Miss America 1922
Miss America 1922, the second annual Miss America pageant, was held at the Million Dollar Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey from September 7–9, 1922.[1][2][3]
Miss America 1922 | |
---|---|
Mary Katherine Campbell, Miss America 1922 | |
Date | September 7–9, 1922 |
Presenters | King Neptune (Hudson Maxim) |
Venue | Million Dollar Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey |
Placements | 4 |
Winner | Mary Katherine Campbell Columbus, Ohio |
At the conclusion of the event, Miss America 1921, Margaret Gorman of Washington, D.C., and film actress, Anita Stewart, presented the $5,000 Golden Mermaid Trophy to Mary Katherine Campbell of Columbus, Ohio thus declaring Campbell as the official successor to the Miss America title.[4]
Overview
Organization of pageant
The pageant consisted of six phases of competition: rolling chair parade, evening gown, intercity bathing, amateur surf attire, professional mermaids, and the final.[5][6][7] There was no talent competition at this pageant (this would not become part of the Miss America competition until 1935), and there was no formal interview sessions between the contestants and judges.[8][9]
On the afternoon of September 7, 1922, the 58 contestants competed in the rolling chair parade. Later that same day, they competed in the evening gown competition.[10] Both the rolling chair and evening gown competitions were won by Miss Indianapolis, Thelma Blossom.[10] On September 8, 1922, the contestants competed in bathing suit revues.[5] The contestants were divided into three unique groupings: intercity, amateur, and professional beauties.[6] During the bathing revue, the Mayor of Atlantic City and some of the city's police force joined the contestants, wearing their own bathing attire.[11]
The three winners of these bathing/beauty competitions then progressed to the final phase of competition to compete directly against the reigning Miss America 1921, Margaret Gorman.[10][12][13] Mary Katherine Campbell, competing as Miss Columbus in the pageant, edged out the previous year's winner, Margaret Gorman, who competed as "Miss America 1921" in the 1922 event, to claim the preliminary "Intercity Beauty Award."[14] Campbell then competed against "Professional Beauty Award" winner, Dorothy Knapp of New York, "Amateur Beauty Award" winner, Gladys Greenamyer of West Philadelphia, and Gorman, the reigning Miss America.[15] After the conclusion of the final phase of competition, judging panel deliberated for over two hours before selecting the sole winner of the pageant.[13] Mary Katherine Campbell, Miss Columbus, was then named Miss America 1922 just after midnight on September 9, 1922.[7]
Judges
The panel of judges for the national pageant included Heyworth Campbell, Coles Phillips, Joseph Cummings Chase, Arnold Genthe, Willy Pogany, August William Hutaf, Norman Rockwell, and Howard Chandler Christy.[6][16] Rockwell later reported that the judging panel was given no instructions on how to judge the pageant and select a winner.[17] One judge suggested that they judge each part or feature of the body out of ten, then the woman with the total highest score would win.[17] After they had tried this system, they discovered that judging a contestant "piecemeal" did not result in the most beautiful and well-rounded contestant being selected as a winner.[17] So they "...gave up trying to figure out a system and resolved to trust our eyes. It led to squabbles, because all of us didn't see things in the same way, but it was the best we could do."[17]
Results
Placements
Final results | Contestant |
---|---|
Miss America 1923 "Golden Mermaid" |
