How much sense does the simple word ‘beauty’ provide! One immediately imagines either a beautiful landscape, or a beautiful house, or a person with cute features, perhaps, a woman. Read more on dallaska.
The women have always competed among themselves to see who is more beautiful. Beauty contests were created so that everyone could show off their beauty.
We will tell you about a woman who participated in such a competition and her further career.
Beauty contests
The first beauty contest was held in 1888 in Belgium, the city of Spa. 350 participants claimed the title. There were only men in the competition jury, who chose the beauty behind closed doors. Berta Sukare from Guadeloupe, who was 18 years old at the time, was chosen as the first beauty.
A beauty from the suburbs of Dallas
Phyllis Ann George was born in the town of Denton in 1949. She studied at the University of North Texas for three years until she was crowned Miss Texas in 1970. After that, Phyllis goes to study at Texas Christian University, which awards scholarships to winners of the Miss Texas honorees. In 1971, she won the Miss America competition. In 1969, she also competed for this title but received only fourth place.
After winning the contest, Phyllis, along with Cheryl Browne (Miss Iowa), Vicki Jo Todd (Miss Nevada-1970), Hela Yungst (Miss New Jersey-1970), Karen Shields (Miss Arizona-1970) and Donna Connelly (Miss Arkansas- 1970) went on a 22-day tour to Vietnam to visit the American military.
Television career
While in the status of Miss America, Phyllis visited many talk shows, including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Phyllis began her TV career with the comedy reality show Candid Camera (a long-running American comedy series with hidden cameras).
She was the first woman to become a sports commentator. She began working in 1974 at CBS Sports. The following year, she joined NFL Today, hosting the National Football League’s pregame shows.
Due to her lack of experience on television, Phyllis was often criticized. Thus, she left the show after three seasons. However, she returned and continued the work in 1980. She became famous on television for her interviews with famous sports stars.
In addition, the women worked on television:
- horse racing correspondent for CBS Sports
- a work on the TV version of People news in 1978
- anchor of a morning television show on CBS in 1985
- own prime-time talk show, A Phyllis George Special. She once had then US President Bill Clinton on a talk show (1994)
- talk show Women’s Day 1998, which was broadcast on the RAX cable network.
Business lady
She was a beauty, TV presenter and businesswoman.
During her work, she launched two companies:
- Chicken by George
- Phyllis George Beauty.
The first one sold cheap marinated chicken filets. After two years, the owner sold the business to Hormel Foods Corporation.
In 1991, the National Association of Women Business Owners named her the Celebrity Women Business Owner of the Year.
The second was a cosmetic company founded in 2008. Cosmetics and facial care products are advertised and sold on HSN.
Writer, collector and actress
During the period of her creativity and career, Phyllis wrote five books, including The I Love America Diet (1982) and Never Say Never (2002).
She was also the founder of Kentucky Museum of Arts and Craft. She was engaged in collecting folk and traditional art.
In 2000, Phyllis appeared on the screens again. She played a minor role in the film Meet the Parents.
Family
The beauty was married twice. The first marriage was with producer Robert Evans. The second was with the owner of KFC and the governor of the state of Kentucky, John Y. Brown, Jr.
Phyllis was the first lady during Brown Jr.’s governorship. A son and a daughter were born to this marriage.
The end
The beauty died on May 14, 2020 of blood cancer at the age of 70.
Her life and work was full of great triumphs and failures. She never left the work she started. The story of her life tells us about the life of a beauty, which did not end with a beauty contest. The charming, intelligent and creative nature of Phyllis left behind many monuments that will remind Americans of the beautiful Phyllis George.