A Trip Through Pageant History: A Real Slice of Americana

January 06, 2009

Hearing the questions that the contestants had to answer about Miss America history on the first episode of “Countdown to the Crown” made me think that it might be interesting to write about how this whole Miss America “thing” began in the first place. So let’s step back in time a bit, shall we?

The first pageant was held in Atlantic City, N.J. in September 1920 as a way to keep tourists in Atlantic City after the Labor Day weekend. The following year, newspaper sales were hurting due to the advent of radio, so to increase business, newspapers decided to select representatives from their respective cities (from among their readers) and send the winners to Atlantic City as special guests of the Second Annual Atlantic City Pageant. Their arrival was heralded in the press, and thus a contest was quickly designed to select one contestant from the pool of regional winners. Eventually, the winning contestant became known as "Miss America".

The first Miss America was 16-year-old Margaret Gorman, who was Miss Washington D.C.   

Here are some other pageant “firsts”:

1926 – the first year that a woman of Native American heritage, Norma Smallwood, won the title
1939 – the first year that a “Miss Congeniality” was chosen
1945 – the first Jewish Miss America, Bess Myerson, was crowned. Also for the first time, Miss America was awarded a college scholarship.
1950 – the first year that the winner’s title reflected the following year (the winner that year was Miss America 1951).  As a result, there was no “Miss America 1950”.
1954 – the first year the Miss America Pageant was televised.
1955 - Bert Parks hosted the pageant for the first time. Mr. Parks became an icon of the Miss America pageant, hosting and singing the famous “There She Is, Miss America” song which made it's debut the same year.
1983 – Vanessa Williams of New York, became Miss America 1984. She was the first African-American to win the title.
1989 – the first year that the platform (a social issue in which a contestant would dedicate her year of service) was required in competition. This followed Miss America 1988, Kaye Lani Rae Rafko’s dedication of her year towards care for the terminally ill.
1994 – Heather Whitestone is crowned Miss America 1995. She is the first woman with a disability to win the title.
1997 – the first year since 1947 that two-piece swimsuits are allowed to be worn by contestants.
2000 – Angela Perez Baraquio of Hawaii, Miss America 2001 is crowned. She is the first woman of Asian-American heritage to win the title.
2006 – the first year the pageant was held in Las Vegas, Nevada after an 85-year history in Atlantic City, N.J. This is also the first year since 1949 where the Miss America title is not post-dated. Crowned in January 2006, Oklahoma's Jennifer Berry is crowned Miss America 2006

So, now that we are all versed in Miss America history, I don’t think we could be any MORE ready for the next episode of the reality series, “Countdown to the Crown”. Don’t forget to watch the next episode, which airs Friday, Jan. 9 at 10 p.m. ET -- and don’t forget to tune in right here, as always, for the “after-show” discussion. Who knows: Perhaps there will be another “first” to add to the above list in 2009! I can’t wait!

Until next time,
Nicole

Comments

[Randy]

Arkansas got ripped.

[Marcia Aronowitz]

All the Green team won sashes?????? Boy, does that devalue the sash! The scoring seems very unfair to these women... Bring back QUALIFIED judges and let them do their work... That stupid show is more like Beat The Clock than having ANYTHING to do with Miss America.... Come on! No wonder it isn't getting the ratings it should be!

[maggie]

i am liking all of the girls but why in the hek are you guys only posting the ones you feel are going to win!?

[D. Newell]

How can a woman from Wyoming win this "contest" when there has not even been the shortest sighting of her???? We have watched, and she has never been on the show! How can anyone vote on her when the judges only discuss and choose the women they feel will win, because they are in a heavily populated state. Don't you want to see diversity?