| Quizmaster Dennis Bussey and the future Miss America Caressa Cameron 2009 Thanksgiving Event Richmond, VA |
| Vanessa Williams became the first black Miss America in 1984. However, she was stripped of her title when Penthouse published nude photos of her. She is replaced by Suzette Charles, a woman of mixed race. |
| Same Scene Today www.flickr.com/photos/j..... |
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| If you have a picture you'd like us to feature a picture in a future quiz, please email it to us at CFitzp@aol.com. If we use it, you will receive a free analysis of your picture. You will also receive a free Forensic Genealogy CD or a 10% discount towards the purchase of the Forensic Genealogy book. |
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1. Margaret Gorman, considered to be the first Miss America 2. Actually I goofed. There have only been 84 Miss Americas. The first competition was in 1921 (as shown in the photograph). There were no pageants in 1928-1932 and 1934. The same woman won the competition in 1922 and 1923. The winner for 1950 was crowned Miss America 1951. In 1984 there were two when Vanessa Williams was dethroned when it was discovered she had appeared in pornographic photographs. [2010-1921+1] = Last year minus first year -7 = years with no pageant -1 = No Miss America in 1950 + 1 = one extra Miss Am in 1984 -1 = because the same woman won in 1922 and 1923 = 83 Miss Americas This year's winner was Caressa Cameron, Miss Virginia. 3. The photo was taken at Union Station, NY in 1921. |
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| If you enjoy our quizzes, don't forget to order our books! Click here. |
| Quiz #248 Results |
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| The woman on the right was the first to accomplish something. 1. What was she known for? 2. Who was the 91st person to accomplish this? 3. What year was the photo taken? Please drop me a line if you need a hint. |
| Answer to Quiz #248 March 15, 2010 |
| Comments from Our Readers |
Is this a trick question? The 91st person would be the winner in 2012?? Last time I
ck'd we weren't there yet. Debbie Sterbinsky
*****
At first I wondered if question 2 was a trick question, because 2010 was the 90th
contest. Then I went through the list and 1984 had two winners when Vanessa
Williams resigned and Suzette Charles took over the crown. This year's winner was
Caressa Cameron from Virginia. Milene Rawlinson
*****
Definitely no enlargements had been done to her upper body! Caressa Cameron has
captured this year's title of what is now called Miss America. There is a stark
difference between her and more recent Miss Americas!! Indeed, her bathing suit
covered just about everything. Dennis Brann
*****
I do not believe there has been a 91st person to accomplish this. Although Miss
America contests have been held since 1921 (90 calendar years) there have been a
number of years that the contest was not held and there have only been about 84
winners. One year had two Miss Americas when Vanessa Williams was forced to
relinquish her crown due to some earlier pornographic pictures and the runner-up fell
heir to her crown. Bob Wilson
*****
I found the middle contestant, Miss Philadelphia, quite intriguing as she is featured in a
section of the Shorpy website. Some people comment how she has very bad teeth and
has a scar on her upper lip. The early contests were very much about personality and I
have no doubt that all three young women shown were very personable and popular. I
may miss the next quiz as my wife and I will be travelling next week. It was really
interesting reading about the different selections for favorite quizzes. Thanks for putting
that all together for us. Don Draper
*****
We also used to guess who would win the title of Miss America, it was a big deal when
that rolled around every year. I think maybe reality TV shows took away the appeal of
awards shows as well? I watch most reality TV shows and now I can't even bring
myself to watch the Oscars, everything on TV (besides murder mystery shows like
Bones and the Mentalist) seems so dull now after watching 'real people' talking nightly
about their problems. lol Maybe Miss America has just run its course like so many
other shows - sad though even though on principle I never really agreed with beauty
contests. Hard to see American icons die out! Nicole Blank
ck'd we weren't there yet. Debbie Sterbinsky
*****
At first I wondered if question 2 was a trick question, because 2010 was the 90th
contest. Then I went through the list and 1984 had two winners when Vanessa
Williams resigned and Suzette Charles took over the crown. This year's winner was
Caressa Cameron from Virginia. Milene Rawlinson
*****
Definitely no enlargements had been done to her upper body! Caressa Cameron has
captured this year's title of what is now called Miss America. There is a stark
difference between her and more recent Miss Americas!! Indeed, her bathing suit
covered just about everything. Dennis Brann
*****
I do not believe there has been a 91st person to accomplish this. Although Miss
America contests have been held since 1921 (90 calendar years) there have been a
