Shirley Dinsdale
Shirley Dinsdale | |
|---|---|
| Born | Shirley L
Dinsdale Layburn October 31, 1926 |
| Died | May 9, 1999 (aged 72) Stony Brook, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Stony Brook University |
| Occupation(s) | Ventriloquist/TV and radio personality |
| Years active | 1940–1986 |
| Spouse | Frank Layburn (1953–her death) 2 children |
Shirley Dinsdale Layburn (October 31, 1926 – May 9, 1999), better known by her maiden name of Shirley Dinsdale, was an American ventriloquist and television and radio personality of the 1940s and early 1950s.
She is best remembered for her dummy "Judy Splinters" and for the early 15-minute children's television show that bears that name. In 1949, she received the first Emmy award (first award in the first presentation) for Outstanding Television Personality when she was a student at UCLA. After her television career, she also achieved success in a second career as a cardiopulmonary therapist.