Katie Harman
Encyclopedia
Katie Marie Harman-Ebner (born August 18, 1980) is a classical vocalist and stage actress who is best known as Miss America
2002 and former Miss Oregon
2001. She is from the city of Gresham
in the U.S. state
of Oregon
.
to Glen and Darla Harman. She graduated from Centennial High School
in Gresham in 1999. In 2001, she was selected as Miss Multnomah County
, and then won the Miss Oregon
pageant, allowing her to compete for Miss America. She was selected as Miss America two weeks after the September 11, 2001 attacks
, and her first official appearances in the new role were to the World Trade Center site
and The Pentagon
to visit rescue workers.
Since completing her duties as Miss America, she played Kathie in The Student Prince
with the Gold Coast Opera in Florida
. She also played Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro
. As a vocalist, she has performed with pianist André Watts
with the Shreveport Symphony and others. Katie also appeared as herself in an episode of the improvisational comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway?
in 2002.
She delivered the keynote address for Portland State University
's 2002 Commencement. This resulted in protests from the Progressive Student Union and other students and faculty who expressed concerns related to her credentials as Miss America and her perceived Pro-Bush
stance. Harman married Oregon Air National Guard
pilot Tim Ebner in 2003 and she gave birth to a son Tyler Glen Ebner in 2005. In 2005, Harman moved with her husband and son to Klamath Falls, Oregon where he continues to work for the Oregon Air National Guard. In 2009 she gave birth to a daughter.
Harman acted in a production of “The Secret Garden” at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts in 2006 and 2007. In 2007, she released her first music CD, Soul of Love, featuring light classical music. She has appeared in several television commercials
in the Portland metropolitan area
, including promotional spots for Portland Rescue Mission.
In addition to her advocacy and performance work, Harman graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Communications from Portland State University—thanks to the more than $75,000 in scholarships received throughout her participation in the Miss America program.
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...
2002 and former Miss Oregon
Miss Oregon
The Miss Oregon competition is a regional scholarship competition and beauty pageant that selects the representative for the U.S. state of Oregon in the Miss America pageant...
2001. She is from the city of Gresham
Gresham, Oregon
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 90,205 people, 33,327 households, and 22,695 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,071.6 people per square mile . There were 35,309 housing units at an average density of 1,593.8 per square mile...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
.
Road to Miss America
Harman was born in Gresham, OregonGresham, Oregon
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 90,205 people, 33,327 households, and 22,695 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,071.6 people per square mile . There were 35,309 housing units at an average density of 1,593.8 per square mile...
to Glen and Darla Harman. She graduated from Centennial High School
Centennial High School (Gresham, Oregon)
Centennial High School is a public high school located in Gresham, Oregon, United States.-Academics:In 1989, Centennial High School was honored in the Blue Ribbon Schools Program, the highest honor a school can receive in the United States....
in Gresham in 1999. In 2001, she was selected as Miss Multnomah County
Multnomah County, Oregon
Multnomah County is one of 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. Though smallest in area, it is the most populous as its county seat, Portland, is the state's largest city...
, and then won the Miss Oregon
Miss Oregon
The Miss Oregon competition is a regional scholarship competition and beauty pageant that selects the representative for the U.S. state of Oregon in the Miss America pageant...
pageant, allowing her to compete for Miss America. She was selected as Miss America two weeks after the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, and her first official appearances in the new role were to the World Trade Center site
World Trade Center site
The World Trade Center site , also known as "Ground Zero" after the September 11 attacks, sits on in Lower Manhattan in New York City...
and The Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
to visit rescue workers.
After Miss America
The Student Prince
The Student Prince is an operetta in four acts with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly. It is based on Wilhelm Meyer-Förster's play Alt Heidelberg. The piece has elements of melodrama but lacks the swashbuckling style common to Romberg's other works...
with the Gold Coast Opera in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. She also played Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro
The Marriage of Figaro
Le nozze di Figaro, ossia la folle giornata , K. 492, is an opera buffa composed in 1786 in four acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro .Although the play by...
. As a vocalist, she has performed with pianist André Watts
André Watts
André Watts is a classical pianist and professor at the Jacobs School of Music of Indiana University.-Life and early performances:...
with the Shreveport Symphony and others. Katie also appeared as herself in an episode of the improvisational comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Whose Line Is It Anyway? (U.S. TV series)
Whose Line is it Anyway? is a comedy improv show hosted by Drew Carey on ABC that ran from August 5, 1998 to September 4, 2004, and subsequently on ABC Family since 2005...
in 2002.
She delivered the keynote address for Portland State University
Portland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
's 2002 Commencement. This resulted in protests from the Progressive Student Union and other students and faculty who expressed concerns related to her credentials as Miss America and her perceived Pro-Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
stance. Harman married Oregon Air National Guard
Oregon Air National Guard
The Oregon Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is, along with the Oregon Army National Guard, an element of the Oregon National Guard...
pilot Tim Ebner in 2003 and she gave birth to a son Tyler Glen Ebner in 2005. In 2005, Harman moved with her husband and son to Klamath Falls, Oregon where he continues to work for the Oregon Air National Guard. In 2009 she gave birth to a daughter.
Harman acted in a production of “The Secret Garden” at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts in 2006 and 2007. In 2007, she released her first music CD, Soul of Love, featuring light classical music. She has appeared in several television commercials
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
in the Portland metropolitan area
Portland metropolitan area
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area , also known as the Portland metropolitan area or Greater Portland, is an urban area in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington centered around the city of Portland, Oregon. The U.S...
, including promotional spots for Portland Rescue Mission.
In addition to her advocacy and performance work, Harman graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Communications from Portland State University—thanks to the more than $75,000 in scholarships received throughout her participation in the Miss America program.
External links
- Katie Harman's official website
- Katie Harman at National Public Radio
- "Miss America 2002 Katie Harman Sings Romantic Favorites", Oregon Symphony, January 24, 2003. (press release)
- Interview with Katie Harman by TravelAndLeisure.com