Miss Tall International
Encyclopedia
The Miss Tall International' pageant selects a representative of the Tall Clubs International
. The annual event includes contestants from across the United States and Canada and takes place during the Tall Clubs International annual convention. In June 2010, the convention was held in New Orleans. Joy Dawson, of the Tall Club of Greater Washington D.C., was crowned the 66th Miss Tall International. Dawson is a motivational speaker. Her platform is to motivate young people and provide tools for dealing with bullying. She is also the second African American to hold the title since the pageant began in 1947.
Miss Tall International' is considered by TCI to be a goodwill ambassador to the world to get the tall message out on a national and international level. Miss TI’s expenses for her travels are paid by inviting clubs with some reimbursement by the TCI Executive Board.
The winner often visits members clubs at their annual weekend upon invitation. During her travels she may often be used in publicity sessions organized by the hosting club. Miss TI has appeared in the past on nationally televised TV shows, radio shows, and other high profile events. She may also use her position to instigate changes in industry to provide a higher quality of life for tall people everywhere.
Tall Clubs International
Tall Clubs International is a social organization in the United States and Canada, comprising over fifty independent Tall Clubs.The group says its mission is "to promote tall awareness among tall men and women, and in the community; to provide social activities of mutual interest, travel to cities...
. The annual event includes contestants from across the United States and Canada and takes place during the Tall Clubs International annual convention. In June 2010, the convention was held in New Orleans. Joy Dawson, of the Tall Club of Greater Washington D.C., was crowned the 66th Miss Tall International. Dawson is a motivational speaker. Her platform is to motivate young people and provide tools for dealing with bullying. She is also the second African American to hold the title since the pageant began in 1947.
Competition
Throughout the year, all local clubs have the opportunity to select their representatives for their individual clubs. The member clubs may choose their representative in any way their club bylaws provide, typically by way of a local pageant or election. The winners of the local pageants then may attend the annual Tall Clubs International convention and compete on a national level to be the representative, globally, of all the TCI member clubs as Miss Tall InternationalR.Miss Tall International' is considered by TCI to be a goodwill ambassador to the world to get the tall message out on a national and international level. Miss TI’s expenses for her travels are paid by inviting clubs with some reimbursement by the TCI Executive Board.
The winner often visits members clubs at their annual weekend upon invitation. During her travels she may often be used in publicity sessions organized by the hosting club. Miss TI has appeared in the past on nationally televised TV shows, radio shows, and other high profile events. She may also use her position to instigate changes in industry to provide a higher quality of life for tall people everywhere.
History
The earliest recorded tall pageant winner was in 1947, that year four tall clubs around the US sent contestants. The title was changed in 1967 to "Miss Tall Universe" and was changed again in 1974 to "Miss Tall International'". In general, contestants can win local club titles many times, can compete for Miss TI as frequently as their clubs will send them, and can win the title of Miss TI only once. The number of contestants in the annual competition has varied widely, from two contestants in some years to 23 contestants in 1993. In 1991, the competition lasted over 4 hours with 21 contestants.Winners
| Year | Name | Local Title | Height | Clubs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Joy Dawson | Miss Tall Club of Greater Washington, D.C. | 6'2" | Tall Club of Greater Washington, D.C. | Current Miss TI |
| 2009 | Holli Jennings | Miss Tall Portland | 6'4" | Portland Skyliners | |
| 2008 | Billie Jean Morrison | Miss Tall San Francisco | 6'2" | Golden Gate Tip Toppers | |
| 2007 | Jane Baldwin | Miss Tall Portland | 6'2" | Portland Skyliners | |
| 2006 | Annette M. Chionilos | Miss Tall Boston | 6'0½" | Boston Beanstalks Tall Club | |
| 2005 | Lisa L. Lightner | Miss Tall Baltimore | 5'11" | Baltimore Tall Club | |
| 2004 | Nancy Lynn Jacoby | Miss Tall Sarasota | 5'11" | Sarasota Tall Sunsations | |
| 2003 | Joan Jacobs | Miss Tall Boston | 5'11" | Boston Beanstalks Tall Club | |
| 2002 | Kristen A. Carlson | Miss Tall Boston | 5'11" | Boston Beanstalks Tall Club | |
| 2001 | Karen Harper | Miss Tall Houston | 6'1" | Towering Texans of Houston | Resigned |