|
1st runner-up | |
Finalists[12][20] |
|
Preliminary awards
-
Evening Dress Award Results Contestant Winner - Indianapolis – Thelma Blossom[21]
Second Prize Third Prize -
Intercity Roller Chair Parade Results Contestant Winner - Indianapolis – Thelma Blossom[24]
Second Prize - Pottsville – Leah M. Knapp[10]
Third Prize
-
Intercity Beauty Award / Bathers' Revue Results Contestant Winner Second Prize Third Prize - Rockaway Beach – Dorothy Hughes[14]
-
Professional Beauty Award Results Contestant Winner Second Prize Third Prize -
Amateur Beauty Award Results Contestant Winner - West Philadelphia – Gladys Greenamyer[25]
Second Prize Third Prize - Atlantic City – Estelle Marks[7]
Contestants
City / State | Name | Hometown | Age[lower-alpha 1] | Placement | Special awards | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Akron, Ohio | Doris Widdersheim[26] | Akron | ||||
Helmar Liederman[27][28] | New York City | 23 | Disqualified from Miss America 1923 pageant because she was married (despite there being no eligibility rules against this)[28][29] | |||
Allentown, Pennsylvania | Ellen E. Sherr[30] | Allentown | ||||
Atlantic City, New Jersey | Estelle Marks[6] | Atlantic City | Amateur Beauty Award Third Prize | |||
Irma Knabe[31] | Baltimore | |||||
Binghamton, New York | Helen Agnes Searles[32] | Binghamton | ||||
Birmingham, Alabama | Elise Sparrow[33] | Birmingham | 24 | Spontaneously performed impersonations of judges and clog dances at the conclusion of the preliminary competitions[4] Married Boston Red Sox owner, Tom Yawkey, in 1925 and later divorced in 1944[33][34] | ||
Charlotte Trowbridge[13] | Boston | |||||
Bridgeport, Connecticut | Paula E. Spoettle[35] | Bridgeport | ||||
Bridgeton, New Jersey | Sarah Alice Bell[36] | Bridgeton | ||||
Brighton Beach, New York | Ruth Andrea[37] | Brighton Beach | ||||
Bertha Rent[38] | Buffalo | |||||
Chester, Pennsylvania | Anna Marie Burke[39] | Chester | ||||
Georgia Hale[40] | Chicago | 22 | Later starred in Charlie Chaplin's 1925 film, The Gold Rush,[41] and the 1926 silent film, The Great Gatsby[42] | |||
Leile Charles[43] | Cleveland | Intercity Roller Chair Parade Third Prize | Competed in pageant despite being married[10][44] | |||
Columbus, Ohio | Mary Katherine Campbell[45] | Columbus | 15[46] | Winner[13] | Intercity Beauty Award Evening Dress Award Third Prize |
|
Dayton, Ohio | Helen Francis Smith[36] | Dayton | ||||
Detroit, Michigan | M. Beth Madson[47] | Detroit | Evening Dress Award Second Prize | Also competed in Miss America 1923 pageant as Miss Detroit[48] | ||
Easton, Pennsylvania | Dorothy Haupt[35] | Easton | Also competed in Miss America 1923 pageant as Miss Erie[48] | |||
Thora McDannel[5] | Erie | |||||
Helen Lynch[35] | Fall River | |||||
Eleanor Logan[49] | Jacksonville | 19 | ||||
Greater Camden, New Jersey | Eleanor Lindley[50] | Greater Camden | ||||
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | Gertrude Shoemack[51] | Harrisburg | ||||
Indiana | Sydney Nelson[13] | Indianapolis[52] | Professional Beauty Award Third Prize | Nelson lived and worked in New York City at time of pageant but cited as being from Indianapolis (therefore will credit as a "Miss Indiana" titleholder).[52] Appeared in the Broadway productions of The Passing Show of 1922 and The Whirl of New York[52][53] | ||
Indianapolis, Indiana | Thelma Blossom[54] | Indianapolis | 20 | Evening Dress Award Intercity Roller Chair Parade Award |
||
Johnstown, Pennsylvania | Velma Ziegler[55] | Johnstown | ||||
Kansas City, Missouri | Miriam Chafee[56] | Kansas City | ||||
Elsie Blumenstock[57] | Lancaster | |||||
Lillian Harnach[37] | Long Beach | |||||
