Thursday, November 3, 2022

Jackie Mayer Comes Home – Nov. 1 & 2, 1962

A little less than two months after being crowned Miss America 1963, Sandusky native Jackie Mayer returned home to Sandusky. The story of her homecoming is on the front page of the November 1, 1962 Lorain Journal above.

"Her childhood dream come true, Jacquelyn Jeanne Mayer today came home to the vacationland shores of Lake Erie as Miss America.

"She will be welcomed during her 3 1/2 day stay by school children, clubs, organizations and crowds of Sanduskians and Ohioans who have waited since August and her crowning for her return.

"Poised and beautiful at a press conference this morning at the Sandusky Yacht Club, Miss Mayer answered questions and posed for pictures. She wore a navy blue suit with navy bag and shoes. White kid gloves and a white fur pillbox hat completed her costume.

In the article, Jackie noted, "All three pageants, Miss Vacationland, Miss Ohio and Miss America, were great thrills. But, even if I could have not come home a winner, I would have gained so much from the experiences that I would be looking forward, as I am now, to seeing my friends here."

The rest of the article reveals her thoughts on being photographed and interviewed; what type of man she would like to marry; and her future plans, which involved a trip to London, England to participate in a fashion show."

In the article, Jackie comes across as classy and considerate, and having much affection for her hometown.

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Elsewhere on that front page, we see an article about a new J. C. Penney store coming to the O'Neil-Sheffield Center (I don't think that ever happened); news of a riff between Fidel Castro and Soviet Premier Khrushchev; a small blurb about a riot in New Delhi, India; a promotional piece about the upcoming Mary Lee Tucker annual Christmas Show; and most importantly, the much-missed front page "Today's Chuckle."

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On November 2, the Journal ran the follow-up story below about Jackie's stop at the Sandusky Yacht Club, and her appearance at the parade in her honor.

4 comments:

-Alan D Hopewell said...

I was interested in the editorial about Congressman Mosher and his liberal principles, so different from what passes for liberalism today.

Don Hilton said...

There are lots of liberals and conservatives that hold those same values today.
You just don't usually get to hear any of them 'cause the idiots are so loud!

Anonymous said...

I have a couple of vintage 2x2 color slides of the O'Neil Center and I can't remember seeing a JC Penneys anywhere in them.......But they aren't slides of every single store so I can't say for sure.They were dated August 1964.

-Alan D Hopewell said...

I remember the Penney's downtown, but not the one at O'Neills.