Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 17, 1995 TAG: 9509180097
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. LENGTH: Medium
Miss Oklahoma Shawntel Smith got the birthday present many young girls only dream about Saturday: She was crowned Miss America.
But she had to share her party. Swimsuits took center stage as viewers voted overwhelmingly to retain the controversial swimsuit competition, in keeping with 75 years of pageant history.
Smith blew kisses to the crowd, mouthed thanks to the judges and blinked back tears after her name was announced. ``I don't believe this,'' she appeared to say before Heather Whitestone pinned the crown on her strawberry blonde hair. Then she took a victory walk down the runway in a beaded white gown.
Miss Oregon Emily John Orton was first-runner up, followed by Miss Arkansas Paula Gaye Montgomery, Miss California Tiffany Stoker, and Miss Illinois Tracy Hayes.
Most of this year's contestants said they supported the swimsuit competition. Opponents included the outgoing Miss America.
``If you're competing for a scholarship and a job to become a spokesperson for your platform, you should be judged on your heart and mind and how you handle yourself, not on how you wear swimsuits,'' Whitestone, the first deaf Miss America, said Friday.
Smith, who turned 24 Saturday, was the first woman in her family to graduate from college. She earned a business administration degree from Northeastern State University.
The others in the top 10, who joined in the swimsuit competition, marching down the runway in modest suits and bare feet, were Miss Alabama Leigh Sherer, Miss Mississippi Monica Louwerens, Miss New York Helen Goldsby, Miss Kansas Amy Beth Keller and Miss Massachusetts Marcia Turner.
Two 900 telephone numbers flashed on-screen and votes on the swimsuits were compiled during the pageant's first 90 minutes. Voters paid 50 cents a call, with most of that paying the cost of conducting the poll.
Pageant President Leonard Horn said the goal of the swimsuit poll was to determine whether viewers would continue to support the pageant by watching it on TV if the swimsuits were eliminated.
Whitestone, a ballerina from Birmingham, Ala., got an eventful 75th year started last September by becoming the first disabled Miss America. Whitestone, 22, became one of the pageant's most popular winners.
Highlights of her tenure included two White House visits, working on the federal law for people with disabilities, and accompanying Kathie Lee Gifford in sign language as Ms. Gifford sang the National Anthem during the Super Bowl.
Miss Whitestone, who named another Alabama native - Helen Keller - as her role model, gave motivational talks with the message ``Anything Is Possible'' in her travels throughout the country.
The anniversary pageant unleashed a slew of commemorative items, including new books and CD-ROMs, gathered former winners together and conducted a nationwide search for memorabilia - all in the name of celebrating the gimmicky 1921 beauty contest that evolved into an American institution.
Disputes over the winners of three state pageants led to lawsuits.
Miss Virginia Andrea Ballengee was stripped of her crown for exaggerating her academic record and was replaced by first runner-up Amber Medlin.
Miss Delaware Michelle Harris, a four-time loser in the Miss New Jersey pageant, was grilled over whether she met eligibility requirements for the title she won.
And the first runner-up in the Miss Maryland pageant, Linda Yueh, sued the state and national pageant because she says last-minute questions about her residency eligibility prompted officials to ensure she didn't win.
by CNB