Evelyn Margaret Ay
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Evelyn Margaret Ay from Ephrata, Pennsylvania was the winner of the Miss America pageant in 1952, giving her the title of (Miss America 1954), the last year the show was not televised. For her talent competition, she read an edited version of the poem "Leaves from a Grass-House" by Don Blanding. Shortly after winning the title, she appeared on the game show The Name's the Same and stated that an ambition of hers was to be the mother of three children. The last Miss America to be crowned before the televised crownings, Evelyn represented the end of an era. The daughter of German immigrants, Evelyn resided in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, graduating from local Ephrata Senior High School, located in the heart of the Pennsylvania Dutch country. Upon her crowning, her father announced, "This could happen only in America!" She went on to marry her pre-pageant fiancé, Carl Sempier, raising two daughters, six Great Dane dogs, and is now thoroughly enjoying her two grandchildren. Over the years, Evelyn has continued to be a great supporter of The Miss America Organization. Of the Program she says, "Serving an organization that provides scholastic opportunity to women nationwide validates my long and devoted affiliation." To this day, she is best known as an enchanting and captivating speaker.
In 1954, during the Golden Era of television, the Miss America Pageant was broadcast live for the very first time. That broadcast broke viewership records of the day with 39 percent of the television audience (27 million viewers) viewing the Miss America telecast
She was also the subject of a song written by composer Ben Senhart in 2007
Preceded by Neva Jane Langley |
Miss America 1954 |
Succeeded by Lee Meriwether |