Wendy Dascomb
Encyclopedia
Wendy Dascomb is a pageant titleholder from Metairie, Louisiana
, who held the Miss USA
1969 title.
In 1969 Dascomb, a resident of Danville, Virginia
, and freshman at Stratford College, reluctantly competed in the Miss Piedmont pageant at the urging of college faculty. She won then advanced to the state level pageant and won the Miss Virginia USA
title. In May she represented Virginia
in the Miss USA 1969 pageant held in Miami, Florida
, where she became the first woman from Virginia to win the MIss USA title. Dascomb later represented the United States in the Miss Universe
pageant where she placed in the semi-finals.
During her reign Dascomb travelled to 57 cities making appearances as a pageant ambassador and model, including appearances in South America and Europe. As part of her prize package she received $5000 in cash and a variety of other prizes.
Dascomb was a liberal arts major studying special education at Stratford College when she won and said that she wanted to study special education. On giving up her crown Dascomb said that she was had missed school and her friends and was looking forward to returning to college and being with people who "share [her] views". Her farewell speech, delivered off the cuff, spoke of her disillusionment with the pageant and said she learned that beauty contests were "all wrapped up in selling - sell me, sell a swimsuit". She stated that "I was not the best Miss USA but I was the most honest".
In 1972, Dascomb contributed an article for Ms. Magazine
, in which she wrote of her experience as Miss USA and elaborate further on her disllusionment over the pageant and her role as a titleholder.
Dascomb was succeeded by Deborah Shelton
, also of Virginia, which made Virginia the first state in the pageant's history to have back-to-back winners.
Dascomb later moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina
to live with Walter Long, her boyfriend prior to the pageant. She and Long have a daughter, Millie Dascomb Long. She and second husband, Jay Bryan, have owned a farm in Chapel Hill since the mid 1990s.
Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States and is a major part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish. It is an unincorporated area that would be larger than most of the state's cities if it were...
, who held the Miss USA
Miss USA
The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...
1969 title.
In 1969 Dascomb, a resident of Danville, Virginia
Danville, Virginia
Danville is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Pittsylvania County, Virginia and Caswell County, North Carolina. It was the last capital of the Confederate States of America. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Danville with Pittsylvania county for...
, and freshman at Stratford College, reluctantly competed in the Miss Piedmont pageant at the urging of college faculty. She won then advanced to the state level pageant and won the Miss Virginia USA
Miss Virginia USA
The Miss Virginia USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Virginia in the Miss USA pageant.Virginia has been only moderately successful in terms of number of semi-finalists, they have had two Miss USAs. They are one of only three states to have had two Miss...
title. In May she represented Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
in the Miss USA 1969 pageant held in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, where she became the first woman from Virginia to win the MIss USA title. Dascomb later represented the United States in the Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
pageant where she placed in the semi-finals.
During her reign Dascomb travelled to 57 cities making appearances as a pageant ambassador and model, including appearances in South America and Europe. As part of her prize package she received $5000 in cash and a variety of other prizes.
Dascomb was a liberal arts major studying special education at Stratford College when she won and said that she wanted to study special education. On giving up her crown Dascomb said that she was had missed school and her friends and was looking forward to returning to college and being with people who "share [her] views". Her farewell speech, delivered off the cuff, spoke of her disillusionment with the pageant and said she learned that beauty contests were "all wrapped up in selling - sell me, sell a swimsuit". She stated that "I was not the best Miss USA but I was the most honest".
In 1972, Dascomb contributed an article for Ms. Magazine
Ms. magazine
Ms. is an American feminist magazine co-founded by American feminist and activist Gloria Steinem and founding editor Letty Cottin Pogrebin together with founding editors Patricia Carbine, Joanne Edgar, Nina Finkelstein, and Mary Peacock, that first appeared in 1971 as an insert in New York magazine...
, in which she wrote of her experience as Miss USA and elaborate further on her disllusionment over the pageant and her role as a titleholder.
Dascomb was succeeded by Deborah Shelton
Deborah Shelton
Deborah 'Debbie' Shelton is an American beauty queen and actress who held the Miss USA title and appeared on Dallas for three seasons.-Pageants:In 1970 Shelton competed in the Miss Virginia USA pageant to spite her then boyfriend...
, also of Virginia, which made Virginia the first state in the pageant's history to have back-to-back winners.
Dascomb later moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
to live with Walter Long, her boyfriend prior to the pageant. She and Long have a daughter, Millie Dascomb Long. She and second husband, Jay Bryan, have owned a farm in Chapel Hill since the mid 1990s.