The Lady and the Panda

In 1936, the most sought after prize among the world’s adventurers was catching the rare and elusive panda bear. That the winner was a well-known New York dress designer and socialite, seems nearly impossible. She was, after all, the person who once famously quipped, “the two things I hate most in life are going to bed at night and getting up in the morning.” Author Vicki Croke unravels this improbable tale in her biography of Ruth Harkness called “The Lady and the Panda,” and she is interviewed by host Steve Curwood. Ruth Harkness and Su-Lin in the United States. (Photo: Mary Lobisco ©)