Miss America 1923 | |
---|---|
Date | September 7, 1923 |
Presenters | King Neptune (Hudson Maxim) |
Venue | Million Dollar Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey |
Entrants | 75 |
Placements | 5 |
Winner | Mary Katherine Campbell N/A |
Miss America 1923, was the third Miss America pageant, held at the Million Dollar Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Friday, September 7, 1923.[1][2]
At the conclusion of the event, King Neptune crowned the incumbent titleholder Mary Katherine Campbell as Miss America 1923. Campbell is the only Miss America to win the title twice.[3][4]
Contestants from 75 cities, states, and titles competed at the event. The event was presented by Hudson Maxim dressed as King Neptune.
The pageant consisted of four phases of competition: evening dress (called King Neptune's Court); roller chair parade, bathing girl revue, and the final.[5] There was no talent competition at this pageant (this would not become part of the Miss America competition until 1935).[6]
The panel of judges for the national pageant included film director, Penrhyn Stanlaws; painter, Joseph Cummings Chase; glamour artist, J. Knowles Hare; illustrator, Dean Cornwell; and painter and illustrator, Norman Rockwell.[7]
Soon after the conclusion of the pageant, numerous women clubs and church groups protested against any further beauty contests and, "[urged] that they be prohibited by law," and, "[denounced them] as vulgar, undignified 'and demoralizing to young womanhood."[8][9][10] One woman was quoted saying, " 'The beauty of our girls is too glorious, too sacred a thing to be put on exhibition like the freaks in a circus side show, to be commercialized and made the basis for all sorts of mercenary schemes.' "[8]
Another protest arose when Ethelda Kenvin, Miss Brooklyn, was named the 1st runner-up at the conclusion of the contest despite being married since 1921 to professional baseball player Eppie Barnes.[8] Some of her fellow contestants insisted that her placement and awards be revoked due to her marital status and violations of eligibility rules.[8] The judges' panel were made aware of this but ultimately decided to allow Kenvin to keep her prizes.[8]
Additionally, Helmar Liederman of New York filed suit against the contest directors, Armand T. Nichols and Harry L. Godshall, Sr., for $150,000 due to their refusal to allow her to enter the national competition as "Miss Alaska" because she was a married woman, despite being authorized to compete by a newspaper in Juneau, Alaska.[8]
Placement | Contestant |
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Miss America 1923 "Golden Mermaid"
|
|
1st Runner-Up | |
2nd Runner-Up |
|
3rd Runner-Up | |
4th Runner-Up |
|
Award also referred to as "King Neptune's Court."[5]
Results | Contestant |
---|---|
Winner | |
Runner-up |
Awards | Contestant |
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Grand Prize | |
Second Prize | |
Third Prize |
|
Fourth Prize |
|
Fifth Prize |
City / State / Title | Name | Age | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Akron | Thelma Boyd[17] | ||
Alaska | Helmar Liederman[8][18] | 24 | Competed in Miss America 1922 pageant as Miss Alaska.[19] Disqualified from 1923 pageant because she was married.[8][18] |
Albany | Peggy Ross[20] | ||
Allentown | Helen Noble[21] | ||
Altoona | Margaret Lillian Ross[20] | ||
Asheville | Rose Hildebrand[20] | ||
Atlanta, Georgia | Frances Thayer[20] | ||
Baltimore | Billie Muller[20] | ||
Binghamton | Bonita C. Bement[21] | 19 | |
Birmingham | Louise Newman[20] | ||
Boston | Margaret L. Black[20] | ||
Bridgeton | Sarah Delp[20] | ||
Brighton Beach | Edithea Lois Wild[22] | 15 | |
Brooklyn | Ethelda Kenvin[20] | 24 | Married baseball player, E.D. Barnes, in 1921[8] |
Buffalo | Irene Knight[20] | ||
Burlington | Hazel Gove[20] | ||
Cambridge | Doris Rowden George[23] | ||
Camden | Florence Nurock[23] | ||
Cape May | Mildred McCann[23] | ||
Chicago | Corrine Dellefield[23] | ||
Cincinnati | Olga Emrick[23] | Later worked as a stenographer and was active with the "Anti-Flirt Club"[24] | |
Cleveland | Mary Jane Clark[23] | ||
Columbus | Genevieve Mambourg[23] | ||
Coney Island | Heather Eulalie Walker[14] | Star of the lost musical film, Hit the Deck, opposite Jack Oakie[25] | |
Cumberland | Elizabeth Catherine Steele[26] | 18 | |
Detroit | Beth Madson[23] | Also competed in Miss America 1922 pageant as Miss Detroit[27] | |
Easton | Agnes Connelly[23] | ||
Erie | Dorothy Haupt[23] | Also competed in Miss America 1922 pageant as Miss Easton[28] | |
Fort Worth | Bessie Laurene Roosa[29] | ||
Hammonton | Alice Kind[23] | ||
Harrisburg | Helen R. Knisely[30] | ||
Jacksonville | Alyce Phillips[21] | ||
Johnstown | Betty Grening[31] | ||
Lakeland | Mary Weaver[32] | ||
Lebanon | Grace Kohr[33] | ||
Long Branch | Elene Hicks[6] | 19 | Died of breast cancer in 1940 at age 38[6] |
Louisville | Juanita Hobbs[23] | ||
Memphis | Elizabeth Mallory[34] | ||
Miami | Katherine Kyle[35] | Also known as "Katherine Newlon"[35] | |
Miss America 1921 | C. Margaret Gorman[36] | 18 | Competed as Miss America 1921[36] |
Miss America 1922 | Mary Katherine Campbell[23] | 16[9] | Competed as Miss America 1922[23] Only woman to win the national pageant twice[11] |
New Bedford | Mildred Salisbury[21] | ||
New Haven | Helen Haddock[23] | ||
New Jersey | Elizabeth McClure[37] | ||
Alberta Dorothy Smith[37] | |||
Elsie Banholzer[37] | |||
New York City | Peggy Verna Shevlin[23] | ||
Niagara Falls | Nelda Tell[23] | ||
Norristown | Mildred Maconachy[38] | ||
Ocean City | Grace Taylor[39] | ||
Oklahoma City | Mary Deen Overly[40] | ||
Pensacola | Katherine Floyd[41][42] | ||
Philadelphia | Marion Green[43] | ||
Portland | Winona Evelyn Drew[30] | ||
Portland | Patricia Smith[23] | ||
Pottsville | Isabel Lynch[21] | ||
Providence | Loretta La Flamme[21] | ||
Reading | Jane Ondeck[44] | ||
Richmond | Billie Gates[45] | ||
Rochester | Reta Cowles[46] | ||
St. Louis | Charlotte Nash[16] | 17 | Married millionaire and theatre magnate, Fred Nixon-Nirdlinger, twice[47][48] Shot and killed Nixon-Nirdlinger in March 1931 in Nice, France[47][49] Was acquitted after successfully arguing act was in self-defense[50][51] |
San Antonio | Katherine Helmsley[23] | ||
San Francisco | Violet Regal[52] | ||
Sunbury | Mary Botto[30] | ||
Syracuse | Eileen Snyder[5] | ||
Trenton | Alma D. DeCone[23] | ||
Tulsa | Constance Crosby[53] | ||
Vineland | Mary E. Edwards[23] | ||
Washington, D.C. | Lorraine Bunch[23] | ||
West Virginia | Neva Jackson[54] | ||
Wildwoody | Eleanor Addis[23] | ||
Wilmington | Ruth Agnes Brady[45] |