50 years ago in Expo history: ‘Doctor of frog psychology’ booked for fair performance as critics praise Itzhak Perlman’s

Bill Steed, self-proclaimed “doctor of frog psychology,” was coming to Expo ’74 with his stable of competitive jumping frogs.

Steed claimed that all of the frogs had earned magnum cum laude degrees “in Hypnopedia and Amphibian Mind Powers from Croaker College in Sacramento, the only institute of higher learning for frogs in the world.”

Steed enhanced their jumping powers with “sauna baths, bubble baths, vibrator pad massages” and “uplifting talk.”

To graduate, every frog had to jump at least 12 feet.

Steed, by the way, was the Croaker College president and only faculty member.

Steed and his talented frogs would conduct impromptu jumping contests at the fair on Sept. 21 and 22.

In other Expo news, Itzhak Perlman gave a virtuoso performance with the Spokane Symphony.

Today, Perlman is widely regarded as the greatest violinist of his generation, but in 1974 he was only 29 years old, with his greatest acclaim still ahead of him.

The Spokesman-Review’s critic said Perlman played with a “feeling that belied his years.”

“To call him one of the world’s greatest would be no understatement,” he wrote.

The Chronicle’s critic agreed, judging him “a stellar talent of the first magnitude.”

From 100 years ago: Carol Mahoney, age 20 months, was declared “Grand Champion Baby of the Inland Empire” at the Interstate Fair.

Judges gave little Carol a score of 99.875% – yes, babies were judged somewhat like heifers and pumpkins at the Interstate Fair – while her closest competitor scored only 99.75%.

She won $120 in gold after “four days of grueling examination by the corps of doctors and nurses.”