The Roots of Bristol’s 4th of July Celebration: Part IX

The Miss Fourth of July Pageant Had a Humble Origin

 The original idea of a queen to reign over the Fourth of July celebration was that of Dr. D.V.A. Capone, Dr. Samuel D. Clark, and Anthony E. Agatiello. Acting as a committee, they outlined plans and developed rules for the competition. The concept formulated by these three men was simply that of a “beauty contest,” which is very different from the elaborate Miss Fourth of July Pageant that the town enjoys today. Some of the original 1948 rules are still in effect today: the contestants must be Bristol residents, 18-20 years of age (the age rule has been flexible at times), and unmarried.

The First Contest

By Tuesday, June 29, 1948, the last day for entries 18 young women had entered the contest that was billed as “... wholesome good fun,” for a prize of 50 dollars, a silver cup from the committee, and a bolt of gabardine cloth donated by The Collins & Ackman Co. As a bonus, the queen and the runners up got to ride in the parade on a float especially built by the American Legion for the occasion.

   Individuals and several commercial concerns sponsored the contestants. Included as entrants were three sets of sisters: Eileen and Leonora Costa, Ida Mae and Priscilla Ferrara, and Eleanor and Evelyn Lemaire. Other entries who decided to try their luck included: Mary Palmer, Dorothy Alves, and Alice B. Estrella who were sponsored by the Bristol Manufacturing Corporation; Delores Torres was sponsored by Priscilla Sportswear and Barbara Newman was sponsored by Bristol Cleansers; Germaine Normandin, Anna Ramos, Mary Cunard, Anna St. Germain, Peggy Leahy and Marie Quito were all sponsored by individuals.

  The new feature of the celebration took place at 5 p.m. Sunday, July 3, on the reviewing stand in front of the Reynolds School. Three judges viewed the contestants dressed in gowns as they walked across the platform. Bertrum W. Wall acted as Master of Ceremonies and he presented each girl with a flower as he called her number. After all of the contestants had been presented, they left the stage and the judges went into a huddle to choose the five finalists. The girls must have been beside themselves in anticipation and spent a sleepless night because the name of the winner was not announced until the following morning of The Fourth.

  The morning dawned clear, pleasant, and full of excitement for 18 young Bristol girls as they made their way to the bandstand in the center of the common where the judges' decisions would be announced. The Captains of the visiting ships, Captain Baker of the USS RICH and Captain Rankin of the USS PERRY presided at the ceremony.

 The eventual winner of the first Miss Fourth of July Contest was Miss Evelyn Lemaire; she was crowned by and received kisses from the ships’ Captains. The other finalists who acted as the Queen’s Court were Mary Palmer, Eileen Costa, Marie Quito, and Ida Mae Ferrara.

 1949: The success of the premier Miss Fourth of July Contest not withstanding, contest chairman, Dr. Capone expressed concern for the future of the contest; as of June 28, only six Bristol girls had signified their intention to enter the contest. The contest was eventually held on Sunday, again with Bertram W. Wall acting as Master of Ceremonies.

 On Monday morning on the Common Band Stand, shortly before the parade, Miss Barbara Ferrara was crowned and kissed by Rear Admiral Henry S. Kendall. The newly crowned queen and her court rode on a float in the parade. After the parade, the queen and her court were presented to the town at the Patriotic Exercises at the Reynolds School. Miss Ferrara’s prizes included gifts of cash, hosiery, a set of cosmetics and jewelry, a floral bouquet and a rhinestone encrusted crown.

 1950: Selection of the finalists for the Miss Fourth of July Beauty Contest got underway at 5 p.m., July 2 on the reviewing stand at the Reynolds School. Ten contestants dressed in evening gowns paraded across the stage before a panel of judges and a crowd of citizens who gathered to watch the event. From the 10 entrants, five young women were chosen as semi-finalists.

 Mrs. Marguerite Stone, the committee member who chaired the event, mustered the five girls on the Common Band Stand on the morning of the Fourth. After a brief round of introductions, Chief Marshal Harold Church Paull crowned Lee Ann Reilly¾Queen of the Parade. For prizes, Miss Reilly was presented with a 50-dollar savings bond and a promise that Bristol artist Santo Digati would paint her portrait in oils. Each of the runners-up were presented with a pearl necklace and a corsage. This was one of the few years in the history of the Miss Fourth Contest that no float was made available; so, the queen and her court rode in an open car.

 1954: Hilda J. Ferris chaired the event this year. Three navy officers did the judging of the contestants Sunday afternoon from the visiting ships. Marie Maturi, 17, of 60 Court Street won the Miss Fourth of July title and was crowned with a coronet of red roses on Monday morning by Town Council President Joseph F. Bruno. In doing the honors, Mr. Bruno congratulated all the girls on their participation and complemented them on their poise. The girls rode on a float that was built and decorated by the Bristol Jaycees.