| 2001 | Amy L. Storm | Miss Tall Dallas | 5'10" | Tall Texans of Dallas | 1st runner-up took over reign |
| 2000 | Jerelynn Reams Shields | Miss Tall Denver | 6'0" | Timberline Club of Denver | |
| 1999 | Janet Rosemary Hughes | Miss Tall Houston | 5'10½" | Towering Texans of Houston | |
| 1998 | Suzanne Stavast | Miss California Tip Topper | 6'0" | California Tip Toppers | |
| 1997 | Rissa Marie Dodson | Miss California Tip Topper | 6'1¾" | California Tip Toppers | |
| 1996 | Norma Forrest | Miss Tall Toronto Towers | 6'1" | Tall Club of Toronto | |
| 1995 | Kira Anthofer | Miss California Central Coast | 6'4" | California Central Coast Club | |
| 1994 | Carol L. Hudson | Miss Tall Houston | 6'0½" | Towering Texans of Houston | |
| 1993 | Jill Viglione | Miss Tall San Francisco | 6'2" | Golden Gate Tip Toppers | |
| 1992 | Jan Bielefeldt | Miss Tall Dallas | 5'11¾" | Tall Texans of Dallas | |
| 1991 | Rose Carnduff | Miss Tall Toronto Towers | 5' 11" | Tall Club of Toronto | |
| 1990 | Jane Phillips | Miss Tall Houston | 5'10½" | Towering Texans of Houston | Married in October |
| 1990 | Roberta Holler | Miss Tall St. Louis | 6'1½" | St. Louis Tip Toppers | 1st runner-up took over in November |
| 1989 | Carolyn Coyne | Miss Tall Chicago | 6'0½" | Paramount Tall Club of Chicago | |
| 1988 | Susan LaPierre | Miss Tall Philadelphia | 6'0" | Tower Club of Philadelphia | |
| 1987 | Doreen Elizabeth Christian | Miss Tall San Francisco | 5'10" | Golden Gate Tip Toppers | |
| 1986 | Rochelle Yuga | Miss Tall Houston | 6'0" | Towering Texans of Houston | |
| 1985 | Trish Burda | Miss Tall Houston | 6'3" | Towering Texans of Houston | |
| 1984 | Anna Mary Rowan | Miss Tall Atlanta | 6'2" | Atlanta Sky-Hi Club | |
| 1983 | Cynthia Lou Smith | Miss Tall Washington D.C. | 5'10" | Tip Toppers of Washington D.C. | |
| 1982 | Susa Leigh Kennedy | Miss Tall Houston | 5'10½" | Towering Texans of Houston | |
| 1981 | Patricia Meier | Miss Tall San Francisco | 6'0" | Golden Gate Tip Toppers | |
| 1980 | Kathy June Hindman | Miss Tall Atlanta | 6'2" | Atlanta Sky-Hi Club | |
| 1979 | Carol Glasgow | Miss Tall Philadelphia | 5'11" | Tower Club of Philadelphia | |
| 1978 | Roxanne Pasquarella | Miss Tall Florida | 5'11" | Florida Skyliners of Miami Inc. | |
| 1977 | Jeanne Connell | Miss Tall Florida | 5'11½" | Florida Skyliners of Miami Inc. | |
| 1976 | Antoinette Mals | Miss Tall Cincinnati | 5'11½" | High Cincinnatians | |
| 1975 | Leslie Valstad | Miss Tall San Francisco | 6'0" | Golden Gate Tip Toppers | |
| 1974 | Gail Frantz | Miss Tall Dallas | 5'11" | Tall Texans of Dallas | First year of Miss Tall International |
| 1973 | Beverly Horne | Miss Tall Atlanta | 5'11" | Atlanta Sky-Hi Club | Last year of Miss Tall Universe |
| 1972 | Tara Sheldon | Miss Tall Washington D.C. | 6'4" | Tip Toppers of Washington D.C. | |
| 1971 | Elaine McLendon | Miss Tall Dallas | 5'11½" | Tall Texans of Dallas | |
| 1970 | Pamela Bissinger | Miss Tall San Fernando Valley | 6'0" | San Fernando Valley Tip Toppers | |
| 1969 | Linda Sue Frantz | Miss Tall Toledo | 5'11" | Toledo Tip Toppers | |
| 1968 | Carol Jean Neefe | Miss Tall San Fernando Valley | 6'0" | San Fernando Valley Tip Toppers | |
| 1967 | Sherry Youmans | Miss Tall Denver | 6'1" | Timberline Club of Denver | |
| 1966 | Adria Easton | Miss Tall Denver | 5'11" | Timberline Club of Denver | |
| 1965 | Suzanne Baughman | Miss Tall Portland | 6'0" | Portland Skyliners | |
| 1964 | Kathleen Wiswall | Miss Tall Denver | 5'11¾" | Timberline Club of Denver | |
| 1963 | Carol Dettman | Miss Tall Milwaukee | 6'1" | Milwaukee Toppers LTD. | |
| 1962 | Kathy Tiefenbach | Miss Tall Detroit | 6'1" | Tip Toppers Club of Detroit | |
| 1961 | Joyce Nilsson | Miss Tall Girls of Chicago | 5'11" | Tall Girls' Club of Chicago | |
| 1960 | Connie Adams | Miss Tall Atlanta | 5'11" | Atlanta Sky-Hi Club | |
| 1959 | Martine Whitford | Miss Tall Los Angeles Higher Ups | 5'11" | Los Angeles Tall Club | |
| 1958 | Shirley Thaxton | Miss Tall Cincinnati | 5'11" | High Cincinnatians | |
| 1957 | Marianne Feagan | Miss Tall California Tip Topper | 6'1" | California Tip Toppers | |
| 1956 | Frances Chadwick | Miss Tall California Tip Topper | 6'3" | California Tip Toppers | Queen of Height |
| 1955 | Ramona Chalecki | Miss Tall Girls of Chicago | Tall Girls' Club of Chicago | ||
| 1954 | Joan Van | Miss Tall Chicago | Paramount Tall Club of Chicago | ||
| 1953 | Ruth Murphy | Miss Tall Boston | 5'11" | Boston High Hubbers | |
| 1952 | Sonia Smevik | Miss Tall California Tip Topper | 6'2" | California Tip Toppers | |
| 1951 | Betty Lou Glavanic | Miss Tall California Tip Topper | 6'0" | California Tip Toppers | |
| 1950 | Adrienne Hatch | Miss Tall Dallas | Tall Texans of Dallas | ||
| 1949 | Helen Lukacs | Miss Tall Girls of Chicago | 6'0" | Tall Girls' Club of Chicago | |
| 1948 | Marie Van Leuven | Miss Tall Girls of Chicago | 6'1½" | Tall Girls' Club of Chicago | |
| 1947 | Grace Tattu | Miss California Tip Topper | 6'0" | California Tip Toppers |