Page I'our
January 10,
Excitement Reigns And Tendon Mounts As
Twenty Finaiists Vie for Coveted Title
evening. On Thursday, the first I tions. The questions fired at me
day of the official judging, I got concerned childhood ambitions, life
up at 7 ;00 so that my eyes would saving, and summer school at Oslo,
be at least half-way open for the
photographers who captured us at
8:30 and kept us busy for three
hours, taking both still and moving
pictures. By the time this was
(^yer 1 felt like 1 would never again
be able to smile without quivering.
The next thing on Thursday’s
agenda was a going over by Candy
Jones, of the Conover Modeling
School, and her assistant, Robert
Lado. Candy showed us the proper
way to walk and model, and Ro
bert “did” our make-up. Robert
nearly went crazy with my long
hair which I wore in a bun. He
took it down and preceded to ar
range it in some complicated knot.
However, Robert was headed for
trouble, for he didn’t know how
difficult it is to keep my hair in
place when it is clean. And poor
Robert didn’t have any of that hor
rid spray net to help him! So, at
11:45, fifteen minutes before the
Rotary luncheon in our honor, my
hair was a tangled mess. Finally
one of the secretaries for the cot
ton council rushed in with the
needed spray net, and Robert went
to work. At three minutes to
twelve with the aid of innumer
able hair pens and spray net, he
arranged my hair into a very fash
ionable twist. I plopped on a wide
brimmed black hat and rushed for
the Skyway Room on the top floor
of the Peabody where the luncheon
was to be held.
The twenty finalists were ushered
into the room to the tune of Dixie.
We were seated at special tables
right in front of everyone. Al
though I was as hungry as I’ve
We returned to the hotel from
the TV show with just one hour
in which to get ready for the din
ner dance given in the Skyway by
the “Press-Scimitar,” a Memphis
paper. I hastily donned a yellow
organdy evening gown, struggled
in to long white kid gloves and
rushed down stairs to meet my
escort.
I had the good fortune to be
seated by Mr. Grier, a judge and
fellow South Carolinean. He was
what Lynn Hamrick would call a
‘livin’ doll” and was thoroughly
enjoying his mission in Memphis.
As one might guess we had fried
chicken for dinner. 1 knew that
we would either have this or lobs
ter—something difficult to eat. By
this time I was absolutely starving,
for breakfast was long gone, and
I had only picked at my lunch. But
I just had the worst time with that
chicken! (It was actually a cornish
hen, so Mr. Grier informed me.)
Mr. Grier glanced over at my plate
and remarked, “Ruth Ann, you're
going to eat all that chicken if I,
have to cut it up for you I” With
that threat, I dug in with renewed
vigor and came out victorious.
After being presented with our
escorts in a figure, we danced a
while and called it a night. This
business of b^ing on display every
second was most exhausting.
On Friday morning, the private
interviews with the judges began.
I was the third victim since my
name begins with B — we always
did everything in alphabetical order.
I must admit the first glance in
the' room where the judges con
was the worst part of the whole
contest. I’ll never get over it, al
though all we. had to do was wal..
barefoot down that long runwaj
and hand the judges a card with
measurements written on it.
lach of us was interviewed in a
.rivate conversation on stage, the
udges wanted to be certain that
.one of us was planning to get
.larried within the next six months,
that we were in excellent health.
We w7r^'measured by a lady from and that our ^PfJ°7^hool
the foundations department of one the tour and o
in the event we won.
At 10:30 the second alternate.
of the city’s leading stores just
before parading before the judges.
There was also a man to check
our shoe size and another to
measure our hands for gloves.
I managed a quick nap that
afternoon after the finalists lunched
with Candy Jones and received in
Engagements..
