In Leelanau County, few symbols are as beloved as the “I’m a Sugar Loafer” logo. Behind this cheerful cartoon lies the story of a pioneering illustrator and writer whose work left an enduring mark on American popular culture—Mary Harris Dorman.
Born Mary Elizabeth Harris on July 16, 1913, in St. Louis, Missouri, Mary’s artistic ability, entrepreneurial spirit, and creative energy came to shape the course of her life. After graduating from Hardin College and Conservatory of Music, a women’s junior college in Missouri, Mary earned an Associate’s degree in Arts from Kansas City Junior College in 1933. In 1935, she was hired as an editorial staff member for the Hall Brothers greeting card company based in Kansas City, MO. Mary joined Hall Brothers—known today as Hallmark Cards—at a crucial moment, as the company began to advertise its greeting cards to a national audience.
Humor in the Everyday
Mary’s intuitive gift for illustration, language and humor helped her design more than 8,000 greeting cards over her 60-year career. She contributed to a pivotal shift in the greeting card industry—moving away from stiff formality toward humorous, warm, and personality-filled cards for everyday occasions. Her designs helped usher in a new era where greeting cards reflected real-life charm, witty observations, and emotional authenticity. Mary brought the same signature style into her freelance design work, like her line of illustrated stationery products and novelty items that found success with households nationwide from the 1950s through the 1970s. From humorous Helpful Hangup wall decorations such as the “Fanny Paddle” and the “Bartender’s Bank” to illustrated recipe cards and teen-targeted scrapbooks like Date Data, Mary’s work elevated the everyday with lively characters, expressive line work, and hand-lettered quips.
From Hallmark to Sugar Loaf (and Beyond!)
In 1939, Mary moved to Traverse City, MI, with husband Harry Clifford Dorman, whom she married on October 5, 1935. She continued her artistic endeavors for Hallmark from her home office, and she and Harry soon welcomed three children: Harry Clifford Jr., Mary Frances, and Kathleen Harris. After her departure from Hallmark in 1952, Mary spent two years designing cards for Gibson Greeting Cards, Inc., of Cincinnati, OH. Upon leaving the greeting card industry, Mary began a decades-long freelance career, lending her design and marketing skills to local businesses like the Park Place Motor Inn, Holiday Hills ski area, Interlochen Arts Academy, as well as Sugar Loaf ski resort.
Mary worked as Sugar Loaf’s Director of Convention Sales from 1970-71, creating artwork for the resort’s signage, brochures, tickets, and more. She worked under Pat & Jim Ganter during this time and Mary’s son, Harry, recounted that Sugar Loaf was “one of her favorite places to work.” It was here that she designed one of her most enduring pieces—the “I’m a Sugar Loafer” emblem. With its playful lettering and cheerful character, the logo perfectly captured the lighthearted, come-as-you-are spirit of Sugar Loaf. Like her greeting cards and novelty gifts, the emblem isn’t flashy or formal—it is fun, folksy, and instantly inviting. In many ways, the logo became a visual shorthand for the hill itself: a welcoming, laughter-filled place where locals and visitors alike could let loose and make memories. Mary even created a summer version of the logo, replacing the skier with a grinning golfer to promote Sugar Loaf’s year-round recreation opportunities. Mary’s knack for distilling personality into simplified line art gave Sugar Loaf an identity that felt both personal and iconic—an energy that still resonates today, long after the hill closed.
Following her time at Sugar Loaf, Mary continued to share her humor and wit through new projects and business ventures. Although she designed, wrote, and illustrated all of her work herself, she enlisted the help of neighbors and friends to assemble certain three-dimensional paper products like the Helpful Hangups. Mary acted as president of Peppercorn Press between 1971-73, during which time she produced humorous illustrated books like Your Father’s Mustache! and Bitsy Books. She also illustrated a comic strip, Mimi, that ran as a daily panel through the National Newspaper Service syndicate between 1974-75. In addition to her professional responsibilities, Mary was a member of numerous clubs and organizations including Zonta International, the Traverse Advertising Club, and the International Platform Association.
A Lasting Legacy
Although Sugar Loaf ski resort permanently closed following the 1999-2000 winter season, Mary’s logo endured, passed along like a nostalgic badge of honor for former Sugar Loafers. Whether ironed onto ski jackets, stuck on bumpers, or printed on clothes, it remains one of the most recognizable symbols of the resort’s heyday.
Mary continued to live and create in Traverse City, residing on Old Mission Peninsula with spouse Oakley O. Lardie from 1979 until her passing on November 19, 2009, at the age of 96. During her lifetime, she received biographical entries in Who’s Who in the Midwest, Who’s Who in American Women, the Dictionary of International Biography, and the National Archives. In 1993, after donating nearly 1,000 of her most popular card designs to Hallmark’s archive, Mary was honored for her contributions to the greeting card industry before an audience of family, friends, and colleagues at the company’s headquarters in St. Louis, MO. You can read more about her remarkable life in her obituary here.
Discover More at the Leelanau Historical Society
The Leelanau Historical Society Museum’s exhibit, “Sugar Loaf: A Retrospective,” celebrates stories just like Mary’s—of community, creativity, and the people who built Sugar Loaf’s identity both on and off the slopes. The exhibit includes interpretive displays, vintage footage, historic images, and memorabilia.
With recent developments around new ownership of the Sugar Loaf property, there is renewed interest in the resort’s past, present, and future. As the next chapter of Sugar Loaf begins under the stewardship of the Leelanau Conservancy, we invite you to explore the memories, designs, and spirit that made it special.
Visit the Leelanau Historical Society Museum to experience Sugar Loaf’s legacy up close.
Plan your visit!
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Did you know or work with Mary Dorman? We’d love to hear more about her time at Sugar Loaf.
Info@LeelanauHistory.org | 231.256.7475