Los Angeles, California | Katherine Grant[56] | Los Angeles | ||||
Louisville, Kentucky | Dorothy Heick[58] | Louisville | ||||
Macon, Georgia | Frances Gurr[59] | Macon | ||||
Memphis, Tennessee | Ruth Doughty[60] | Memphis | ||||
Miss America 1921 | Margaret Gorman[61] | Washington, D.C. | 17 | Finalist[20] | Also competed as Miss America 1921 in the 1923 pageant[61] | |
Montreal, Quebec | Marie Gauthier[32] | Montreal | ||||
Nashville, Tennessee | Sue Burton[62] | Nashville | Intercity Beauty Award Second Prize | |||
New Bedford, Massachusetts | Alice Burke[36] | New Bedford | ||||
New Haven, Connecticut | Lillian Peterson[63] | New Haven | ||||
Maude Allison Price[32] | New Orleans | |||||
New York | Pauline Virginia Dakla[6] | Perth Amboy[52] | Professional Beauty Award Second Prize | Appeared in the Broadway productions of Bombo, The Passing Show of 1922, and The Whirl of New York[52][53] | ||
Dorothy Knapp[64][65] | New York City | 17 | 1st runner-up[19] | Professional Beauty Award | ||
Ocean City, New Jersey | Marion Steelman[66] | Ocean City | ||||
Kathryn “Kitty” Molineaux[67] | Philadelphia | |||||
Rae Bennett[39] | Pittsburgh | |||||
Portland, Oregon | Virginia Edwards[56] | Portland | ||||
Pottsville, Pennsylvania | Leah M. Knapp[68] | Fountain Springs | Intercity Roller Chair Parade Second Prize | |||
Reading, Pennsylvania | Evelyn Renninger[39] | Reading | ||||
Rochester, New York | Mildred Moon[19] | Rochester | ||||
Rockaway Beach, New York | Dorothy Hughes[37] | Rockaway Beach | Intercity Beauty Award Third Prize | |||
Tanssia Zara[57] | San Francisco | |||||
Schenectady, New York | Roberta Cooper[69] | Schenectady | While in Atlantic City for the national pageant, her father lost Schenectady's famous police dog, Laddie, who was to accompany and guard Cooper[69] | |||
Seattle, Washington | Evelyn Atkinson[56] | Seattle | ||||
South Beach, New York | Mary Hlavka[37] | South Beach | ||||
St. Louis, Missouri | Mildred Hose[70] | St. Louis | ||||
Syracuse, New York | M. Rosamond Fahey[32] | Syracuse | ||||
Toledo, Ohio | Loraine Foskey[71] | Toledo | ||||
Toronto, Ontario | Marjorie Smith[72] | Toronto | ||||
Janette Adams[73] | Utica | |||||
Vineland, New Jersey | Mary Elizabeth Edwards[74] | Vineland | 18 | Amateur Beauty Award Second Prize | ||
Evelyn C. Lewis[32] | Washington, D.C. | |||||
Hazel Germershausen[75] | Waterbury | |||||
West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Gladys Greenamyer[52] | West Philadelphia | 18 | Finalist[20] | Amateur Beauty Award | |
Wheeling, West Virginia | Mary Dague[44] | Wheeling | ||||
Wilmington, Delaware | A. Adele Senft[31] | Wilmington |
Notes
- Ages at the time of national competition
References
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...talent contest that was established in 1935.
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Miss Widdersheim...was recently selected as Akron's prize beauty
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- Goering, Laurie (March 25, 1990). "Mere Beauty Doesn't Win Pageant". Chicago Tribune.
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- "The Great Gatsby". Variety. 85 (6). New York City. November 24, 1926. p. 14.
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Miss Greater Camden Eleanor Lindley with Miss America 1921 Margaret Gorman.
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Miss Velma Ziegler, voted the prettiest girl in Johnstown...
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Secondary sources
- Saulino Osborne, Angela (1995). "Miss Americas and their Courts". Miss America The Dream Lives On. Taylor Publishing Company. ISBN 0-87833-110-7.