Donna Axum
| Donna Idelle Axum | |
|---|---|
| Born |
January 3, 1942 El Dorado, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Arkansas |
| Title | Miss America 1964 |
| Predecessor | Jacquelyn Mayer |
| Successor | Vonda Kay Van Dyke |
| Spouse(s) |
Michael Alan Buckley J. Bryan Whitworth (m. 1984) |
| Children | 5 |
Donna Idelle Axum (born January 3, 1942, in El Dorado, Arkansas) is an American beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss America in 1964.
Early life and education
Axum is from El Dorado, Arkansas. Her Miss America scholarship was used to complete her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in speech/drama, television and film. While there, she was a member of the Delta Iota Chapter of Delta Delta Delta.
Career
Axum has held many titles since serving as Miss America: university instructor, author, television executive producer, TV hostess, professional speaker and civic leader. In 1988, Axum was named a Distinguished Alumnus of UA and serves on its National Development Council. She also served on the steering committee of a seven-year capital campaign that raised more than $1.046 billion for the university.[1]
She is a member of the boards of the National Committee for the Performing Arts of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Fort Worth Symphony, the Van Cliburn Foundation, named for the late pianist formerly from Shreveport, Louisiana, and the Texas Christian University College of Fine Arts Board of Visitors.[2]
Personal life
Axum first married Michael Alan Buckley and had one child, Lisa.
She later divorced Buckley and in 1969 married Gus Franklin Mutscher, who served as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives from 1969 to 1972 and later as the Washington County judge. The pair also divorced in 1972.
She married J. Bryan Whitworth on March 1, 1984. He is a former executive vice president of ConocoPhillips. The Whitworths live in Fort Worth, Texas.[3] Collectively, they have five children and ten grandchildren.
See also
References
- ↑ Kinch, Jr., Sam; Procter, Ben (1972). Texas Under a Cloud: Story of the Texas Stock Fraud Scandal. Jenkins.
- ↑ "Miss America History 1964". Archived from the original on 2008-06-05. Retrieved 2006-12-31.
- ↑ Hendricks, Nancy. "Donna Axum Whitworth (1942–)". The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. Central Arkansas Library System. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
External links
- Delta Delta Delta Distinguished Alumnae profile
- "Donna Axum Whitworth". Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History. Retrieved February 4, 2018. video with transcript
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jacquelyn Mayer |
Miss America 1964 |
Succeeded by Vonda Kay Van Dyke |
| Preceded by Edye Addington |
Miss Arkansas 1963 |
Succeeded by Pam Jackson |