Trailblazers

Lula C. Naff ​(1875-1960)
Photo: Ryman.com

Sanctuary celebrates America's "First Lady" of theater management.

​Lula C. Naff was ahead of her time. She was a savvy businesswoman who bucked the system and was widely considered to be responsible for turning Nashville into the thriving music capital it is today.

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Lula C. Naff (born Lula Clay) spent her childhood in Johnson City, Tennessee. As America’s “First Lady” of theater management, she served as general manager of the Ryman Auditorium from 1920 until her retirement in 1955.
 
Lula was familiar with the Ryman Auditorium (known as The Union Gospel Tabernacle until December 1904) when it was a religious venue. In 1920, it was taken over by the Ryman Auditorium Improvement Association, and she was appointed as manager of the auditorium — the first woman to hold the position, and she did so for 35 years.
 
Lula’s success was rooted in the fact that she recognized the auditorium’s potential as an entertainment hall. She expanded the purpose of the venue, branching out to different kinds of entertainment, including boxing matches, political debates, and livestock auctions. The Ryman hosted theater, dance, magic, politics, opera, and even jazz, R&B, blues, and country music.
 
She helped launch the Ryman name onto the national stage by bringing the Grand Ole Opry radio show through its doors in 1943 and, subsequently, selling out shows week after week. Big names from Bob Hope, Harry Houdini, Katharine Hepburn, Ethel Barrymore, Will Rogers, and many more graced the Ryman stage. She was open-minded and her mix was profitable. The no nonsense way she conducted business only added to her myth.
 
After more than 50 years working with the Ryman, Lula retired at the age of 80. She passed away five years later. The Nashville community mourned her passing, and local newspapers celebrated her long and storied career.

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Some interesting facts...

• At age 17, Lula married Charles Naff, who died a few years later. At 25, she was a widow raising an infant daughter, so she decided to register for business school. Three days after graduation, she found a job as a stenographer (and later secretary) for the Delong Rice Lyceum Bureau. When the company relocated to Nashville, she followed it and moved there.
• Lula leased the auditorium for the acts the Delong Rice Lyceum Bureau booked, and after this agency dissolved, she became an independent agent. With her moxie, she convinced the Ryman board of directors to allow her to rent the venue. She secured the lease and began renting out the auditorium on her own for events. 
• 1916: One of her first conquests was the world-renowned Irish tenor John McCormack who was one of her favorites. However, it would cost an exorbitant $3,000 guarantee for him to appear. That didn’t deter Lula. It was rumored that she took a second mortgage on her house, which she never denied because it was good for her brand. 
• Lula constantly leaned on big-city newspapers to advertise her shows with annual trips to New York City to lobby. 
• She famously battled the Nashville Board of Censors to have the play Tobacco Road shown at the Ryman. The city tried to ban the show and threatened to jail its lead actor for indecency. Lula believed that the play had every right to be shown and took the Board of Censors to court. The day after the show went on sale, the judge ruled in her favor, and the play had a successful run. 
• Success did not sway her belief in being fiscally responsible. She claimed to only own two dresses (an everyday dress and a black dress for Sundays). 
• She was a rare female gem in a male-dominated industry. She went by L.C. Naff to avoid criticism and bias.

Note: The Ryman was built as a church in 1892 and renamed in honor of Thomas G. Ryman after his death in 1904.
Slideshow Photos: Myrna Haskell

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