View source for Wendy Dascomb

{{Short description|American model}}
{{Infobox pageant titleholder
| name=Wendy Dascomb
| image=Wendy Dascomb, Miss USA, 1969, front, cropped.jpg
| caption= Dascomb in 1969
| title=[[Miss Virginia USA|Miss Virginia USA 1969]]<br/>[[Miss USA 1969]]
| nationalcompetition=[[Miss USA 1969]]<br/>(Winner)<br/>[[Miss Universe 1969]]<br/>(Top 15)
| birth_place= [[Metairie, Louisiana]], U.S.
| education=[[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]]
| birth_name= Wendy Jane Dascomb
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1950|01|07}}
| height={{height|ft=5|in=9}}
| eye_color= [[Eye color#Blue|Blue]]
| hair_color= [[Blond]]e
| spouse=Jay Bryan
| children=5
}}
'''Wendy Jane Dascomb''' (born January 7, 1950) is an American model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned [[Miss USA 1969]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Travels 4,000 Miles to See Girl Crowned|work=[[The Gettysburg Times]]|last=Associated Press|date=1969-05-26|url=https://news.google.co.nz/newspapers?id=qTwmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vP4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2616,3255057&dq=danville+wendy-dascomb&hl=en}}</ref> As Miss USA, she represented the United States at [[Miss Universe 1969]], placing in the top fifteen. Dascomb had previously been crowned [[Miss Virginia USA|Miss Virginia USA 1969]], becoming the first woman from Virginia to be crowned Miss USA.

==Early life and education==
Dascomb was born in [[Metairie, Louisiana]]. After graduating from high school, Dascomb enrolled in Stratford College in [[Danville, Virginia]], where she studied [[liberal arts]] and wished to become a special education teacher.<ref name="gruelling" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Pageant Hard Work for Contestants|date=1969-05-21|url=https://news.google.co.nz/newspapers?id=GMUfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=n9gEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3312,5778892&dq=danville+wendy-dascomb&hl=en|work=[[Southeast Missourian]]|last=Associated Press}}</ref> She later enrolled in the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]], receiving a degree in [[comparative religion]] and [[philosophy]].<ref name="province" />

==Pageantry==
Dascomb began her career in pageantry in 1969, as a college freshman. After being convinced by her school's faculty, Dascomb opted to compete in the Miss Piedmont beauty pageant. She went on to win the competition, which enabled her to compete for the title of [[Miss Virginia USA|Miss Virginia USA 1969]]. Dascomb later won the state title as well.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pageant Hard Work for Contestants|date=1969-05-21|url=https://news.google.co.nz/newspapers?id=GMUfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=n9gEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3312,5778892&dq=danville+wendy-dascomb&hl=en|work=Southeast Missourian|agency=Associated Press}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Wendy Dascomb, Miss USA Beauty, Has Title and Doubts|work=[[The Tuscaloosa News]]|url=https://news.google.co.nz/newspapers?id=lvQhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CJwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3627,3640544&dq=miss-universe+wendy+dascomb&hl=en|date=1969-07-17}}</ref>

===Miss USA===
[[File:Wendy Dascomb, Miss USA, 1969, side, cropped.jpg|thumb|upright|Dascomb as [[Miss USA 1969]]]]
After being crowned Miss Virginia USA 1969, Dascomb received the right to represent Virginia at [[Miss USA 1969]], held in [[Miami Beach, Florida]]. In the competition, Dascomb advanced to the top fifteen, and later the top five, ultimately being crowned the winner. Her win made her the first woman from Virginia to be crowned Miss USA.<ref name="province"/>

During her reign as Miss USA, Dascomb traveled to more than one hundred cities as an ambassador and model, including appearances in South America and Europe.<ref name="gruelling">{{cite news|work=[[The Beaver County Times]]|date=1970-04-17|url=https://news.google.co.nz/newspapers?id=qrEiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QbMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4016,4928886&dq=danville+wendy-dascomb&hl=en|title=Queen's Pace is Gruelling|first=Ron|last=Evushak}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Miss USA Likes her Title and People|url=https://news.google.co.nz/newspapers?id=UGkiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5qoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=916,5401126&dq=miss+usa+likes+her+title+and+people&hl=en|work=[[Argus-Press]]|date=1969-06-13|first=Naomi|last=Rock}}</ref> Additionally, as part of her prize package, Dascomb received $5,000 in cash, and a variety of other prizes.<ref name="province">{{cite news|work=[[TimesDaily|The Florence Times—Tri-Cities Daily]]|title=People her Province, Says Blonde Beauty|last=Associated Press|url=https://news.google.co.nz/newspapers?id=3QAsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ocYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4100,3887889&dq=danville+wendy-dascomb&hl=en|date=1969-06-22}}</ref>

