Barbara Jo Walker Hummel (March 12, 1926 – June 7, 2000) won the

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 18 and 28. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is judged on competition segments with scoring percentages: ''Priva ...

pageant in 1947. Walker was from

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

and competed at the Miss America 1947 pageant as Miss Memphis. After her Miss America reign, she married John Vernon Hummel and had three children; she resided in Memphis, Tennessee with her family until she died in 2000.

Life

Walker was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Walker. Her father operated a dental laboratory, and she had a sister, Peggy. She attended the Memphis State College and is an alumna of

Alpha Gamma Delta Alpha Gamma Delta (), also known as Alpha Gam, is an international Fraternities and sororities in North America, women's fraternity and social organization. It was founded in 1904 at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. It is the youngest m ...

sorority. Walker was a

Sunday School ] A Sunday school, sometimes known as a Sabbath school, is an educational institution, usually Christianity, Christian in character and intended for children or neophytes. Sunday school classes usually precede a Sunday church service and are u ...

teacher when she won Miss America. After her Miss America reign ended, she returned to Memphis to finish her college degree and continue teaching Sunday School rather than pursuing an entertainment career. She sang at the Second Presbyterian Church (Memphis, Tennessee) (1952), Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis for over 36 years. On June 26, 1948, Walker married physician John Vernon Hummel in Memphis, Tennessee. She and her husband had three children (two sons and one daughter) including the late Andy Hummel of the Memphis-based

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a subgenre of rock music and form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, ...

band

Big Star Big Star was an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1971 by Alex Chilton (vocals, guitar), Chris Bell (vocals, guitar), Jody Stephens (drums), and Andy Hummel (bass). They have been described as the "quintessential American ...

. She died in

, on June 7, 2000.

Miss America Reign

Walker won the Miss America pageant as Miss Memphis; she is the last city representative to win the crown (all successive Miss America winners represented states rather than cities). She was the last Miss America to be crowned in her bathing suit; all since 1947 have been crowned in their evening gowns. At the pageant, Walker sang and played piano. Walker won a $5,000 scholarship and $10,000 in personal appearance and endorsement contracts.

References

External links

University of Memphis - Alpha Gamma Delta
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Barbara Jo 1926 births 2000 deaths Miss America 1940s delegates Miss America winners Miss America Preliminary Talent winners Miss Tennessee winners University of Memphis alumni