Two Representatives named Ruth—McCormick and Owen—shared a first name, knowledge of politics learned from their fathers, and a warm friendship. Most of the time, the resemblance stopped there, as the Republican and Democrat staked out positions on opposite sides of the issues. In 1929, however, they joined forces for this photograph to drum up interest in a project called the “National Radio Audition,” which aimed to discover and develop America’s promising young singers.