(Continued from Page Two)
became engaged; Bob is now at
Richmond Preparatory Institute in
Richmond: the other two sopho
mores to receive diamonds were
Betty Ann Parker and Barbara
Cornwell. Betty Ann is engaged
to Frank Williams of Elkin. Bar
bara’s fiancee is Jerry Norville, an
Sigma Alpha Epsilon senior at
Davidson. Another sophomore on
the list of “unavailables” is Nancy
Neese. Nancy is now pinned to
Ruth Ann Bennett, was announced; j Nick Bragg, Wake Forest student,
the first alternate, Alice Condon, | Christmas, Kackie Adkins
and the Maid of Cotton, Jean ar | plans to marry Gar-
We were so excited' ine , . i i •
land Chick, who is now stationed
ter.
photographers and news reporters
busied us for an hour. Then mem-
of the audience swarmed on
structions for the final judging that bers . -
night at Ellis’ Auditorium. At 6:30 ; stage, asking us to autograph their
all twenty of us boarded a bus for
the auditorium. We were wearing
street dresses and hats, the regalia
which we were to deliver our
program.
At midnight. Mother, my escort
and I left Ellis Auditorium for the
Plotel Gayoso where the Midnight
.i-minute speeches on why we would breakfast was held. For the first
be a good Maid of Cotton, and time in my life 1 had champagne
carried evening dresses and hoops before breakfast! But by that time
in hand. We would change into I was so tired, the sparkly stuff
these after making our speeches. | might have been orange juice. After
As usual I got through my speech a round of speeches given by the
quickly since I was third in line, judges and we three finalists, a
We had to walk down a long run- delicious breakfast of eggs, sausage,
way which was perpendicular to and grits was wolfed down by all.
the stage and extended some 24 At two o’clock I returned to the
feet into an audience numbering hotel, tired and happy, but at the
5,000. At the end of the runway same time a bit unhappy. Tomor-
was a microphone — no speaker’s row I would be leaving the many
stand to lean on, and right behind | fine people and new friends with
the “mike” were the judges. I
could have leaned down and
touched them. I wasn’t scared when
I made my speech, a fact which
surprised me greatly. However,
my knees were like jelly, and I’m
sure the judges could see them
shaking if they cared to observe.
After the speeches, I changed
into a white embroidered organdy
gown and made ready for the last
leg of the contest. At last every
eight in all, were seated behind a I positions on stage and the final
began. We
ever been in my life, the thought, , rather scarv Thev ' — ,
of being observed like a prize bull seated behind a ‘
soon took my appetite. I just con-
tented myself with admiring the
orchid corsages given us by the
Rotary Club and stared back at the
crowd. When everyone had finished
eating, each finalist had to take a
turn on the T-shaped runway dur
ing which we employed the model
ing tips Candy 'had taught us a
conple of hours before.
On Thursday afternoon, each of
us was interviewed on TV. We
were not told ahead of time the
questions which were to be asked
us. This was also a part of the
desk was placed a lone chair—the
seat of interrogation. However, the
interview wasn't bad at all, in fact
I enjoyed it. I was asked such
questions as why did I want to be
Maid of Cotton, what impressed
me most about summer school in
Norway, and what is the attitude
of Europeans toward America;
they also asked about my grades
in college and high school and
extra curricular activities in both.
The next step was the appear-
performance began. We weri.
quickly narrowed down to 10 con
testants. Then the ten were called
individually to the “mike” and
asked pop. questions by the M. C
My question was “What is youi
favorite TV progarm arid why’
Thirty minutes passed before the
I 10 were cut to five and tensioi
I was running high. When the las.
five were announced, their parent;
were asked to come back stage for
interviews with the judges, just a;
judging, for it was necessary to
see how composed we were before ance, before the judges only, in a
the camera and how well and | bathing suit. This in my opinion
FOR ANY BEAUTY PROBLEM—CALL
0 •
HAiRD
’ HAIRDRESSERS
Thruway Shopping Center — Phone PA 5-8081
Mezzanine Robert E. Lee Hotel — Phone PA 2;8620
THE LATENT RECORDS AND ALBUMS FOR YOUR
CHRISTMAS HI-FI SET
COME IN AND SEE US
THE CAMERA SHOP
j^ococJ:^{^iou(/ IT
Fourth at Spruce Street Phone PA 4-2421
WINSTON-SALEM, N. C.
