Deidre Downs Gunn | |
|---|---|
 Downs at theJimmy Carter Work Project June, 2005 | |
| Born | (1980-07-07)July 7, 1980 (age 45) