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 Beauty
Contests - The original Miss America Pageant took place in 1921 in
Atlantic City. Its winner was 16-year-old Margaret Gorman from Washington,
D.C. who received a three-foot statue of a golden mermaid instead of a
crown.
The Miss America Beauty Contest held at the Atlantic City Convention
Hall, New Jersey was first nationally telecast on September 11, 1954 from
10:30 PM. through Midnight. As some 27 million viewers watched, Evelyn Ay
bestowed the crown upon Lee Ann Meriwether, a drama student at the City
College of San Francisco, who went on to become a TV actress, costarring in
BARNABY JONES/CBS/1973-80.
In 1955, Bert Parks began his long run as the pageant's irrepressibly bouncy
master of ceremonies when he appeared with that year's winner Sharon
Ritchie. The first actual telecast of a beauty contest was at 7:00 P.M. from
Flushing Meadows on June 22, 1939 at the New York City World's Fair.
Many TV celebrities in their early careers were the winners of such
competitions. Some examples:
- Adams, Edie - Singer and the wife of Ernie Kovacs was Miss Television in
1950.
- Anderson, Loni - the perky blonde actress from the CBS series WKRP IN
CINCINNATI competed in the Miss Minnesota Pageant at the age of 18. She came
in 2nd.
- Beer, Jacqueline - the receptionist from 77 SUNSET STRIP was Miss France in
the 1954 Miss Universe contest.
- Bloom, Lindsay - the secretary Velda on MIKE HAMMER was Miss Omaha, Miss
Arizona and in 1973 Miss USA
- Burke, Delta - the sassy interior designer on DESIGNING WOMEN was Miss
Florida in 1974 and won the talent competition in a Miss America contest.
- Douglas, Donna - played sweet hillbilly Elly May on THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES.
She was Miss New Orleans in 1957 and Miss Baton Rouge in 1958.
- Frann, Mary - played the wife of a how-to-writer on the CBS show NEWHART.
She won the title of America's Junior Miss in 1961.
- Gifford, Kathie Lee - Talk show host and singer was a contestant (for
Maryland) in America's Junior Miss Pageant.
- Hall, Diedre - soap opera star Deidre Hall from DAYS OF OUR LIVES and the
domestic drama OUR HOUSE was Junior Orange Bowl Queen in 1960.
- Hart, Mary - the leggy co-anchor of ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT was Miss South
Dakota in 1970.
- Jones, Shirley - popular singer who played the mother of a troupe of
musicians on THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY was Miss Pittsburgh in 1952.
- Knutson, Gunilla - famous for her expression "Take it off" on the Noxema
shaving cream commercials. She was Miss Sweden in 1961.
- Leachman, Cloris - the nosy landlady on THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW. She was
Miss Chicago in 1946 and a Miss America finalist.
- Myerson, Bess - quiz show hostess of THE BIG PAYOFF and panelist on the quiz
show I'VE GOT A SECRET. She was Miss America in 1945.
- Norville, Deborah - news commentator on INSIDE EDITION and THE TODAY SHOW
earned the title of Georgia's Junior Miss at America's Junior Miss Pageant
in 1976.
- Parkinson, Dian - regular on THE PRICE IS RIGHT was Miss World-USA.
- Ryan, Jeri - appeared as the alien Borg character "Seven of Nine," on the
sci-fi series STAR TREK: VOYAGER. She placed 4th runner up in the 1990 Miss
America Pageant for Illinois.
- Sawyer, Diane - News anchor Diane Sawyer was a 1963 contestant in America's
Junior Miss Competition.
- Shepherd, Cybill - the star of MOONLIGHTING and CYBILL was Miss Teenage
Memphis in 1966 and Model of the Year in 1968 (She dated Elvis Presley).
- Sikes, Cynthia - played a doctor on the medical drama ST. ELSEWHERE was Miss
Kansas in 1972.
- Thiessen, Tiffani-Amber - Actress from BEVERLY HILLS 90210 and SAVED BY THE
BELL won the Teen Magazine Model Search and the Miss Junior America
competition.
- Valentine, Karen - played a high school teacher on ROOM 222 was Miss Teenage
Santa Rosa and Miss Sonoma County.
- Winfrey, Oprah - Talk show host. She earned the title of Miss Fire
Prevention at the age of 17.
- Zahn, Paula - veteran talk show host and news anchor made it to the finals
in the Miss Teenage America Pageant in 1973.
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