MORRIS SERVICE
Next To Carolina Theatre
Sandwiches—Salads—Sodas
"The Place Where Salemites
Meet"
whom 1 had associated for two
full and exciting days.
As I look back on the Maid of
Cotton Contest, I see a valuable
and rewarding experience. It was
not just a beauty contest, for the
American Cotton industry was not
searching for an empty-headed
Venus to be its fashion and good
.vill ambassador. Rather, the cot
ton industry wished to find the
most beautiful girl in the South
who was also intelligent, poised,
cultured, who had a good figure
for modeling and who was at ease
when speaking before an audience.
The judges searched carefully and
deligently among us finalists for
the best qualified contestant, and
it was the actual participation in
the different phases of judging, for
example the 2-minute speech and
the unrehearsed TV appearance,
which made this contest a worth
while and stimulating experience
in itself. For this reason, I feel
that each of us who made the trip
to Memphis came home a winner,
for each of us won to some de
gree, a measure of personal fulfill
ment and betterment which we
might never have obtained other
wise.
—Ruth Bennett
in the Coast Guard at Elizabeth
City. The wedding will be Febru
ary ninth.
The Freshman boast of two
Christmas weddings—Francis Wag
ner and Libby Pittard. Also, Nancy
Owen became engaged to Ken
Davis. Mary Ann Townsend be
came pinned to a Sigma Chi at
Wake Forest, Vernon Sloyd.
Again making news is Ruth Ben
nett. After placing third in the
Maid of Cotton Contest, Ruth re
ceived a letter from the chairman
of the South Carolina beauty con
test inviting her to compete for
Miss South Carolina contest and
also to represent South Carolina in
the Miss Universe Contest. Ruth
said that she would have to de
cline both invitations—she’s going
to California this summer to visit
“friends” who went to Oslo last
summer.
Mexico...
(Continued from page two)
As these columns pass each other,
they nod or speak, and, often, the
boy will join a girl and they will
move on together around the
square or go for a coke at the
nearby “Playa”.
“Muy grandiose, muy hermosa,
muy amable, juy bonita, muy inter-
sante, muy curoso”—The Mexicans
have a word for it, and for my
closing sentiment — “He dejado
parte de mi misma alii y es precise
que regrese pronto a reclamario .
(I have left a part of me here, and
I must return to claim it.) There
is a fountain in Rome where one
throws a coin to insure one’s re
turn to that Eternal City; but
Mexico doesn’t need a fountain—
once having been there, one mnst
go back to this land of great con
trasts. And so, not, adios with its
finality, but rather, with its pro
mise, hasta la vista—hasta luego—
hasta manana!
—Elizabeth Welch
SEPARK MUSIC CO.
620 West Fourth St.
Phone 3-2241
Music of All Publishers
Want To Go
When You
Want To Go
CALL
^]iiiuiuuiiuiimiiimit]uiimiiiiit]iiiiiiiiiiii[]iiiiiiiiiiiiuiiniiimiiamniiiiiiiniiiiiiniiiitlnniiiiiii!t3iimimnioiiiiniii»iQ>°i|
1 ARTISTIC FLOWERS I
I Thruway Shopping Center \
I 278 S. Stratford Rd. Phone PA 5-8516 I
♦MiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiniiiiiniiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiininiiittmiiiiniiiiniiiiiiniiiiiiiiniittmiiiiiiinriniiii*^
TOWN STEAK HOUSE
TWO FINE RESTAURANTS TO SERVE YOU
NO. 1—107 LOCKLAND AVE.
NO. 2—300 SOUTH STRATFORD RD.
COLLEGE INNRESTAURA
AND
S AGHETTI HOUSE
For The Best In
STEAKS—SPAGHETTI—PIZZA—SALADS
839 Reynolda Road
Phone PA 2-9932
Phone PA 2-7121