Mrs America

Prior to the current Mrs. America pageant, there was an earlier pageant of the same name. The pageant was created by public relations executive Bert Nevins in 1936 as a promotion for his client, Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey. When Nevins sold the pageant in 1963, it was the only nationally televised beauty pageant for married women.

By 1964, participants were graded on cooking, sewing, ironing, party preparation and other homemaking abilities, family psychology, grooming, poise, personality, and general attractiveness.

In 1977, after a nine year hiatus, it was revived  by David Z. Marmel, after his successful career in professional athletics and independent television production.  He was instrumental in setting the new direction for the pageant and transforming the pageant into the multifaceted event it is today.

Mrs. America, Inc., will celebrate its 45th anniversary in 2021. The pageant has been televised on networks including PAX and WE (Women’s Entertainment); in May 2011, it was carried by the My Family TV network.

On August 29, 2014, the pageant was held in Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona. The pageant moved to its original pageant home, Las Vegas – Westgate Resort, Hotel and Casino. The pageant continues to be held in Las Vegas yearly.

During the 2014 pageant, Mrs. America, Inc., announced that it would be participating in a joint Russian-American contest to be held in Sevastopol, Crimea. This has caused some controversy, since Crimea is recognized by most countries in the world as Ukrainian territory that has been annexed by Russia. 

The 2015 joint pageant was supposed to mark the 25th anniversary of a joint U.S.-Soviet Mrs. America contest held in Moscow in 1989 to foster good will between the two countries; however, organizers announced that due to the devaluation of the ruble against the American dollar, the pageant would have to find a new site.