Miss America

In  1969, My parents bought a new car at the Hollingshead Oldsmobile dealership at 54th and Western, on the south side of Chicago. Grandma Tolley says that she left the other kids at Grandma Pasek's house, and she and Grandpa only took me with them to the car dealership.  Being alone with my parents on an outing was memorable enough for a 5 year old kid with siblings, but even more memorable was the fact that Miss America was scheduled to make an appearance at the dealership the next day. Since I couldn't be there for it, I got to to sit on her throne. MISS AMERICA'S THRONE! I can still feel the crunchy red velvet of the chair; I felt so big while looking down at everybody smiling up at me from below.

The throne was neat, but the best part about it was that it was Miss Americas throne! Miss America was every little girls idol back then...and she was a big deal. She was so pretty and talented, and real! Not a Disney princess, but someone from a hometown in the USA. Every little girl had the dream that she could be one of us. We all wanted to be as glamorous as Miss America, and for a second  I was. 

So, in order to finish my story, I thought it might be fun to find out what happened to my Miss America. So I called her, Mrs. Judith (Ford) Nash, Miss America, 1969.

That's right, through the wonders of the interweb I was able to contact Mr. America, Jim Nash, who graciously encouraged me to call his wife  at home. 

My goodness, I was so nervous! You would have thought that I was that little girl again talking to her idol. And I guess I was. A sweet woman, Judi was very kind listening to my little story. She also filled me in a little about her life.

She told me that a lot of hard work and long hours came with the job of Miss America. Oldsmobile was a sponsor of the pageant, and every year the winner made appearances at many car dealerships throughout her reign. Judi also spent a month in Viet Nam entertaining our troops. I knew that she was a world class trampolinist, and that's what helped her win the title of Miss America, but while on the road, she performed in singing and dancing numbers, with a solo acrobatic dance. She didn't think of herself as a pinup girl, but more as someone bringing a bit of home to the guys. In fact, over the years, several GIs have warmed her heart by calling to let her know how much they appreciated her efforts.

The contestants at that time did not have an official platform or cause that they were working on, like the women today. Judi said that her unofficial platform was promoting women's athletics. Back in 1969, women in sports were considered "manly," and with her athletic prowess on the trampoline, she was in a unique position to tell people otherwise. Later, she became a physical education teacher and coach, as well as serving on the Presidents Council for Physical Fitness and Sports under both Presidents Nixon and Ford. 

When all was said and done, Miss America came back home to Illinois. She keeps up with old friends at their local hangouts. Loves her husband, her family and her life.

Every little girl's dream come true.