Miss Teenage America Explained

Miss Teenage America
Formation:1961
Type:Beauty pageant (1961-79); Magazine contest (1981-98)
Location: United States
Affiliations:Dr Pepper (-1981);
Teen Magazine (1981-98)
Language:English

The Miss Teenage America Pageant was a United States beauty pageant started in 1961 as a pageant for high school girls. In the 1960s and 1970s, it was usually broadcast on the CBS network around November each year.[1] The pageant was sponsored by Dr. Pepper. The original pageant ended after 1979, and the name rights were sold to Teen Magazine, which transformed the event into a mail-in contest which evaluated grades and volunteer work. The event ended after the 1998 Miss Teenage America was crowned, and Teen Magazine itself ceased operations in 2009.

History

From 1961 - 1967 Dallas, Texas hosted the national pageant, and it moved to Fort Worth, Texas from 1968 - 1973. Afterwards, different cities throughout the United States hosted the national pageant.

Unlike today's Miss Teen USA and Miss America's Outstanding Teen, the pageant featured girls representing cities and not states. The contestants aged between 13 and 17. There was also a talent segment. The organizers experimented with the finalist formats until 1967, when it was fixed at eight finalists and then the top four. Finalists were always announced the night before the finals. Winners received a four-year college scholarship, a car from Chrysler or Dodge, cash, a personal appearance contract, as well as Dr. Pepper and American Airline stock.

A 1976 book attributed to Bob Hope, Erma Bombeck and Judith Houghton was titled "Miss Teenage America Tells How to Make Good Things Happen." The proceeds went into a scholarship fund for contestants. The organization also printed and sold punch out paper doll sets featuring the reigning queen.

Hosts over the years included Sally Field, Johnny Carson, Betty White, Allen Ludden, Bob Barker, and Dick Clark. In 1975, NBC broadcast it. Bob Hope hosted in 1976. Other notable hosts include Bud Collyer and John Davidson, and Richard Thomas. On February 15, 1979 the event was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee with Anson Williams hosting.

The pageant organization began to disintegrate in 1979. Instead of being televised nationally on a single network, the 1979 show was sold through syndication, playing on 64 different stations on 13 different nights, leaving little suspense as to who was going to win. Dr. Pepper suspended local contests in the hopes of getting a new national network deal, which did not occur.[2]

Dr. Pepper sold the pageant rights to Teen Magazine in 1981, who completely transformed the event into a mail-in contest which evaluated grades and volunteer work.[3] The event ended after the 1998 Miss Teenage America was crowned, and Teen Magazine itself ceased operations in 2009.

The unassociated Miss Teen USA pageant was essentially a TV replacement for Miss Teenage America, and first held in 1983.

Original pageant

Teen Magazine

Miss Teenage America 1964, Judy Doll, gave up her crown on May 19, 1964, to get married on May 31, 1964, to George Wolfe, a junior at Central Michigan University. The first runner-up, Jeanine Zavrel of Washington, DC, was awarded the title.

Former contestants

Notes and References

  1. Terrace, Vincent. Television Specials, p. 259 (2013)
  2. (6 July 1980). Beauty pageant future uncertain, Huron Daily Plainsman (Associated Press)
  3. https://books.google.com/books?id=HIO1AAAAIAAJ&q=%22miss+teenage+america%22+%22teen+magazine%22+1981 Bitch magazine
  4. https://archive.today/20120715200343/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1115637/2/index.htm Sports Illustrated Magazine vault
  5. Hayworth, Bret (29 May 2004). Former Akron woman recalls being final Miss Teenage America, Sioux City Journal
  6. Hanauer, Joan (23 April 1983). Miss Teen America, UPI
  7. (15 January 1984). Laura Baxter, a 17-year-old cheerleader who wants a career, UPI
  8. (9 December 1984). Princess of Flowers runner-up in Miss Teen-Age America, Index-Journal
  9. Zorn, Erc (12 February 1986). Miss Teen America Is All Smiles Even When Boredom Snowballs, Chicago Tribune
  10. Hoekstra, Dave (6 March 1986). Palatine teen bops to title, Chicago Sun-Times
  11. Purdom, Candace (21 April 1991). C-h-e-e-r-s, Chicago Tribune
  12. (27 February 1987). Miss Teenage America for 1988 being sought, Monessen Valley Independent
  13. (27 January 1988). Miss Teenage America Content Accents Skills, Scholarship, The Tribune
  14. (8 November 1989). California Teen-ager Chosen Miss Teenage America, Associated Press
  15. Web site: Santa Cruz Sentinel from Santa Cruz, California · Page 4. Newspapers.com. 2016-08-09.
  16. http://www.readabstracts.com/Fashion-and-beauty/California-girl-The-winning-team.html California girl
  17. Le Phuong (21 February 1993). Teen Pageant Winner Is as Asian-American as Apple Pie, Los Angeles Times
  18. Web site: NOAC 1994, Miss Teenage America, and me - by Ryan McFarland at zieak.com . www.zieak.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081004163238/http://www.zieak.com/2008/10/01/noac-1994-miss-teenage-america-and-me/ . 2008-10-04.
  19. (29 March 1996). Oklahoma 17-Year-Old Picked 35th Miss Teenage America, Associated Press
  20. Beyette, Beverly (15 April 1996). Teenage Wisdom, Los Angeles Times
  21. Higgins, Stephanie (3 November 1999). BEAMing with joy, Tulsa World
  22. (7 April 1997). Good Girls' Do, New York Magazine
  23. (26 March 1997). Kansas student is Miss Teenage America, Salina Journal
  24. Web site: National Order of the Arrow Conference. 13 September 2014.
  25. Smith, Liz (19 March 1998). Peopletalk, Philadelphia Inquirer
  26. Web site: Cybill Sheperd bio. 13 September 2014.
  27. Web site: Miss Teenage Santa Rosa . 13 September 2014 . bot: unknown . https://archive.today/20130125101603/http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/189884/Karen_Valentine . 25 January 2013 .
  28. Web site: Karen Valentine bio. TV.com. TV.com. 13 September 2014.
  29. Web site: Taylor Marsh bio. Taylor Marsh. 13 September 2014.
  30. News: There's Something About Jayne . Jordan . Schwartz . Clifton Merchant Magazine . 2009-02-05 . 2019-05-06.