number of years that the contest was not held and there have only been about 84
winners. One year had two Miss Americas when Vanessa Williams was forced to
relinquish her crown due to some earlier pornographic pictures and the runner-up fell
heir to her crown. Bob Wilson
*****
I found the middle contestant, Miss Philadelphia, quite intriguing as she is featured in a
section of the Shorpy website. Some people comment how she has very bad teeth and
has a scar on her upper lip. The early contests were very much about personality and I
have no doubt that all three young women shown were very personable and popular. I
may miss the next quiz as my wife and I will be travelling next week. It was really
interesting reading about the different selections for favorite quizzes. Thanks for putting
that all together for us. Don Draper
*****
We also used to guess who would win the title of Miss America, it was a big deal when
that rolled around every year. I think maybe reality TV shows took away the appeal of
awards shows as well? I watch most reality TV shows and now I can't even bring
myself to watch the Oscars, everything on TV (besides murder mystery shows like
Bones and the Mentalist) seems so dull now after watching 'real people' talking nightly
about their problems. lol Maybe Miss America has just run its course like so many
other shows - sad though even though on principle I never really agreed with beauty
contests. Hard to see American icons die out! Nicole Blank
| Congratulations to Our Winners! Wayne Douglas Marilyn Hamill Collier Smith Mary South Debbie Sterbinsky Milene Rawlinson Dave Doucette Dennis Brann Bob Wilson Teresa Yu Alan Cullinan Sherry Marshall Carl Blessing Nicole Blank Alan Lemm Betty Chambers Karen Kay Bunting Mary Osmar Judy Pfaff Ben Truwe Margaret Paxton Deborah Stewart Richard Wakeham Debbie Johnson Carol Darrow Stan Read Mike Vanlandingham Robin Spence Timothy Fitzpatrick (The Q Gen's Brother) Robert W. Steinmann, Jr. Diane Burkett Beth Long Jim Kiser |
| Margaret Gorman, the first Miss America, with a very rare (as in, none survive) Birmingham automobile with a rockin' reptile skin print exterior! Very little has changed except that the light poles over the fountains are no longer there, and the fountains themselves are a little different. http://www.flickr.com/photos/54638703@N00/3728849099/ |
| Looking Into the Past: Inlet Bridge, Washington, DC |
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How Collier Solved the Puzzle |
| When I saw "Miss Washington", "Miss Phila." etc., I thought of "Miss America", but a check of the Miss America list shows only 84 or 85 winners, because there were none in 1928-1932, and they skipped 1934 as well. But there were 2 in 1984 when V. Williams resigned. So there have not been 91 Miss Americas. If the 91 is an error, then the picture is very likely one of Margaret Gorman, the first Miss America in 1921, who was also Miss Washington, D.C., and who also entered again in 1922. So the picture could have been taken in either 1921 or 1922. Collier Smith |
| There She Is, Miss America by Wayne Bernie Send Ringtone to Your Cell Phone Click here. |
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| Obit Margaret Gorman Cahill Deseret News October 3, 1995 |
she was invited to join a new event: the "Inter-City
Beauty" Contest. She won two titles, "Inter-City
Beauty, Amateur," and "The Most Beautiful Bathing
Girl in America" after competing in the Bather's
Revue. Finally, she won the grand prize, the Golden
Mermaid trophy. She was expected to defend her
positions the next year, but since someone else was
"Miss Washington, D.C.," and her other titles were
a bit awkward, they decided to crown her "Miss
America." She is the only Miss America to receive
her crown at the end of the year.
Gorman continued to compete in later years, and
though unsuccessful, was always a favorite of the
crowds. A few years later, she married Victor Cahill,
and was happily married until he died in 1957. She
lived all her life in D.C., but enjoyed traveling. She
died on October 1, 1995, aged 90.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Gorman
Beauty" Contest. She won two titles, "Inter-City
Beauty, Amateur," and "The Most Beautiful Bathing
Girl in America" after competing in the Bather's
Revue. Finally, she won the grand prize, the Golden
Mermaid trophy. She was expected to defend her
positions the next year, but since someone else was
"Miss Washington, D.C.," and her other titles were
a bit awkward, they decided to crown her "Miss
America." She is the only Miss America to receive
her crown at the end of the year.
Gorman continued to compete in later years, and
though unsuccessful, was always a favorite of the
crowds. A few years later, she married Victor Cahill,
and was happily married until he died in 1957. She
lived all her life in D.C., but enjoyed traveling. She
died on October 1, 1995, aged 90.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Gorman
Margaret Gorman (Aug 18, 1905–Oct 1, 1995, age 90) is best known for being the
very first Miss America, from the year 1921. Her measurements were 30–25–32.
