Gayla Leigh Shoemake is a pageant titleholder from El Dorado, Kansas

El Dorado, Kansas

El Dorado is a city situated along the Walnut River in the central part of Butler County, located in south-central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,021. It is the county seat and most populous city of Butler County...

 who competed in the Miss America

Miss America

The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...

 pageant in 1960.

In June 1960 Shoemake competed for the Miss Kansas

Miss Kansas

The Miss Kansas competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Kansas in the Miss America pageant. Kansas has won the Miss America crown on three occasions.- Winners :- External links :*...

 title, performing a dramatic reading as her talent. She was crowned Miss Kansas 1960 on 10 June by Governor George Docking

George Docking

George Docking was the 35th Governor of Kansas, .Docking was elected to two terms as governor, but failed to win against Republican candidate John Anderson, Jr. in part because of his stance on the death penalty. He was known to say "I just don't like killing people." Was a delegate to the 1960...

 and won a $1000 scholarship, jewellery and evening gowns. In September the same year Shoemake represented Kansas

Kansas

Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...

 in the Miss America

Miss America

The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...

 1961 pageant held in Atlantic City, New Jersey

Atlantic City, New Jersey

Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...

 but did not place.

Shoemake attended Kansas State University

Kansas State University

Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...

 where she was a cheerleader and member of the student council. She was also a member of the Delta Delta Delta

Delta Delta Delta

Delta Delta Delta , also known as Tri Delta, is an international sorority founded on November 27, 1888, the eve of Thanksgiving Day. With over 200,000 initiates, Tri Delta is one of the world's largest NPC sororities.-History:...

 sorority and won the Miss Kansas State University pageant in 1959.