 1955: The contest to choose the young woman, who would reign over the 1955 parade was held at the Sunday afternoon Patriotic Exercises. Three officers from the visiting USS JOHNSTON and the USS PERRY made the selection of the five finalists

 Just before the parade on Monday morning, Hilda Ferris read the officers’ decision and the honor of crowning the new queen once again fell to Joseph F. Bruno, who placed a festoon of red roses upon her head. The new queen and the other contestants rode on a float built by the Jaycees; following the parade, all the girls were treated to an escorted tour of the USS JOHNSTON.

 The eventual winner of the Miss Fourth of July Contest for 1955 was 16-year-old Mary Ann Ventura. Mary Ann, a Home Economics major at Bristol Senior High School, designed and made the gown that she wore. She said that designing and sewing clothes started as a hobby but had become a serious interest; she hoped to study fashion at Rhode Island School of Design.

 1959: Selecting Miss Fourth of July from the field of contestants was the featured event at the Fourth of July Ball held on June 27 at the National Guard Armory. The Colorful event included the Black Watch Regimental Band of Montreal in full dress regalia; they played ceremonial airs and marches as the girls paraded before the judges, escorted by officers from the visiting ship USS GLENNON. Judging the competition was the GLENNON’s Captain, Commander David P. Wynkoop and the GLENNON’s Executive Officer,  Bristol native LCDR Mariano Bucolo.

 Committee member Margaret O’Brien crowned Miss Fourth of July, Alberta Ann Remieres during the Patriotic Exercises at the Colt School before the parade on the morning of the Fourth.

 1972: The 25th showcase of Bristol beauty drew 21 contestants who were judged on their good looks, poise, and their ability to field a series of questions from the judges. The five finalists who were selected by the six judges were, Celia Gomes, Jackie Mascagna, Lynn Loring, Tina Rogers, and Jackie Billoti. Miss Billoti, 18, who was a finalist in the 1971 contest, won the honor of the coveted title for this year. Angela deMedeiros chaired the event that took place at the Rhode Island Veterans Home on June 19.

 1974: With 28 girls in the Miss Fourth of July competition, the 1974 edition proved to be the biggest in the 27-year history of the event.

 One week after the five finalists were chosen, one of the girls was disqualified after it became known that she split her residency between her parents’ home in Tiverton and at the home of a friend in Bristol. Cindy Mello was the eventual winner of the title.

 1975: Miss Fourth Chairperson Angela deMedeiros announced on May 1, the committee’s plans for a pageant-type affair. The committee felt that because of the record turnout of girls who took part in the 1974 contest; growing interest in the event on the part of towns-folk and; the fact that the contest had become an important new fund-raiser for the celebration, it was time to change the format. The new pageant format, which included entertainment at strategically placed breaks in the program, proved to make the 1975 contest one of the most successful since the event became a regular feature of the celebration.

 Applications were available from May 3 to May 31 for the contest and the committee received a record number. What was to be the town’s most gala event of the season is second only to the Fourth of July Ball held in the Bristol High School auditorium on June 17.

 The 1974 queen Cindy Mello in front of an audience of 400 cheering spectators crowned eighteen-year-old Donna M. Ferreira. The judges had such a difficult time selecting the order of the four runners-up; they decided not to place the girls in one-through-four order; they were all equal second-place winners.

 The second prize winning float in the most beautiful category, the Miss Fourth of July float, sponsored by Alegria Construction Co., caught fire near the corner of Hope and Burton Streets when someone tossed a string of firecrackers aboard. The five girls jumped to the street; spectators came to the rescue and beat out the flames with blankets while others poured soft drinks and beer on the flames. The decorations at the rear of the float were burned down to the plywood frame. It was because of this incident, the Float Committee has since included in its rules a requirement that all floats must carry a fire extinguisher.

  1978: The pageant, as usual, was a smashing success and played to a full house of proud relatives and friends. The one aspect of the 1978 Miss Fourth of July event that will never be forgotten by the queen (or her court or any other participant in the parade) is the soaking rain that fell on one and all on the Fourth. The rain kept thousands away from Bristol, but the downpour did not seem to dampen the spirits of Torie Stevens or her court on the Miss Fourth of July Float.

 The girls, although wet to the skin and carrying umbrellas, continued to smile and wave to the equally wet spectators from their soggy floral paper decorated float.