After winning Miss USA, Dascomb represented the United States at [[Miss Universe 1969]], also held in Miami Beach. She placed in the top fifteen, and the competition was won by [[Gloria Diaz]] of the Philippines.<ref>{{cite news|title=Philippine Beauty Wins Miss Universe Crown|work=[[Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph]]|date=1969-07-21|url=https://news.google.co.nz/newspapers?id=ZH8mAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dFYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3045,1125785&dq=miss-universe&hl=en}}</ref> Dascomb crowned [[Deborah Shelton]], also of Virginia, as her successor at the [[Miss USA 1970]] pageant. During her farewell address, Dascomb delivered an impromptu speech speaking of her disillusionment with the pageant and how she learned that beauty pageants were "all wrapped up in selling – sell me, sell a swimsuit".<ref>{{cite news|title=Retiring Miss USA Tells of Disillusionment|last=Associated Press|url=https://news.google.co.nz/newspapers?id=9IkeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=o8sEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6066,4497208&dq=miss-usa+wendy-dascomb&hl=en|work=[[The Daytona Beach News-Journal|Daytona Beach Morning Journal]]|date=1970-05-18}}</ref> Dascomb later went on to state that she "was not the best Miss USA," but that she "was the most honest".<ref name="honesty">{{cite news|first=Tad|last=Bartimus|title=Miss USA stresses honesty|work=[[The Free Lance–Star]]|date=1970-05-15|url=https://news.google.co.nz/newspapers?id=uwURAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jOcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7169,1628567&dq=miss-usa+wendy-dascomb&hl=en}}</ref> In an interview after giving up her crown, Dascomb stated that she was excited to return to college in order to be with people who "share [her] views".<ref name="honesty" /><ref name="virginia">{{cite news|title=Virginia Miss Wins it Again|last=Associated Press|work=[[Evening Independent|St. Petersburg Independent]]|date=1970-05-18|url=https://news.google.co.nz/newspapers?id=yNwLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UlcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6046,4206931&dq=danville+wendy-dascomb&hl=en}}</ref>

In 1972, Dascomb contributed an article for ''[[Ms. (magazine)|Ms.]]'', in which she wrote of her experience as Miss USA and elaborated further on her disillusionment over the pageant and her role as a titleholder, additionally being featured on the cover of the magazine's first issue. In 2011, during an interview with ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', Dascomb recalled how she was often at odds with pageant organizers due to her outspokenness [[Opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War|against]] the [[Vietnam War]] and support of [[women's rights]] due to her alignment with the [[hippie]] subculture, adding that they thought she "should be perfect and have scripted answers" while calling herself "a real rebel".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/3778306/beauty-speaks-portraits-of-30-former-miss-usa-pageant-queens/|title=Beauty Speaks: Portraits of 31 Former Miss USA Pageant Queens|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=June 20, 2011|last=Goto|first=Yumi}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Dascomb has resided on a farm in [[Chapel Hill, North Carolina]], together with her husband Jay Bryan since the 1990s. Dascomb and Bryan have five children; three are Dascomb's from her first marriage, and two are Bryan's from his marriage with his late wife. Dascomb and Bryan also have six grandchildren.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/dec97/pbknc.html|title=North Carolina Phi Beta Kappa Inductees by County |access-date=2010-02-19}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Miss USA titleholders}}
{{Miss Universe 1969 delegates}}
{{Miss Universe Organization titleholders
|Year = 1969
|Miss Universe= {{flagicon|Philippines}} [[Gloria Diaz]]
|Miss USA= {{flagicon|Virginia}} '''Wendy Dascomb'''
}}
{{Virginia pageant winners}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dascomb, Wendy}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:American anti–Vietnam War activists]]
[[Category:American beauty pageant winners]]
[[Category:American female models]]
[[Category:American feminists]]
[[Category:Female models from Louisiana]]
[[Category:Female models from Virginia]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Miss Universe 1969 contestants]]
[[Category:Miss USA 1960s delegates]]
[[Category:Miss USA winners]]
[[Category:People from Danville, Virginia]]
[[Category:People from Metairie, Louisiana]]
[[Category:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni]]
[[Category:21st-century American women]]