<P> Margaret Gorman, Miss District of Columbia, was declared "The Most Beautiful Bathing Girl in America" in 1921 at the age of 16 and was recognized as the first "Miss America" when she returned to compete the next year . The contest that year was won by Mary Katherine Campbell (Miss Ohio) and again in 1923 . She returned to compete a third time in 1924 but placed as first runner - up that year, and pageant rules were then amended to prevent anyone from winning more than once . Beginning in 1940, Bob Russell served as the first official host of the pageant . In 1941, Mifauny Shunatona, Miss Oklahoma, became the first Native American contestant . </P> <P> In 1945, Bess Myerson became the first Jewish - American and the first Miss New York (competing as Miss New York City, a competition organized by a local radio station) to win the Miss America pageant as Miss America 1945 . As the only Jewish contestant, Myerson was encouraged by the pageant directors to change her name to "Bess Meredith" or "Beth Merrick", but she refused . After winning the title (and as a Jewish Miss America), Myerson received few endorsements and later recalled that "I couldn't even stay in certain hotels (...) there would be signs that read no coloreds, no Jews, no dogs . I felt so rejected . Here I was chosen to represent American womanhood and then America treated me like this ." She thus cut short her Miss America tour and instead traveled with the Anti-Defamation League . In this capacity, she spoke against discrimination in a talk entitled, "You Can't Be Beautiful and Hate ." </P> <P> In 1948, Irma Nydia Vasquez, the first Miss Puerto Rico, became the first Latina contestant . In addition, in 1948, Yun Tau Chee, the first Miss Hawaii, was also the first Asian - American contestant . Miss America 1949, Jacque Mercer, was married and divorced during her reign; after this, a rule was enacted requiring Miss America contestants to sign a certification that they have never been married or pregnant . Starting in 1950, although the pageant continued to be in September, the Miss America title changed to "post-dated", thus that year's pageant winner became Miss America 1951, and there was no Miss America 1950 . The pageant was first televised nationally in 1954, hosted by Bob Russell . Future television star Lee Meriwether was crowned Miss America 1955 . It would also be the last time Russell served as host . He recommended, and was replaced by, Bert Parks, who served as the host for the second televised pageant in 1955 and stayed as host until 1979 . Television viewership peaked during the early 1960s, when it was the highest - rated program on American television . </P> <P> With the rise of second - wave feminism and the civil rights movement during the 1960s, the Miss America pageant became the subject of a series of protests that attacked it as sexist, racist, and part of U.S. militarism . The first demonstration took place during the Miss America 1969 pageant held on September 7, 1968 (won by Miss Illinois 1968, Judith Ford), when about 200 members of the group New York Radical Women demonstrated as part of the Miss America protest . In addition, a pamphlet distributed at the protest by Robin Morgan, No More Miss America!, became a source for feminist scholarship . The protest was co-sponsored by Florynce Kennedy's Media Workshop, an activist group she founded in 1966 to protest the media's representation of African Americans, along with the feminist Jeanette Rankin Brigade and the ACLU . Morgan later stated that the Miss America pageant "was chosen as a target for a number of reasons: it has always been a lily - white, racist contest; the winner tours Vietnam, entertaining the troops as a' Murder Mascot'; the whole gimmick is one commercial shillgame to sell the sponsor's products . Where else could one find such a perfect combination of American values--racism, militarism, sexism--all packaged in one' ideal symbol,' a woman ." The protesters compared the pageant to a county fair where livestock are judged . They thus crowned a sheep as Miss America and symbolically destroyed a number of feminine products, including false eyelashes, high - heeled shoes, curlers, hairspray, makeup, girdles, corsets, and bras . Burning the contents of a trash can was suggested, but a permit was unobtainable; news media seized on the similarity between draft resisters burning draft cards and women burning their bras . In fact, there was no bra burning, nor did anyone remove her bra . The Women's Liberation Front later demonstrated at the Miss America 1971 pageant . </P>

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