Gorman was chosen from a photo popularity contest and finalist round as the first
"Miss Washington, D.C.," and was invited on that count to join the Second Annual
Atlantic City Pageant as an honored guest. This was held on September 8, 1921. There
very first Miss America, from the year 1921. Her measurements were 30–25–32.
Gorman was chosen from a photo popularity contest and finalist round as the first
"Miss Washington, D.C.," and was invited on that count to join the Second Annual
Atlantic City Pageant as an honored guest. This was held on September 8, 1921. There
| Margaret Gorman Miss America 1921 |
| Caressa Cameron Miss America 2010 |
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| Caressa Cameron Miss America 2010 |
| Margaret Gorman Miss America 1921 |
Caressa Cameron (born c. 1987) is an American
beauty pageant titleholder from Fredericksburg,
Virginia, who won the title of Miss America 2010.
Cameron graduated from Massaponax High School
and currently attends Virginia Commonwealth
University located in Richmond, Virginia.
She won the Miss Virginia title on June 28, 2009
having previously competed for that title three
times. In prior competitions she had placed first
runner-up in 2008 and second runner-up in 2007
and 2006. In addition to competing at Miss Virginia,
Cameron placed 2nd runner-up to Tori Hall at Miss
Virginia Teen USA 2005 and 2nd runner-up to
Amber Copley at Miss Virginia USA 2006.
beauty pageant titleholder from Fredericksburg,
Virginia, who won the title of Miss America 2010.
Cameron graduated from Massaponax High School
and currently attends Virginia Commonwealth
University located in Richmond, Virginia.
She won the Miss Virginia title on June 28, 2009
having previously competed for that title three
times. In prior competitions she had placed first
runner-up in 2008 and second runner-up in 2007
and 2006. In addition to competing at Miss Virginia,
Cameron placed 2nd runner-up to Tori Hall at Miss
Virginia Teen USA 2005 and 2nd runner-up to
Amber Copley at Miss Virginia USA 2006.
On January 27, 2010, she won a $2,000 scholarship in winning the Preliminary Talent
competition in vocal pop.
On January 30, 2010, she won the Miss America 2010 pageant held at Planet
Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada. She won a $50,000 scholarship, beating out 52 other
contestants, and became the third Miss Virginia to win the national title.
She is 5 foot 4 inches, and wears a size 7 shoe.
Cameron is the eighth African American woman to win the prestigious title. The first
African American woman to win the title was Vanessa L. Williams in 1984, who was
then followed by Suzette Charles who is biracial with African American heritage.
Cameron is the first African American among the three Miss Virginia winners to be
crowned Miss America.
competition in vocal pop.
On January 30, 2010, she won the Miss America 2010 pageant held at Planet
Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada. She won a $50,000 scholarship, beating out 52 other
contestants, and became the third Miss Virginia to win the national title.
She is 5 foot 4 inches, and wears a size 7 shoe.
Cameron is the eighth African American woman to win the prestigious title. The first
African American woman to win the title was Vanessa L. Williams in 1984, who was
then followed by Suzette Charles who is biracial with African American heritage.
Cameron is the first African American among the three Miss Virginia winners to be
crowned Miss America.
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| How to Become a Contestant in The Miss America Pageant http://www.missamerica.org/competition-info/become-a-contestant.aspx |
| Yolanda Betbeze, Miss America 1951, refused to wear a bathing suit in public, causing Catalina Swimwear to withdraw its sponsorship of the pageant. |
| 1922 Contestants Margaret Gorman is on the far right. http://www.missamerica.org/our-miss-americas/1920/review.aspx |
| Marian Bergeron, Miss America 1933, was an accomplished vocalist whose singing career started when she was 12. A pageant observer, noting that Bergeron's curvaceolus shape was quite different from the ideal of the 1920s, called her a "new anatomical species". Hollywood came knocking until it was discovered that she was only 15 years old. She died October 22, 2002 in Ohio. |
| 21-year-old New Yorker Bess Myerson, the daughter of Russian immigrants, was Miss America 1955. She has been the only Jewish Miss America. She has served as the board member of many civic and philanthropic organizations. She was a regular panelist for the popular television game show I've Got a Secret from 1958-1967. |
| Saundra Williams is crowned the first Miss Black America at the Ritz Carleton Hotel in Atlantic City, NY on September 7, 1968. |
| Mary Ann Mobley, Miss America 1959, was the first Mississippian to win the title. She embarked on a career as an actress, appearing in two movies with Elvis Presley, several television series including Fantasy Island and The Love Boat, and game shows, including THe Match Game and Super Password. She is married to actor Gary Collins. |
| When Rebecca Ann King was crowned in 1979, viewers wrote in to complain that they were disappointed that she did not cry like past Miss Americas. She also surprises the public with her pro-choice position. |
