Miss America 1926, the sixth Miss America pageant, was held at the Million Dollar Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Friday, September 10, 1926.[1][2][3] In selecting the new Miss America, it was the opinion of the judges that not only did the winner, Norma Smallwood, Miss Tulsa, have an excellent figure but also possessed a smile like that of Mona Lisa.[4]
| Miss America 1926 | |
|---|---|
| Date | September 10, 1926 |
| Presenters | King Neptune (De Wolfe Hopper) |
| Venue | Million Dollar Pier Ballroom, Atlantic City, New Jersey |
| Entrants | 73 |
| Placements | 15 |
| Winner | Norma Smallwood Tulsa |
Smallwood was the first Miss America to also win the award for "the most beautiful girl in evening gown" at the highly promoted National Beauty Tournament held during pageant week of the twenties. She proved to be an enormously popular selection.[5]
Upon victory, Smallwood, who was an art major at Oklahoma College for Women[6][7][8] in her sophomore year, stated she "might leave school for a year" and looked at her tenure as Miss America from a financial standpoint. She became the poster girl for Meadows Washing Machines and Westinghouse Electric, in addition to many others. It was said she made approximately $100,000 during her year.[9]
One of the finalists, Rosebud Blondell, became the successful Hollywood actress Joan Blondell.
Results edit
Placements edit
| Placement | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss America 1926 | |
| 1st Runner-Up |
|
| Top 15 |
|
Other awards edit
| Award | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Evening Dress | |
| Rolling Chair Parade Winner |
|
| Swimsuit Winner |
Contestants edit
| State/City | Name | Age | Placement | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore, Maryland | Mildred Adam | ||||
| Battle Creek, Michigan | Gertrude Fisher | ||||
| Bay Ridge, New York | Florence Meyer | ||||
| Biloxi, Mississippi | Mabel Riley | ||||
 Boston, Massachusetts
|
Mary "May" Mudge | ||||
| Bridgeport, Connecticut | Florence Harriet Green | Top 15 | |||
| Brigantine Beach, New Jersey | Mary Mavretic | ||||
| Charleston, South Carolina | Dorothy Brickman | ||||
 Chicago, Illinois
|
Mae Greene | ||||
 Colorado
|
Jeanette Roland | ||||
 Dallas, Texas
|
Rosebud Blondell | Top 15 | Later became a known actress by the name of Joan Blondell | ||
| Denver, Colorado | Delores Conrad | Top 15 | |||
| Detroit, Michigan | Ruth Mae Fowler | ||||
| Duluth, Minnesota | Florence Fuller | ||||
| Elizabeth, New Jersey | Lucy Taylor | ||||
 Florida
|
Margaret Jennell Tate | ||||
| Fort Worth, Texas | Winnie Law | ||||
| Greater New York | Ruth K. Patterson | Top 15 | Rolling Chair Parade Winner | ||
 Hartford, Connecticut
|
Doris Laretta Beaupre | ||||
| Hoboken, New Jersey | Anita Limbacker | ||||
 Houston, Texas
|
Zasada Lord | ||||
| Huntington, West Virginia | Olive Davis | ||||
 Indiana
|
Wanda Marie Sobczak | 20 | |||
| Kansas City, Missouri | Marguerite Jordan | Top 15 | |||
| Lansing, Michigan | Joyce Jean Hurd | Top 15 | |||
| Lockport, Massachusetts | Mary Robinson | ||||
| Louisville, Kentucky | Gladys Imogene King | ||||
| Madison, Wisconsin | Dorothy Seller | ||||
| Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Florence Andrees | ||||
 Minneapolis, Minnesota
|
Helen Katherine Douglas | ||||
 Missouri
|
Ruby Wallace | ||||
| Mobile, Alabama | Vivian McDowell | ||||
| Newark, New Jersey | Mildred Morlock | Top 15 | |||
| New Haven, Connecticut | Molla Barnett | ||||
 New Orleans, Louisiana
|
Edna du Vernay | ||||
| Norfolk, Virginia | Eleanor V. Reid | Top 15 | |||
| Omaha, Nebraska | Anne Kathleen Foucar | ||||
| Orange, New Jersey | Evelynne Jeanne Crowell | Top 15 | |||
 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
|
Anna Mae Reefer | Top 15 | |||
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Thelma Williams | ||||
| Portland, Oregon | Maxine Jennings | ||||
| Portsmouth, Massachusetts | Rosa Lee Irving | ||||
| Pottsville, Pennsylvania | Esther Weissinger | ||||
 San Francisco, California
|
Eleanor Twohig | ||||
| Scranton, Pennsylvania | Illa Williams | ||||
| Seattle, Washington | Leona Fengler | Top 15 | |||
 South Dakota
|
Mary Davis | ||||
 Spokane, Washington
|
Gloria Smith | ||||
| Springfield, Massachusetts | Muriel Borek | ||||
 St. Louis, Missouri
|
Corinne Groves | Top 15 | |||
| Tacoma, Washington | Dorothy Rothermell | ||||
.svg){kind=small} Tulsa, Oklahoma
|
Norma Smallwood | 17 | Winner | Swimsuit Award
|
First Native American to win Miss America |
| Union City, New Jersey | Elizabeth Welch | ||||
 Utah
|
Doretta "Dora" Carstensen | 16 | |||
 Washington D.C.
|
Marjorie Joesting | 1st runner-up | |||
| Wheeling, West Virginia | Mary Cecilia Cresap | ||||
| Wichita, Kansas | Ruth Richardson | ||||
| Wildwood Gables, New Jersey | Kathleen Coyle | ||||
| Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania | Helen Villet Grant | ||||
| Yonkers, New York | Catherine Kennedy | Top 15 |
References edit
- ^ "'Miss America' Likes Tall Man". The Pittsburgh Press. United Press. 1926-09-11. p. 1.
- ^ "Miss America and her Second". Daily Globe. Associated Press. 1926-09-11. p. 1.
- ^ "Tulsa Girl Wins Beauty Title". Harrison Times. 1926-09-17. p. 6.
- ^ N.E.A. (1926-09-13). "Meet Mona Lisa of the U.S.A.". Manitowoc Herald News. p. 5.
- ^ "Miss America History 1926". Archived from the original on 2012-05-02. Retrieved 2012-04-13.
- ^ Lester, Terrell. "Reigning Queen//Former Tulsan Won 1926 Miss America Title," Tulsa World, April 6, 1997. Accessed March 20, 2015.
- ^ "Miss America of 1926" OCW Trend, October 7, 1926. Accessed March 20, 2015.
- ^ "Mona Lisa Was Not a Jazz Hound; Neither Is Miss America," Waco News-Tribune, September 16, 1926, p. 17.
- ^ "Miss America History 1926". Archived from the original on 2012-05-02. Retrieved 2012-04-13.