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“My University of Wisconsin education prepared me very well for life. I became a teacher and also worked in a control tower. “The ‘60s were a turbulent time. It was probably why the contest stopped.” Marilyn Moevs Helminiak '47 (1947 Badger Beauty) “When I was Badger Beauty in 1947, I thought that was going to be my ‘fifteen minutes of fame,' and after fifty-six years, it has proven to be just that. “I was one of two chosen to represent Chadbourne Hall in the Badger Beauty contest, but I thought my chances of success were small. I was not from a sorority, and Chad itself was far from Langdon Street and sorority row. But I found the experience exciting and intimidating because of the competition. “At the same time, Wade Crane was running for prom king, and he stopped at Chad on one of his campaign swings. We were having a formal dance that evening, and I was serving punch. Wade and I met over the punch bowl. Within days we began dating, while I continued competing for Badger Beauty. “When I was selected, I couldn't believe my good fortune. The girls at Chad responded by giving me a ‘sky rocket' in the dining room, and even now I feel it was a special moment because I had ‘made it' for Chad. “Not too long after that, Wade asked me to be prom queen. Both Wade and I were independents, which was unusual for prom. In fact, I was only the third independent queen up to that point. I had pledged Kappa Alpha Theta in my sophomore year, but never made my grades. After prom, I decided not to activate, even though I had made the grade quota. I felt it wouldn't be fair to join a sorority when I had been an independent for four years. “Being both a Badger Beauty and prom queen was an unforgettable honor. I was very fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time.“ Jeannine Forsmo Meyer (1949 Badger Beauty) “I was very nervous. I learned to just put my hands in my lap and look calm, then they'll never know how upset you are! It's a technique I've used all my life. “Being a Badger Beauty changed my life because I felt people are just people. Why did they choose us? Hey, we're ordinary people, too. It gave me more confidence; I felt more secure. “People should be judged by what's inside. God gave us the gift of looks; you use it how you can.” Amy Lou Zorn Chenery '51 (1951 Badger Beauty) “Being a Badger Beauty was lots of fun. We judged the engineers'
beard contest. Patricia Reybold '61 (1960 Badger Beauty) “I'll always remember being a Badger Beauty. It's my favorite UW memory. It was such a special night for me — walking under the swords. It was a real honor. “I asked student body president Charles S. Robb (Chuck Robb) to be my escort. He was just an outstanding person on campus. He later married Lynda Byrd Johnson at the White House. He became the governor of Virginia in 1982.”
Margaret Morgan '61 (1961 Badger Beauty) “I was a Badger Beauty way back in 1961. I had transferred
to the UW my junior year from Smith College and joined DG sorority
that fall. My sisters elected me as a candidate in my senior year
and, beyond my wildest expectations, I won! Alan Ragland '61
“Months later, a fraternity brother told me his pin mate would like to introduce me to a close friend of hers. Yes, it was Jan. She was a Badger Beauty, I was advised, and to her credit, she never mentioned it to me or brought it up in any of our great times together. “The Badger Beauties I knew were not only attractive, but also very well balanced socially and had the reputation of being excellent students as well.” Nancy Weinstein Brown '69 (1967 Badger Beauty) “I was a Badger Beauty in 1967. I was nominated by my sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, as were all (or almost all) of the contestants. In 1969 I was on the Badger Beauty Selection Committee, along with five or six fraternity men, and was the editor of the Badger Beauty pages in the yearbook. I married the Badger yearbook editor, Peter Brown, in January 1969. The Badger Beauties were introduced on the field at a football game. There were no official duties. The yearbook photos were taken by a professional photographer — that was unusual since very few of the Badger photos were professionally done. There were no swimsuit contests and no swimsuit photos.” John Robert Byrnes '70, JD‘73 “I began practicing law in Madison in the early ‘70s
after graduating from the UW-Madison Law School. Both my parents
were UW grads, and my father, also a law grad, achieved some prominence
in politics. It was not too surprising for me to run into other
lawyers who were either classmates or who had known him. What did
surprise me was the number of people (usually men) who knew them
both, but recalled with considerably greater enthusiasm thirty years
later that my mother had been a Badger Beauty!” |
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Fall 2003 Features
Alumni News Regulars
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