Doris Eaton Travis (1904-2010) was a versatile and multifaceted American artist. Throughout her career, she worked as a dancer, stage and film actress, dance instructor, writer, and rancher. She was also the last of the acclaimed Ziegfeld girl.
From a very young age, Travis had been performing on stage. She made her Broadway debut at the age of 13, and in 1918, she joined the famed Ziegfeld Follies, becoming the youngest girl to ever be cast on the show. Throughout the 1920s and early 1930s, she continued to perform in various stage productions and silent films.
When she witnessed a decline in stage and screen time, Travis began her second career as an Arthur Murray dance instructor and a local television personality in Detroit. She continued to work with Arthur Murray for the next 30 years, during which time she rose through the ranks and owned about twenty schools. After she decided to retire from Arthur Murray, she went on to take control of a horse ranch with her husband. She also returned to school and bagged several degrees.
Travis was the last surviving Ziegfeld girl and due to that, she was featured in several books and documentaries that were centered around her time on the Ziegfeld Follies as well as her other stage endeavors. Travis was also a regular featured performer in various benefit performances.
