On the very first Wednesday morning of February in 1939, Ellis Badgett caught the elevator at a Texas hospital, St. Mary's Infirmary. When he got to his wife's room, he saw a newspaper photographer, Herbert Winters, on the top of a step ladder with his Speed Graphic camera aimed through the room's transom. He was snapping pictures.
Two of the nuns were steading his ladder while doctors were going in and out of the room.
That's when Mr. Badgett learned that his wife had just become the 1 in 670 thousand cases where a mom gives birth to quadruplets. They named theirs Joan, Joyce, Jeraldine and Jeanette and within moments they were nation-wide celebrities.
Imagine the publicity the Badgett Quads would bring to the Texas. The city of Galveston, where they were born, gave them a brand new, two-story home on Broadway. Their mother had a postcard printed of them and put them in all of the souvenir stores. They sold like hot cakes.
The largest publisher of children's materials in the world, Saalfield, bought the license to sell Badgett Quad paper dolls. You'll find a set today in Kent State University's archives.
Baylor University gave them scholarships; one of the milk companies hired them to be in their magazine and newspaper ads. The Girl Scouts made them honorary members. And when they were 6, Texas Governor Coke Stevenson made them members of the famous Kilgore Junior College Rangerettes.
And I almost forgot to tell you. When entertainers Phil Harris and Alice Faye were married in Sam Maceo's hotel apartment, guess who the flower girls were?
Joan, Joyce, Jeraldine and Jeanette graduated from high school in the late ‘50s. Fortunately by then, their celebrity had waned. They were able to then have normal lives. They married. Two stayed in Galveston. Two moved to Dallas. Joan, who had been a public school librarian for many years, died a few days after her 63rd birthday.
The famous donated home has changed hands a number of times.
I went to school with Joan, Joyce, Jeraldine and Jeanette Badgett. I wish you could have seen them then. They sure were good lookin'.
Bill, fascinating story. It must have been very interesting attending school with them.....could you tell them apart?
Here in Ontario we have the story of the famous Dionne Quintuplets...5 identical girls born in 1934 and were the first quintuplets to survive their infancy. They were born in Callander, a small surburb of North Bay, the city where I was born.
I've only ever known identical twins on a close basis and they were as different as night and day personality wise.
Jo
Hi, Jo --
The one who passed away, Joan, was obviously a Badgett but she was tall whereas her three sisters were small -- maybe 5'4" or so. Those three were remarkably close in apperance, but it really wasn't hard to tell them a part if you knew them.
I remember the Dionne Quintruplets. I didn't realize the were born in Callander rather than Ontario.
Bill
Hi Bill,
Callander is a village in the province of Ontario. The quints are identical (all of the same chromosomal material).
It sounds like the Badgetts are maybe fraternal siblings (of differing chromosomal material)or perhaps the three of them are identical and the fourth is fraternal. Genetics fascinates me and it was my minor when I attained my science degree.
My dad and his brother were identical twins born May 13, 1923, and up until their 75th birthday, they ahd many many likenesses. They both had identical ulcer operations, same gold filling between their front teeth, they would send each other the same birthday card year after year, and each had 2 boys and 2 girls each, in fact when the last baby was born to one twin, we just waited for the announcement that another baby was on the way and sure enough......that baby made 8 grandchildren for their mother, my grandmother. They would dial the phone trying to call each other at the very same time, and finally my mom and/or my aunt would dial for them and get through. They knew instinctively that they were both dialing. They also used to use some form of "telepathy," meaning they would suddenly and soundlessly get up off the sofa and go for their jackets, neither saying ONE single word about what they were doing or where they were going. My aunt, myself, my mom, someone would invaribly say, "you boys going for a walk are you?" They would just nod and grin and go out the door chuckling. My dad worked at Hanford in tri cities, E. Wash., for two years, which meant he had to shower and change clothes before leaving work every day, then he went to Boeing in Seattle for 41 years. He had leukemia and passed SUDDENLY in 1998, at age 75. My uncle, his twin is still alive and is now 85 and worked for civil service as a carpenter on the Oak Harbor Naval Base and lived a calmer life. He finally told us kids that our dad most certainly got leukemia from Hanford and for all these 10 years we couldn't figure out how one could die so quickly and suddenly and none of us knew. Later we found out that our mom had a feeling, but never said a word to us kids. I am sorry about that, had I known I would have flown home in a heartbeat. My siblings feel the same way. I did a paper in college about twins, specifically identicals, and learned a lot and it is true they do have some differences, for example my dad was exactly personality wise like his mom and my uncle exactly like their dad. Otherwise we always thought we had two dads, and we loved every minute.
Constance, that is a very interesting and fascinating comment you gave ue all. I raelly appreciate it.
I have the mailing address of one of the Badgett quads. I'm going to mail your piece to her.
Thanks, again,
Bill Cherry
Hi Bill, I was checking sites connected with Borden Milk, My husband, John Lutz, was a Borden Retail Milkman (Home Delivery) in University and Highland Parks for many years. Did you perhaps know him? He retired in 2000 (?) I think. He passed away in 2006.
I had sisters who were twins (fraternal). I thought it was strange that they both died from Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) nine years apart. (Our Dad also passed after battling ALS)
I would have suspected that they both would have died from the same disease if they had been identical.
My youngest sister and I (oldest) are still living.
Life is strange.
Barbara,
Thanks for telling me about your family. Very interesting. I didn't know your husband primarily because Patty and I move from Galveston to Dallas only three years ago.
I have written in my book, "Bill Cherry's Galveston Memories," about ALS because I had one dear friend -- in fact the best real estate man I ever knew -- David Goodbar who had it and it took him about ten years ago.
Like you, I can't imagine it striking your family three times without even passing a generation, and I wouldn't have thought it would have ever been contracted by fraternal twins. Gee.
Bill
Bill--
Thanks for the information about the Badgett Quads! I have been trying to get information on them because of the Baylor angle. They were offered scholarships to Baylor soon after Baylor graduated its first set of quadruplets, the Keys Quads, in 1937. I've been trying to find out more about the Badgetts to write an article for the Waco paper, but I can never find out about the Baylor angle. Specifically -- why did they end up not accepting the Baylor offer? Did they go to college somewhere else, or did they decide not to attend any college? Also -- are any of the sisters still alive? I'd love to interview them if so. I have requested a copy of your book through Interlibrary Loan here at Baylor -- it's not in our library, but I can't wait to read it when it arrives. Thanks again!
Randy, three of the sisters are still alive. Jeraldine, Jeanette, Joyce. Joan passed away a few years back from cancer.
All three got married within a short period of high school graduation. I have name and address for Jeraldine. She's Mrs. Jeraldine Tollett and lives at 3929 Wind River Court in Irving. 76062.
After the graduated from high school, I believe they were pretty much "over" being known as quads. They wanted to be individuals. Whether Jeraldine will want to let you interview you, I don't know.
They were all nice girls, and I was especially sorry we lost Joan. She was the one who was not identical.
Mrs. BARBARA LUTZ----
I knew your wonderful husband. He delivered milk and Borden products to my family's home. He was sweet and wonderful to everyone. I took his photograph of him standing by his truck on the last week he delivered to us in University Park. If you will email me your info, when I locate that photo, I will send it to you. I know that it will make you smile and warm your heart. He had keys to homes with lots of children and would come into their kitchens and put the milk in the fridge for some of his customers who considered him family. He was a beautiful spirit and I will always remember him and his truck. I know you know this, but he made so many people happy for many years. What an incredible legacy.
Clare Miers, Dallas/Austin, Texas