Ruth "Sally" Tippet, regarded by many as the grande dame of Del Mar, had a fondness for hats and horses. Ruth grew up around horses; her father trained Tennessee walkers. She married William Hall Tippett and in 1936 moved to Del Mar where they built their home on the cliffs above the racetrack.

Mr. and Mrs. Tippett were charter members of the Del Mar Turf Club. During her life she only missed two racing seasons. At the track "Sally" was known for her colorful dresses and fanciful hats. The public watched to see what she was wearing. Proper and aloof, Mrs. Tippett was a forceful woman who could "carry off" a large hat. The San Diego Union wrote, "If Mrs. William Hall Tippett didn't wear a hat to the Del Mar Turf Club on the opening day of the season, the horses wouldn't run."

Mrs. Tippett was a philanthropist of many local causes. When she passed away in August 1999 a collection of over 100 of her signature hats, many in their original boxes, was offered to the Historical Society.

Mrs. Tippett's hats illustrate just that exuberance of design. These hats span over 50 years -- from the late 1930s through the early 1990s -- and include some of the major designer names in headwear.