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.