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History of the Miss Kingsport Pageant
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| Jessica Larkin - Miss Kingsport 2011 |
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The first Miss America Pageant was held in 1921 as a bathing beauty contest in Atlantic City. For several years, Miss America was actually crowned in a swimsuit. It remained a beauty contest, as such, until the talent competition was added in 1935. Ten years later, the first scholarship grant of $5,000 was awarded to the winner. This started the Miss America Organization well on it’s way to becoming the largest scholarship program for women in the world. In the 1940’s, the executive director of the Miss America Program enlisted the help of the National Jaycees Organization to assist with local and state level competitions. This gave the pageant more of a community service orientation. The Kingsport Jaycees is one of the few local Jaycees chapters that still sponsor a local pageant.
By the 1950’s, the Miss America Scholarship Program reached over $250,000 in scholarship awards. In 1954, the Miss America Pageant was televised for the first time and began what is the fourth longest running live event in television history. As the pageant became more focused on community service and personal achievement, the platform program was introduced in 1989. By the 75th anniversary of the Miss America Pageant, more than $100 million in educational grants had been awarded. The Miss America Program has gone from being simply a beauty contest to being the world’s largest scholarship program for women. Now, these are changes that offer opportunity and changes that we can be proud of.
The Kingsport Jaycees have been conducting the Miss Kingsport Scholarship Pageant for over 50 years. This group has reach out and touched the lived of hundreds of young woman during that time. The Kingsport Jaycees have been responsible for contributing over $250,000 in scholarship funds towards these women’s continuing education over the past 50 plus years. We owe a debt of gratitude to our current and previous members who proved to be great Kingsport leaders for decades. When you look at a list of Who's Who in Kingsport's history, most were members of the Kingsport Jaycees and have contributed to this wonderful event year after year.
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Past Miss Kingsport Winners
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2012
Dakota Reynolds |
2011
Jessica Larkin |
2010
Brittany Davis |
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2009
Lindsey Wilder
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2008
Daine Karst
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2007
Tyla Short
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2006
Hannah Absher |
2005
Ashley Martin
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2004
Tiffany Collier
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2003
Amanda Carpenter
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2002
Sarah Bumgarner
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2001
Lori Kestner
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2000
Misty Baker
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1999
Lavonda Starnes
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1998
Kristen Gaines
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1997
Hunter Quillen
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1996
Hope Robinson
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1995
Katherine Carrico
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1994
Elizabeth Waugh
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1993
Karen Shortt
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1992
L. Denise Ferrell
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1991
Sabrina Henry
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1990
Lisa S. Gray
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1989
Melissa Woods
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1988
Lynn Becker
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1987
Cathy Saliko
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1986
Cindy Reed
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1985
Regina Saxon
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1983
Cynthia Gray
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1982
Janice McGowan
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1981
Cheryl Pryor
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1980
Angellette Lambert
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1979
Lisa Blair
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1978
Cheryl Carnes
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1977
Sandra Wolfe
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1976
Jenny Mullen
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1975
Melissa Livesay
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1974
Karen King
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1973
Bridget Ryan
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1972
Cathy McCoy
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1971
Lois McConnell
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1970
Lynda Monroe
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1969
Jan Stubbs
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1968
Ruth McNeil
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1967
Janice Poe
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1966
Brenda Kemp
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1965
Judy Mosley
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1964
Vicki Bartholomew
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1963
Carolyn Solomon
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1962
Mary Pierce
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1961
Ann Crouch
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1960
Phyllis McConnell
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1959
Neeta Winders
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1958
Phyllis Ray
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1957
Louise Banyas
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1956
Jody McCall
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1955
Judy Weatherford
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1954
Dottie Slaughter
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