Title Miss America 1937 Name Bette Cooper | Successor Marilyn Meseke Predecessor Rose Coyle | |
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Born 1920 (age 94–95) Hackettstown, New Jersey, United States Alma mater Centenary College of New Jersey Education Centenary College of New Jersey | ||
Elizabeth "Bette" Cooper-Moore (born August 11, 1920) won the Miss America 1937 pageant as Miss Bertrand Island, representing an amusement park on Lake Hopatcong in New Jersey. She was born in Hackettstown, New Jersey. She caused a stir when she disappeared for some 24 hours after winning the title. Evidently overwhelmed by what was expected of her, she insisted upon a much lighter schedule than planned by pageant officials so that she could attend college. This led pageant officials to have future contestants sign agreements as to what was expected of the winner.
Cooper attended Centenary Junior College (now Centenary University) in Hackettstown where she was a member of the Delta Sigma Sigma sorority and graduated in 1938 at ceremonies attended by Governor of New Jersey A. Harry Moore. As of 2017, she is the earliest and oldest Miss America awardee/title holder still living. She married a Wall Street executive and has two children, Cheryl and Gregory, as well as four grandchildren, Adriane, Derek, Noelle, and Sarah. Cooper, who did some modeling and appearances in the years after her title, has long shunned any connection or involvement with Miss America. Michael Callahan wrote a roman à clef on Cooper titled The Night She Won Miss America (2017).
