Marian Bergeron (May 3, 1918 – October 22, 2002) was

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 ...

1933 Events January * January 11 – Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independen ...

. She went on to a career in big-band singing and public speaking. She was a major supporter of the Miss America Pageant. Bergeron, from

West Haven, Connecticut West Haven is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, located on the coast of Long Island Sound. The city is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, South Central Connecticut Planning Region. At the 2 ...

, won the crown as the pageant returned to

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...

after a five-year hiatus. She is the youngest Miss America in history, winning the crown at the age of . She held the title for two years since no competition was held in 1934. One of the sponsors of the pageant,

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the major film studios, "Big Five" film studios of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood's Clas ...

, refused to award Bergeron the prize of a screen test, claiming that she was too young. Bergeron went on to a career in big-band singing. She was already an established singer at the time of the pageant, having started at the age of twelve. She appeared with several bands, among them Rudy Vallee and

Guy Lombardo Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo (June 19, 1902 – November 5, 1977) was a Canadian and American bandleader, violinist, and hydroplane racing, hydroplane racer whose unique "sweet jazz" style remained popular with audiences for nearly five decade ...

. She later became a public speaker. Bergeron was married three times. Her first marriage, to Donald Ruhlman, lasted until his death in 1972 and produced three children. Her final marriage, to Frederick Setzer, lasted until his death in March 2002. Bergeron died of

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or '' ...

in Ohio in 2002. As of 2021, she remains the only Miss America from

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

In popular culture

Bergeron was one of the 48 'Famous Women' illustrated by

Bloomsbury Group The Bloomsbury Group was a group of associated British writers, intellectuals, philosophers and artists in the early 20th century. Among the people involved in the group were Virginia Woolf, John Maynard Keynes, E. M. Forster, Vanessa Bell, a ...

artists

Vanessa Bell Vanessa Bell (née Stephen; 30 May 1879 – 7 April 1961) was an English painter and interior designer, a member of the Bloomsbury Group and the sister of Virginia Woolf (née Stephen). Early life and education Vanessa Stephen was the eld ...

and Duncan Grant in their 1932-1934 artwork, the Famous Women Dinner Service. She is in the 'Beauties' section, labeled 'Miss 1933'.

References

1918 births 2002 deaths People from West Haven, Connecticut Miss America 1930s delegates Miss America winners Deaths from leukemia in Ohio {{US-pageant-bio-stub