 1979: Twenty-eight young Bristol women entered their names for the 1979 competition. Out of that number, 23 actually competed for the title on Tuesday, June 19, at the Bristol High School auditorium. On the Tuesday prior to the pageant, Donna M. Ferreira, past Miss Fourth for 1975, tutored all the contestants in correct modeling techniques.

 The 1978 titleholder, Torie Stevens, crowned the eventual winner of the title, Patricia Troiano. Miss Troiano, a Bristol High School senior had plans to become a medical secretary after completing a course of study at Bryant College.

 The judges, who included Lori Leydon, Miss Rhode Island 1978, rated the contestants on their poise, personality, and their ability to answer randomly drawn questions. Cooperating to present the entertaining evening were many members of the committee, directed by co-chairs Angela deMedeiros, wife of past Chief Marshal Dr. Victor deMedeiros, and Donna M. Ferreira.

Contest Matures into Pageant

From the mid-1970s into the early 1980s, the contest began to take on a new mature look, style, and direction. The annual outing of Bristol beauties was gaining in popularity as a serious pageant-type presentation evolved. Qualifications for the selection of the five finalists were now based on more than just good looks, judging was put into the hands of professionals from modeling, advertising, and radio and television broadcast worlds. The role of the teen-age lass chosen Miss Fourth of July was beginning to become more of an active one.

 No longer just a pretty face to brighten the parade, the queen now had duties that included attending the many functions of the celebration to aid the Chief Marshal in presenting awards to winners of the various contests and sporting events. Now, in addition to reigning as “Queen of the Parade,” she and her escort are honored guests at the annual Fourth of July Ball and Chief Marshal’s Reception. At the Patriotic Exercises on the morning of the “day we celebrate,” Miss Fourth of July delivers a short welcoming salutation to the gathered citizens and strangers. Built especially for the queen and her court, the float is distinctively hers and it is the lead float in the Chief Marshal’s Division.

 1981: Twelve contestants and an audience of 450 gathered in the Bristol High School auditorium on the evening of June 17 to take part in the annual spectacular of the Miss Fourth of July Pageant. This year, the pageant was under the direction of co-chairs Virginia O’Brien and Roseline Pontes.

 The eagerly sought title was won and accepted by Joanne Moreira, 17, a senior at Bristol High School. Joanne, whose hobbies include horseback riding and skiing, said that her career ambition was to become a doctor of veterinary medicine. The reigning Miss Fourth and her court received as part of their gift package, invitations for themselves and their escorts to the Bristol Yacht Club reception and a table at the Fourth of July Ball.

 The array of judges assembled that evening included Sharon McGarry, a holder of two competitive titles, Miss RI-USA (1978) and Miss RI-WORLD (1980).

 1984: Again, the pageant was staged in the Bristol High School auditorium and played to an almost full house. Radio personality “King” Arthur Knight acted as master of ceremonies for the event; he introduced each of the contestants by number and read, to each, a question that she drew from a bowl.

 After the question and answer session, the 16 contestants, ranging in age from 16 to 20, left the stage to change into evening gowns. During the brief intermission, members of the school’s drama club entertained the audience. When the girls returned to the stage, they were escorted by Naval Officers from the Naval Education and Training Center, Newport.

 At the conclusion of the 2-hour pageant, Bethany D’Amico, who announced her ambition to become a data processing business manager, received her Miss Fourth of July crown from Victoria Brett, the 1983 winner. Miss D’Amico, 20, a 1982 Bay View Academy graduate had just completed her second year of study at George Washington University, Washington, D.C., where she was majoring in information processing.

 1988: Kimberly Coccio, a Bristol High School honor student was crowned Miss Fourth of July 1988 at the pageant held at the King Philip Motor Lodge, Sunday, May 22.

 The judges and the people in the audience got a good look at the contestants this year. The stage, which included a runway provided a better view as the nineteen contestants modeled first a suit or dress, then an evening gown.

 1990: The King Philip Restaurant was the site of the forty-first Miss Fourth of July contest (there was no contest in 1952). The two judges interviewed the 17 contestants one-on-one before the public portion of the pageant. The judges scored the entrants on their poise, personality and general appearance. Also considered was how well they fielded a series of questions on random subjects and how well they handled themselves during the interview.

 The eventual winner of the crown was Jennifer Faria, an 18-year-old Bristol High School student, who was scheduled to graduate the following evening. The queen, in addition to riding on a float in the parade and making appearances at other celebration events, received many valuable gifts donated by area merchants.

 Tickets to the pageant cost $4 and $2, for a net profit to the committee of $600.

 1991: Twenty-five young women were in the 42nd competition for the crown. The pageant was held Sunday, June 9, at the King Philip Inn. The Pageant over the past several years has become an important fund raiser for the celebration; tickets for the 1991 evening’s festivities were $5 and $3 purchased at the door.