| Heather Whitestone was the first Miss America with a disability, having lost most of her hearing when she was 18 months old. She won both the swimsuit and talent competition to be crowned Miss America 1995 |
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| MISS AMERICA 1921 1921 September 7 8 entries Result 1 WASHINGTON DC - Margaret Gorman Remainder CAMDEN (NJ) - Kathryn M. Gearon HARRISBURG (PA) - Emma Pharo NEW YORK CITY (NY) - Virginia Lee NEWARK (NJ) - Margaret Bates OCEAN CITY (NJ) - Hazel Harris PHILADELPHIA (PA) - Nellie Orr PITTSBURGH (PA) - Thelma Matthews http://www.pageantopolis.com/international/America_1920.htm |
To become Miss America, a contestant must first win a local competition and then
compete to represent her state, a process requiring personal commitment, hard work
and talent. A woman may compete as a state titleholder only once at the national Miss
America competition. More than twelve thousand young women participate each year in
the local and state events, culminating in the selection of 52 national finalists who vie
for the Miss America title in Las Vegas. Tens of thousands of volunteers organize the
local and state preliminary competitions, promoting community involvement throughout
the United States and furthering scholarship and achievement among young women in
their communities. It does not cost a cent to compete in the Miss America program - all
you need is commitment, perseverance, talent and ambition.
Becoming a Contestant Fast Facts:
To compete you must
* Be between the ages of 17 and 24.
* Be a United States citizen.
* Meet residency requirements for competing in a certain town or state.
* Meet character criteria as set forth by the Miss America Organization.
* Be in reasonably good health to meet the job requirements.
* Be able to meet the time commitment and job responsibilities as set forth by the
local program in which you compete.
If you are interested in receiving more information about becoming a contestant in the
Miss America system, just click here and navigate to the state you are interested in
competing in. Once there you will find contact information for the state as well as the
link to the state's website where you can find even more information about becoming a
contestant in the Miss America system.
The road to the Miss America competition in Las Vegas begins in a town near you. To
meet Local Winners across the country click here.
compete to represent her state, a process requiring personal commitment, hard work
and talent. A woman may compete as a state titleholder only once at the national Miss
America competition. More than twelve thousand young women participate each year in
the local and state events, culminating in the selection of 52 national finalists who vie
for the Miss America title in Las Vegas. Tens of thousands of volunteers organize the
local and state preliminary competitions, promoting community involvement throughout
the United States and furthering scholarship and achievement among young women in
their communities. It does not cost a cent to compete in the Miss America program - all
you need is commitment, perseverance, talent and ambition.
Becoming a Contestant Fast Facts:
To compete you must
* Be between the ages of 17 and 24.
* Be a United States citizen.
* Meet residency requirements for competing in a certain town or state.
* Meet character criteria as set forth by the Miss America Organization.
* Be in reasonably good health to meet the job requirements.
* Be able to meet the time commitment and job responsibilities as set forth by the
local program in which you compete.
If you are interested in receiving more information about becoming a contestant in the
Miss America system, just click here and navigate to the state you are interested in
competing in. Once there you will find contact information for the state as well as the
link to the state's website where you can find even more information about becoming a
contestant in the Miss America system.
The road to the Miss America competition in Las Vegas begins in a town near you. To
meet Local Winners across the country click here.
| Miss America Contestants 1933 |
| 30 contestants with organizer Armand Nichols. (The 30 here include Miss Atlantic City who was not a competitor). Note: Misses Maine and Oklahoma are missing from the photo. Maine had no bathing suit and Oklahoma was in the hospital with appendicitis. http://missamerica1933.com/missamericacontestants.html |
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| No information has been found on Miss Vermont [1933], not even a name. No mention has yet been found in a Vermont newspaper of the local or national contest. She is the only contestant in Atlantic City who is totally unknown, although like Texas, Indiana, Florida, Nevada and Colorado, there may have been other states that chose a state representative who did not go to Atlantic City. It is certain she was from Vermont, as all contestants were required to provide proof of residency. It is uncertain if she brought proof to the pageant, or if she was one of the 10 out of the 31 contestants for whom telegrams were sent to the hometown mayor, and was one of the 6/10 for whom confirmation return telegrams were received in time by Armand Nichols. In any case, she must have been living in Vermont in 1933. http://missamerica1933.com/contestants/1933missvt.jpg |
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