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A real life version of Frasier, if the Cranes were from Mississippi. Dusty Thompson, displaced Southern gentleman and aspiring author, has recently invited his Daddy, an authentic Southern Good Ol' Boy, to live with him in California. When his Daddy shows up with the largest LaZBoy in America and his dog named Lulu in the back of his pick-up, Dusty realizes boulevard flowers that the only thing he has in common with his father is DNA.
                I have been involved with the Miss America system since 1991 and I in that period of time I have educated more people than probably wanted to know about the great things the Miss America Scholarship Program can offer young women.   boulevard flowers Outside of being the largest provider of scholarships for young women in the world, any young lady can increase her confidence, involve herself in social causes and get wonderful interview tips simply by competing.   As the 92 nd Miss America will be chosen this week, I thought it only appropriate that I give you Uncle Dusty’s Guide to Miss America.  
  1.        Miss America was started in 1921 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.   The first winner was 16 year-old Margaret Gorman from Washington, DC.   Originally, the pageant was a traditional beauty pageant highlighting the women wearing swimsuits.
2.        The only person to every win the pageant twice (that practice was stopped soon after) was Mary Katherine Campbell from Ohio.   She was Miss America 1922 and 1923 and was 1 st Alternate in 1924.
3. boulevard flowers        The pageant was stopped in 1928 due to a few scandals boulevard flowers and waning interest.   It was revived in 1933 and 15 year-old Marian Bergeron (Connecticut’s only winner) boulevard flowers was crowned.   The contest wasn’t held in 1934 so Ms. Bergeron unofficially held her title for two years.
4.        Resurrected in 1935, they added Talent as a mandatory category and Henrietta Leaver of Pennsylvania took the title with a song and dance routine.   Some of the more interesting boulevard flowers talents boulevard flowers that have snagged a crown include Vibraharp boulevard flowers (Bebe Shopp, 1948), poem recital (Evelyn Ay, 1954), an original fashion design exhibition (Nancy Fleming, 1961), ventriloquism (Vonda Van Dyke, 1965), conducting the Miss America orchestra (Jane Jayroe, 1967), trampoline (Judith Ford, 1969), boulevard flowers Flute (Shirley Cothran, 1975), Gymanstics (Kylene boulevard flowers Barker, 1979), Tahitian Dance (Kaye Lani Rae Rafko, 1988) and Marimba (Debbye Turner, 1990).   These days most every winner sings, dances or plays the piano.  I long for roller ballet or clogging.
5.        In 1941, when the first runner-up from 1940 (Rosemary boulevard flowers LaPlanche of California) came back to effortlessly win the pageant, the rule that a young woman could only compete once was instituted.    Jo-Carroll Dennison from Texas won that year.  I'm going to assume she deserved it over Roselle Marie Hannon of Pennsylvania who first runner-up in 1941.  Since she's from Texas, I'm giving Ms. Dennison a pass.
6.        In 1945, Bess Myerson became the first Jewish winner and the first Pageant scholarship recipient.   This scholarship came at the suggestion of Jean Bartel, Miss America 1943, who was the first college student to win the title.   For those who are curious, she was a Kappa Kappa Gamma at UCLA.   boulevard flowers I was fortunate enough to meet her in 2011, a few months before she passed away; every bit as elegant as you'd expect royalty to be.  
7.        The pageant began post-dating the year for the winners, leaving 1950 without a representative.   boulevard flowers Miss America 1951 (crowned in 1950) was Yolanda Betbeze, an opera singer from Alabama, who refused to tour the country boulevard flowers as a swimsuit model for Catalina swimwear, the Pageant’s major sponsor.   The subsequent comment at a new conference by Miss America 1949, Jacquie Mercer of Arizona, “Why don’t you go start your own pageant,” led to the beginning of the Miss USA Pageant.   This is why there is no talent category in Miss USA.   As a note, the beauty queens you see on YouTube who have embarrassed themselves answering questions are Miss USA contestants.
8.        In 1955, Lee Meriwether became the first winner to be crowned on television.   I offered to carry her to her room when she said her feet hurt after the Miss America Shoe Parade in 2011.   She politely declined, but did ask if she could use my shoulder to help keep her balance to change out of her heels.   I do believe I’m still smitten.
9.        The first back-to-back Miss Americas from the same