19. Margaret Gorman Was The Original Miss America
Margaret Gorman was a 16-year old from Washington, DC. When the local paper announced that they were looking for a girl to represent DC in the Inter City beauty contest, over 1,000 women submitted their photos, and they decided on Margaret Gorman.
Out of all of the finalists who competed in the contest, Margaret Gorman was able to keep smiling, and gave the audience witty, funny answers to their tough questions. She also showed off her athletic abilities during the talent portion. After winning the contest, Margaret Gorman received a trophy, and $100 in gold. In today’s money, that’s more like $1,300. When she got home, a telegram waited for her from one of her best friends, that said “Congratulations. Don’t get stuck up.” The funniest part? She had to pay the messenger 35 cents to be halfway insulted.
As she grew up, she didn’t really like talking much about the competition. She married a man named Victor Cahill, a rich real estate investor. She was able to live a charmed life as a Washington DC socialite, mother, and grandmother. She died at 90 years old.