Maria Fletcher
| Maria Fletcher | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Maria Beale Fletcher June 23, 1942 Asheville, North Carolina, United States |
| Alma mater | Vanderbilt University |
| Title |
Miss Asheville 1961 Miss North Carolina 1961 Miss America 1962 |
| Predecessor | Nancy Fleming |
| Successor | Jacquelyn Mayer |
| Children | 2 |
Maria Beale Fletcher (born June 23, 1942) was Miss America 1962.
Early life and education
Fletcher was born to dancing duo, Charles "Beale" and Margaret Gatley Fletcher, who were the founders of the Fletcher School of Dance and the Land of the Sky Civic Ballet. She has one brother, Walter, and two sisters, Margaret and Bonnie.[1]
She is from Asheville, North Carolina, and was a graduate of A.C. Reynolds High School. She worked as a Radio City Music Hall Rockette prior to winning the Miss America crown.[2] After winning Miss America, Fletcher used her earned scholarship towards a degree in French from Vanderbilt University.[3]
Pageantry
She was the Miss America preliminary competition swimsuit winner, and her overseas tour included visits to 31 Army hospitals and Servicemen's Clubs. For the talent competition, she tap danced to a recording of herself singing “Somebody Loves Me.”[4] She remains to date the only Miss North Carolina to be crowned Miss America.
Career
During the late 1960s, Fletcher served as co-host of The Noon Show on Nashville, Tennessee, television station WSM.
Personal life
She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.
References
- ↑ "Oral History Register for Beale Fletcher, 1914-1994 and Peggy Fletcher". University of North Carolina at Asheville. Archived from the original on 2008-04-11.
- ↑ "Miss America History 1962". Archived from the original on 2006-09-23. Retrieved 2006-12-31.
- ↑ Tauber, Michelle; Neill, Mike; Russell, Lisa; Fowler, Joanne; Dam, Julie; Tresniowski, Alex; Miller, Samantha; Dougherty, Steve; Yu, Ting (October 16, 2000). "American Beauties: 80 Years". People.
- ↑ https://www.ncdcr.gov/blog/2013/09/09/our-only-miss-america
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Nancy Fleming |
Miss America 1962 |
Succeeded by Jacquelyn Mayer |
| Preceded by Ann Herring |
Miss North Carolina 1961 |
Succeeded by Susan Woodall |