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
DateSeptember 7–9, 1922
PresentersKing Neptune (Hudson Maxim)
VenueMillion Dollar Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Placements4
WinnerMary 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
Miss Alaska 1922,
Helmar Liederman
Miss Washington 1922,
Evelyn Atkinson

Placements
Final results Contestant
Miss America 1923
"Golden Mermaid"
1st runner-up
Finalists[12][20]

Preliminary awards
Group photo of 1922 contestants

Contestants
City / State / Title Name Hometown Age[lower-alpha 1] Placement Special awards Notes
Akron, Ohio Doris Widdersheim[26] Akron
Alaska 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
Baltimore, Maryland 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]
Boston, Massachusetts 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
Buffalo, New York Bertha Rent[38] Buffalo
Chester, Pennsylvania Anna Marie Burke[39] Chester
Chicago, Illinois 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]
Cleveland, Ohio 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]
Erie, Pennsylvania Thora McDannel[5] Erie
Fall River, Massachusetts Helen Lynch[35] Fall River
Florida 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
Lancaster, Pennsylvania Elsie Blumenstock[57] Lancaster
Long Beach, New York 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
New Orleans, Louisiana 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]
New York City, New York Dorothy Knapp[64][65] New York City 17 1st runner-up[19] Professional Beauty Award
Ocean City, New Jersey Marion Steelman[66] Ocean City
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Kathryn “Kitty” Molineaux[67] Philadelphia
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 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
San Francisco, California 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
Utica, New York Janette Adams[73] Utica
Vineland, New Jersey Mary Elizabeth Edwards[74] Vineland 18 Amateur Beauty Award Second Prize
Washington, D.C. Evelyn C. Lewis[32] Washington, D.C.
Waterbury, Connecticut 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
  1. Ages at the time of national competition

References
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  2. "'Miss America' Is Ohio Girl". Sandusky Star Journal. Sandusky, Ohio. September 9, 1922. p. 7.
  3. "Miss Indianapolis Much Admired, But Ohio Girl Is Winner". Indianapolis Star. Indianapolis, Indiana. September 8, 1922. p. 2.
  4. "Beauty Pageant Comes to Close". Harrisburg Telegraph. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. September 11, 1922. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Atlantic City". The Kane Republican. Kane, Pennsylvania. September 8, 1922. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Columbus Beauty Adjudged Atlantic City Fete Queen". New York Tribune. New York, New York. September 9, 1922. p. 3.
  7. "Atlantic City's Queen of Beauty is 'Miss Columbus'". The New York Herald. New York New York. September 9, 1922. p. 6.
  8. Schnitzspahn, Karen (September 8, 1997). "There She Was – Miss Long Branch". Asbury Park Press. Asbury Park, New Jersey. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com. ...talent contest that was established in 1935.
  9. Watson, Elwood; Martin, Darcy (2004). "There She Is, Miss America": The Politics of Sex, Beauty, and Race in America's Most Famous Pageant (1 ed.). New York, New York: Springer Publishing. p. 39. ISBN 1403981825 – via Google Books.
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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.
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