Spoiler : Ruffner, Tiny (birth name was Edmund Birch Ruffner, aka Tiny) Born in Crawfordsville, Indiana 11/18/1899; died 2/23/1983 in Mt Clemens, Michigan. Tiny at six feet, four and three-fourths inches, got his nickname while a heavyweight fighter. He was the son of a journalist that moved his family to Seattle, Washington when Tiny was two years old. After graduating from a Seattle high school in 1917, he enrolled at the University of Washington, but quit in 1918 to join the US Army. After the end of WWI, he hoped to be a tenor concert artist, and spent most of his wages from his sales position with Standard Oil Co of California to pay for vocal lessons.

Spoiler : In 1924, Standard Oil sponsored a series of operattas by Gilbert and Sullivan and Victor Herbert on KFI-Los Angeles. Ruffner was picked as the male lead in the plays, leading to touring the nations in concerts in Shubert productions such as Princess Flavia. By December of 1927, Ruffner was an announcer at WEAF-New York, which was the flagship outlet of the month-old NBC RED Network hookup. Not long afterwards Ruffner joined Benton & Bowles advertising agency as supervisor of its radio department. In that capacity he wrote and produced many radio programs, often announcing and acting on them.

Spoiler : Announcer, or regular performer on radio programs including The Voice of Firestone on NBC (1928-1930); The Maxwell House Concerts on NBC-BLUE (1930); The Maxwell House Show Boat on NBC (1932-ca 1936); The Fred Allen Show (aka The Hour of Smiles and Town Hall Tonight) on NBC (1933, 1934-1935); Palmolive Beauty Box Theater on NBC (1934-ca 1935); State Fair Concert on NBC (1935); Tony and Gus on NBC-BLUE (1935); Treasure Hour of Song on Mutual (1942, ca 1943-ca 1947); Mysteries of the Crooked Square on Mutual (1945); Duffy's Tavern on NBC-BLUE and NBC (ca 1940s); Pick and Pat on Mutual (1944); Endorsed by Dorsey on Mutual (1946).

Spoiler : Announcer (the story listener) on the Adventures of Captain Diamond for NBC-BLUE (1932-1934, 1936-1937). Announcer for The Al Jolson Show (aka The Lifebouy Program) on CBS (1936-1939). Master of ceremonies for Blind Date on ABC (1943-1946). Quizmaster on The Better Half for Mutual (1944, 1945). The Birthday Man (MC) on Your Happy Birthday (1941). Ruffner only had one movie role, as the narrator for 1942's Double Talk Girl. He also appeared on an episode of NBC-TV's This Is Your Life when Patrick Joe Kelly's li