile Trade Association's (IATA) trade shows for 1907, 1908 and 1909 elsewhere on First Super Speedway.
 
The report indicates that the city's mayor, Samuel Lewis Shank, was considering female police officers, certainly progressive in the age. The women for the auto show would be asked to judge the awards for the Floral Parade. Plans called for them to occupy an observation stand in the city's University Park.
 
While this is the lead of the article much of the report centers on plans to start the Glidden Tour from Indianapolis - and how city leaders were working hard to make that happen. Spearheading the effort was H.O. Smith who was in New York meeting with the American Automobile Association (AAA). A campaign was underway in Indianapolis for local dealerships to urge the manufacturers based in the city to enter the event.
 
Smith was reportedly stressing to the AAA that Indianapolis factories would accont for eight entries and that was "far more" than the Hoosier capital's biggest rival, Cincinnati. Moline and Maxwell were promising three and two cars respectively. A mail campaign to AAA Contest Board Chairman Sam Butler was reportedly underway.