Mrs. America's Honor Role
The pageant delegates show their true colors basking in the golden glow of a Palm Springs celebration.
By Kristianna Nichols

As I watched the 2004 Mrs. America spectacular overlooking a breathtaking poolside stage at the Riviera Resort & Racquet Club in Palm Springs, California, on a balmy evening last September, it gave me goose bumps. As Mrs. America 1991, I flashed back to being on stage competing with similar excitement. I beamed with pride at these accomplished married women. The 51 ladies of Mrs. America are a microcosm representing more than 65 million married women throughout the USA. The Class of ’04 includes eight medical professionals and three attorneys; 41 of the 51 are college graduates; and 41 are moms. A famous mom, The Brady Bunch TV star Florence Henderson, served as hostess of the pageant and TV special, nicely assisted by John Hindman, a Los Angeles based writer and personality.

The outdoor setting was right out of the “Golden Age of Hollywood” — lush green palm trees and flowers lined the stage, which stretched across the giant pool. As the show began at sunset, colorful lights reflected off the water as the delegates entered for a fabulous opening production number. Dressed in sorbet-colored dresses, the 51 contestants danced and pranced to an up-tempo music track in front of an enthusiastic audience of families and friends. As I glanced around at the crowd, I spotted several returning queens... Nicole Brink (Mrs. America 2001), Laurett Ellsworth Arenz (Mrs. America 2002), Suzanna Pavadee Vicheinrut-Muangkroot (Mrs. World 2003), Heidi Dinan (Mrs. America 2004), plus many state winners from years past and proud state directors — all cheering their favorites.

As the Parade of States commenced, the delegates displayed imaginative costumes of whimsical and colorful inspiration. Once the Top 10 costumes were revealed — Georgia, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Utah, Oklahoma, Nevada, Alaska, South Carolina, and Kentucky — Mrs. Washington Erin Ring emerged as the winner. Now it was time to get down to the real business of the evening — picking a new Mrs. America — and announcing the Top 10 semifinalists. They were (in no particular order) Minnesota, Ohio, Alabama, Georgia, Massachusetts, Illinois, Iowa, California, New York, and Florida. Whew. We were halfway there.