Hailey Best, Miss North Carolina 2011.
Miss North Carolina 1946, Trudy Riley. Her crown, made of cardboard and tinfoil, is decorated with a rose garland.
The N.C. Museum of History and the Sisterhood of Miss North Carolina have collaborated to produce the commemorative exhibit Miss North Carolina: Celebrating 75 Years of Memories. It opened Friday, June 22 at the museum in Raleigh. The Miss North Carolina Scholarship Pageant Inc. celebrated its 75th anniversary, and the exhibit offers a rare glimpse into the history of the pageant and the 75 women who have served the state. Featuring wardrobe items, crowns, portraits and other memorabilia spanning seven decades, the exhibit showcases items from dozens of Miss North Carolinas. Admission is free, and the exhibit will run through Nov. 25, 2012.
“The Miss North Carolina Pageant is part of the heritage and civic fabric of our state,” said Ken Howard, director of the N.C. Museum of History. “Miss North Carolina: Celebrating 75 Years of Memories represents the history of this organization and the educational contributions it has made to the state.”
In addition to evening gowns and swimsuits, the exhibit highlights unique memorabilia such as a beret presented to Miss North Carolina 1969, Patricia Johnson, when she performed with the Miss America USO troop in Vietnam; a collectible coin minted in honor of Sharon Finch, Miss North Carolina 1964; and toe shoes worn by Lee Beaman, Miss North Carolina 1988.
“The women who have worn the Miss North Carolina crown have distinguished themselves in the arts, education, business, sciences, law and philanthropy,” President of the Sisterhood of Miss North Carolina and Deputy Chairman of the North Carolina Employment Security Commission David Clegg said. “This pageant has launched thriving careers and has inspired thousands of young women from across the state to acquire the confidence, poise and sense of accomplishment that provide a foundation for lifelong success.”
For more information about the North Carolina Museum of History, call 919-807-7900 or access www.ncmuseumofhistory.org or Facebook.
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