Jacque Mercer (1931–February 2, 1982) from Litchfield, Arizona was Miss America in 1949. Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 962 - Translatio imperii: Pope John XII crowns Otto I Holy Roman Emperor, the first Holy Roman Emperor Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

With ancestors including President James Polk and Daniel Boone, it wasn't surprising that Jacque Mercer found herself growing up on the X-Bar X-Ranch in Litchfield, Arizona, and the last Miss America to be born somewhere other than a hospital. James Knox Polk ( November 2 1795&ndashJune 15 1849 was the eleventh President of the United States, serving from March 4 1845 to March 4 1849 Daniel Boone ( &ndash September 26 1820 was an American pioneer and hunter whose frontier exploits made him one of the first folk heroes In her early years, Jacque won a 4H ribbon for her radishes, and was eighth grade valedictorian. At fifteen, she decided that she'd also like to be Miss America one day.

"It was about three years before I won that I first started collecting information on the subject," she once said. "It was just dependable old

Jacque. I had done some modeling but I had never even been nominated for homecoming queen or anything. But, I just figured if you could learn to be a brain, you could learn to be a woman. Nobody figured I could do anything anyway. "

"From the first, I didn't know where to turn, so most of my early research just involved clippings from relatives from other parts of the country"

Tiny in stature, Jacque studied clothing and looked for patterns that gave the illusion of height. She practiced her dramatics endlessly and decided upon the potion scene from "Romeo and Juliet" as she thought it radiated class. She also dutifully noted that in her spare time she raised Maltese dogs. To look animated to the judges she developed a plan with Miss Arkansas to recite three letters of the alphabet and wait for a response of the next three letters. By the time she arrived in Atlantic City, she had made competition an art form, won the Miss

America title outright, and later even published a book about her findings.

"Seven people saw me off. When I came back (with the title) a squadron of planes met mine at the Arizona state line and escorted me to Phoenix. "

While still holding the title, Jacque married. Unfortunately, the marriage ended very quickly. Later she became very instrumental in seeing that she would be the last Miss America to marry during her tenure. At Jacque's urging, pageant officials changed the rules so that Miss America was no longer permitted to marry while holding the title.

Jacque graduated from Arizona State University, taught school, married All-American Football Player and advertising executive, Dick Curran and had two children, Richard Jr. and Shannon. While raising the children, Jacque entered into business with her husband and received numerous copy-writing awards throughout her career. Jacque also remained active in community work during her life, including starting a debutante ball and a girl's club, until her passing in 1982.

Preceded by BeBe Shopp

Miss America 1949

Succeeded by Yolande Betbeze

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