 The winner of the title was Miss Laurie Ramos, a 1988 graduate of Bristol High School. At the time Miss Ramos was attending Johns Hopkins University for her third year. She planned to attend the Rhode Island School of Design for the next three years to earn a bachelor of fine arts degree, and later return to John Hopkins for one semester to complete her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and art history.

 1994: On a sunny Sunday afternoon in May, 15 young Bristol women faced a panel of judges at the King Philip Restaurant Ballroom. Jennifer Sousa, an 18-year-old Mt. Hope High School senior, captured the highest score as well as the title and crown of Miss Fourth of July.

 Jennifer, a pageant veteran, was the second runner-up in the 1992 contest. She said she entered this year’s pageant to see how she could compete against contestants her own age. She was so sure she wouldn’t win she didn’t even tell her parents she had entered.

 1995: Andreia Mendonca said she was “shocked” after being named Miss Fourth of July at the Friday May 5 evening ceremonies at the Mt Hope High School; she was chosen over 11 other contestants.

 Miss Mendonca, a Class of ’95 Mt. Hope High School graduate, played on the girl’s basketball team for two years and was a member of the International Club and the National Honor Society. She said her immediate goal is to earn a degree in engineering from Brown University.

 For the second consecutive year the Miss Fourth of July float was sponsored by the Bristol Branch of the United States Postal Service and built by Bristol postal workers.

Nineteen year old Lisa DosAnjos was crowned Miss Fourth of July for 1997 and eight-year-old Ashley Ann Oliveira won the first-ever Little Miss Fourth of July title. Each contestant was crowned during separate pageants held at Roger Williams University before approximately 300 guests.

  Lisa, daughter of Alfredo and Maria DosAnjos of Shore Road is a business management major at Bryant College. She said she is aiming to attain a law degree and take over her family’s business. Ashley, daughter of Joseph and Linda Oliveira of Malden Street is a third-grade student at Walley School.

 The pair of title holders and their courts made their first official appearance at Flag Day Exercises, June 14, the official opening of Bristol’s 212th Fourth of July celebration.      

 Bristol has always been noted for the beauty of its young women. Now, thanks to the annual Miss Fourth of July Pageant, it continues to be proven that in addition to beauty, Bristol girls are endowed with poise, grace, talent, and intelligence. 

1948

Evelyn Lemaire

1974

Cindy Mello

2000

Heidi Squires

1949

Barbara Farrara

1975

Donna Ferreira

2001

Eliza Burham

1950

Lee Ann Rielly

1976

Kathy Centazzo

2002

Laura Beth Almeida

1951

Grace Castro

1977

Donna Soares

2003

Courtney Glavin

1952

No Contest

1978

Torie Stevens

2004

Hilary Motta

1953

Frances Marshall

1979

Patricia Troiano

2005

Ashley Rodriques

1954

Marie Maturi

1980

Jo Ann Goglia

2006

Victoria Thomson

1955

Mary Ann Ventura

1981

Joanne Moreira

2007

Niclole Silvia

1956

Roberta Luther

1982

Bonnie Brayton

2008

Kaitlyn MacDonough

1957

Louise Bettencourt

1983

Victoria Brett

2009

Jennae Paul

1958

Roslind Matheson

1984

Bethany D’Amico

2010

Kayla Nerone

1959

Alberta Remieres

1985

Cheryl Sousa

Little Miss Fourth

1960

Edith Duffy

1986

Carol Anguila

1997

Ashley Ann Oliveira

1961

Debbie Babbitt

1987

Rene Cortellessa

1998

Alyssa Luther

1962

Patrica Rielly

1988

Kim Coccio

1999

Cassandra Guercia

1963

Lorraine Alfred

1989

Joanne Mello

2000

Shannen Doherty

1964

Gail Rinaldi

1990

Jennifer Faria

2001

Kailey Grantham

1965

Marcia Blount

1991

Laurie Ramos

2002

Niki Jannitto

1966

Barbara Fields

1992

Jennifer Neves

2003

Samantha Jannitto

1967

Susan Smith

1993

Christine Beaulieu

2004

Emily Sousa

1968

Linda Rhynard

1994

Jennifer Sousa

2005

Makenzie Marshall

1969

Theresa Bisbano

1995

Andreia Mendonca

2006

Victoria Sousa

1970

Pamela White

1996

Sarah Traynor

2007

Andersyn Costa

1971

Barbara Tubridy

1997

Lisa Dos Anjos

2008

Aurora Faria

1972

Nancy Caromile

1998

Lizabeth Marshall

2009

Abigail Lombardo

1973

Jackie Bilotti

1999

Gia Marie Handley

2010

Jade Lynn Ramos