Maybelline and the Miss USA Beauty Pageant Come Full Circle

Margaret Gorman

With the inception of the inaugural American Beauty Pageant in 1921, when a 16 year old girl named Margaret Gorman was crowned Miss America, the words "Beauty and 'Pageant" have been intrinsically connected.  At that time and for years to follow, Pageantry was based around the opinions of a handful of businessmen deciding who was the fairest maiden of all.  Eventually, a woman took the helm as Director and the Pageant came to involve talent and scholarship aspects, redesigning the essence of what Beauty is to the American woman.

Mabel Williams

Just a few years before the first Miss America Pageant, a 19 year old entrepreneur named Tom Lyle Williams, sister Mabel, created a mixture of Vaseline and coal dust and applied it to her eyebrows and lashes to make them fuller and darker. Tom Lyle was inspired by her reflection in the mirror and soon the Maybelline Cosmetic company was born.
In the 1950's Maybelline Sponsored The Miss America Pageant on Television. The Pageant Industry, over the decades, has opened up into many systems and, while The Miss America System is still alive and well, other systems have become at the forefront, including the "Miss United States Pageant," for which this Pageant is the official preliminary contest.
In 1972 a lovely young woman named Lynda Carter was crowned Miss USA and later became a Television Star in the lead role of the "Wonder Woman Series."
  She also became the face of Maybelline and the merging of Cosmetics and Pageants came full circle

Vanessa Williams Miss America 1984

As the Cosmetic World changed, so did the Pageant World. Cosmetic Companies began to feature high end products and famous fashion models and actresses in their ad campaigns;  Pageant Titleholders found roles in not only the Beauty and Entertainment Industry, such as Vanessa Williams and

Halle Berry 1986

 Halle Berry, but as respected News Anchors and Reporters, such as  Deborah Norville and

Diane represented Kentucky in America's 1963 Junior Miss scholarship pageant and won.

Diane Sawyer,

Miss America 1971

 alongside Sports Reporter and Kentucky First Lady, Phyllis George, to name a few.  The Marrying of Intelligent, Educated Women to the Beauty Industry is evident today with many successful Women at the helm, such as Alexandra Smith, President of Global Skin Care for Proctor and Gamble. Mary Dillon, the CEO of the wildly successful Cosmetic Superstore, Ulta Beauty and Karen Grant, the global Industry Analyst who watches Beauty and Cosmetic trends worldwide and advises companies on what will keep thrir consumers satisfied.Being an astute, socially conscious and career oriented woman who loves the aesthetics of beauty is no longer mutually exclusive in today's world and nowhere is that more evident than in the Pageant Industry.  Contestants now mush posses and display inner beauty as well as outer beauty.  There is an expectation that she will give back to her Community, participate in Philanthropic endeavors, be well versed on current events and pursue and achieve her personal goals, while being a role model to her peers.  Gone are the days of young Ladies lining up on the Atlantic Boardwalk while local businessmen huddle and select who they find most beautiful.
The Miss United States Organization lives by the motto, "Beauty with a Purpose," and celebrates Beauty in all its forms.  Anyone, with the right Makeup, hair, wardrobe and lighting can be outwardly Beautiful. The inner Beauty from which kindness, warmth, compassion, empathy and a willingness to give of oneself is at the essence of the person themselves.  There is nothing more Beautiful than someone possessing these traits and the Miss United States Organization Celebrators their manifestation.
 Our Special Award Inspiration, Sharrie Williams, is an original descent of the Maybelline Family.  That young man spoken of earlier, Tom Lyle Williams, founder of the Maybelline Company, is her great uncle.  Sharrie has written a book, "The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It," which chronicles the launch and growth of the company while capturing the family dynamic and bring it to life.  Sharrie has partnered with our Pageant by Sponsoring the Essence of Beauty Award, given to one Special Contestant here tonight as the Young Lady who most exemplifies the spirit of both inner and outer Beauty.  Our Award Winner will receive a personally autographed copy of Sharrie's bestselling book, as well as a $100 gift card to Ulta Beauty, which features Maybelline products.  The winner of the Sharrie Williams Essence of Beauty is.....

Miss Orange County, Ashleigh Pates, Sharrie Williams, Terri Bunch

Miss Teen 2016 Makayla Parks with Miss Teen 2015 Genesis Codina

1950's Miss America Contest telecast Nationwide sponsored by  Maybelline

Bert Parks was the official Host of Miss America from 1955 to 1979.

1955, swimwear competition. 1958, Miss America contestants prepare for the evening gown competition.

San Francisco's Lee Meriwether was crowned, Miss America in 1955, when Bert Parks made his debut. "There She Is, Miss America" (the pageant theme song) was first introduced by singer Johnny Desmond on a Philco Playhouse production, which starred Lee Meriwether