2.
The only person to every win the pageant twice
(that practice was stopped soon after) was Mary Katherine Campbell from
Ohio. She was Miss America 1922 and 1923
and was 1st Alternate in 1924.
3.
The pageant was stopped in 1928 due to a few
scandals and waning interest. It was
revived in 1933 and 15 year-old Marian Bergeron (Connecticut’s only winner) was
crowned. The contest wasn’t held in 1934
so Ms. Bergeron unofficially held her title for two years.
4.
Resurrected in 1935, they added Talent as a
mandatory category and Henrietta Leaver of Pennsylvania took the title with a song and dance
routine. Some of the more interesting
talents that have snagged a crown include Vibraharp (Bebe Shopp, 1948), poem
recital (Evelyn Ay, 1954), an original fashion design exhibition (Nancy
Fleming, 1961), ventriloquism (Vonda Van Dyke, 1965), conducting the Miss
America orchestra (Jane Jayroe, 1967), trampoline (Judith Ford, 1969), Flute (Shirley
Cothran, 1975), Gymanstics (Kylene Barker, 1979), Tahitian Dance (Kaye Lani Rae
Rafko, 1988) and Marimba (Debbye Turner, 1990).
These days most every winner sings, dances or plays the piano. I long for roller ballet or clogging.
5.
In 1941, when the first runner-up from 1940 (Rosemary LaPlanche of California) came
back to effortlessly win the pageant, the rule that a young woman could only
compete once was instituted. Jo-Carroll Dennison from Texas won that year. I'm going to assume she deserved it over Roselle Marie Hannon of Pennsylvania who first runner-up in 1941. Since she's from Texas, I'm giving Ms. Dennison a pass.
6.
In 1945, Bess Myerson became the first Jewish
winner and the first Pageant scholarship recipient. This scholarship came at the suggestion of Jean Bartel,
Miss America 1943, who was the first college student to win the title. For those who are curious, she was a Kappa
Kappa Gamma at UCLA. I was fortunate
enough to meet her in 2011, a few months before she passed away; every bit as elegant as you'd expect royalty to be.
7.
The pageant began post-dating the year for the
winners, leaving 1950 without a representative.
Miss America 1951 (crowned in 1950) was Yolanda Betbeze, an opera singer
from Alabama, who refused to tour the country as a swimsuit model for Catalina
swimwear, the Pageant’s major sponsor.
The subsequent comment at a new conference by Miss America 1949, Jacquie Mercer of Arizona, “Why
don’t you go start your own pageant,” led to the beginning of the Miss USA
Pageant. This is why there is no talent category
in Miss USA. As a note, the beauty
queens you see on YouTube who have embarrassed themselves answering questions
are Miss USA contestants.
8.
In 1955, Lee Meriwether became the first winner
to be crowned on television. I offered to
carry her to her room when she said her feet hurt after the Miss America Shoe
Parade in 2011. She politely declined,
but did ask if she could use my shoulder to help keep her balance to change out
of her heels. I do believe I’m still
smitten.
9.
The first back-to-back Miss Americas from the
same state are crowned; Mary Ann Mobley and
Lynda Mead Shea, Misses America 1959 and 1960 respectively. As a note, they were also Chi Omega sorority
sisters at Ole Miss, giving that particular house more Miss America titles than
28 states. Hotty Toddy!
10.
The only other state with back-to-back winners
is Oklahoma, bringing their total to six.
This places them in a tie with California for the state with the most
Miss Americas. Ohio has had six titles,
but only 5 winners (see #2 above). The
other states with five winners include Pennsylvania, Illinois and
Michigan. Mississippi and New York have
four each; Texas, Minnesota, Arkansas, Alabama, Colorado, Kansas and Virginia have
had three each. The only southern state
to not have a Miss America is Louisiana, although they’ve had several first runners-up. Why the focus on the South, you ask? As Suzanne Sugarbaker said, "You will never see an ugly Miss Mississippi!"
11.
There have been 86 young women who have held the
title of Miss America. I have met 35 of
them. Yes, I am bragging. Most impressive was Bebe Shopp,
Miss America 1948. I met her in 2011 and
she walked the Shoe Parade route for in 3-inch heels. That, my friends, is a real woman. It was after this parade that I also formed an alliance
with Miss America 1982’s (Tawny Godin) husband to pilfer her parade sign as a
souvenir. I feel my knowledge of and
dedication to this program should give me immunity from any punishment.
12.
The first African-American Miss America contestant was Cheryl Browne, Miss
Iowa in 1970. The first African-American
winner was Vanessa Williams of New York.
When she resigned her crown 11 months later she was succeeded by another
African-American woman, Suzette Charles, of neighboring New Jersey.
13.
Sharlene Wells, Miss America 1985, is the only
winner born in another country. Her
parents were Mormon missionaries in Paraguay.
14.
Social platforms were added in 1989 at the
suggestion of Miss America 1988; Kaye Lani Rae Rafko (by far, the best named
Miss America). Ms. Rafko was a Nurse who
spent her year talking about AIDS hospices.
There is a requirement for each contestant to have spent many hours
volunteering with the social cause of her choice. Miss America 2000 and my fabulous friend,
Heather French Henry, spent her year as an advocate for Veterans and she has
written and illustrated children’s books with a patriotic theme.
15.
I haven’t always agreed with the winners (Missy
Hurdle was robbed in 1992!) but I will always love the Miss America program and
the great things that it does for the participants. Good Luck, ladies!
And that is all I’m saying.
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