SHS pageant winner receives crown after 55 years

Miss Springdale of 1967 was crowned Oct. 24 in a surprise event in the Springdale High School Bulldog Rotunda.

“I’m just blown away,” said Judi Cox, of Bentonville. “It seemed like a hundred years ago to me.”

Cox, 73, graduated from Springdale High School in 1967, the same year she was first crowned Miss Springdale High School.

Miss Springdale High School was a pageant for beauty, poise and talent that served as a yearbook fundraiser, said Angela Trunick, Springdale High School secretary. The pageant began in 1960 and concluded in 2009, when it had evolved to become the Mr. and Miss Springdale High School pageant.

Cox won the talent portion of the competition doing a go-go dance in white boots, Trunick said.

“I still have my go-go dress,” Cox said. “We had a lot of fun with it.”

Cox is the only pageant winner who didn’t get to keep their crown, Trunick said.

“In 1967, they made the decision to have the former winner hold their crown for one year and then pass it to the new winner in 1968,” she said.

Although Cox passed her crown on, another change in the rules allowed all subsequent winners to keep their crowns, to include the one Cox had passed on to the 1968 winner, Trunick said.

Cox had shared her experience with her hairstylist, Amy Cotham of Pure the Salon and Spa in Bentonville. Cotham said she was inspired to see if Springdale High School could present Cox with her own crown.

“Judi is so funny and such a nice person. I thought it would be nice,” Cotham said.Cox received a crown of her very own in a ceremony Oct. 24 at Springdale High School after 55 years without the piece of nostalgia.

“After a bit of digging, we located the 1967 yearbook to read a little about the pageant and perhaps get a look at the elusive crown that Judi handed to the next winner,” Trunick said. “A similar crown was located that resembled the one that Judi had worn.”

Haley Person, Springdale High School’s 2022 homecoming queen, crowned Cox at the event.

“I think the connection and memories that so many former students to Springdale have with their school is wonderful,” Trunick said. “The memories, loyalty and Bulldog pride are strong, and this is just one more example of the willingness to serve our students past, present and future.”

Person said she felt like she represented all of Springdale High School at the event.

“I’m really honored,” she said. “I’m excited to be part of something so important.”

Jason Jones, Springdale High School principal, said he was happy to host the event at the school.

“One of our favorite things to do is celebrate people,” Jones said “Being able to seize the moment to celebrate people is special.”

Springdale High School faculty members and Cox’s friends and family attended the crowning.

Cox was married to her late husband, Walter, for 35 years and has six children and 17 grandchildren.

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