There is no greater pageant than Miss America, and Jean Bartel was one of the earliest winners. She was born as Jean Margaret Bartelmeh (1923-2011) on October 26, 1923 in Los Angeles, California. She studied at the University of California, Los Angeles where she planned to major in music. Jean initially entered the Miss California after learning one of the judges was actor W. Horace Schmidlapp. She was hoping to land a career on Broadway, which she did successfully after being crowned Miss California and Miss America in 1943. At 5'8", she was the tallest winner in the pageant's history.
50s
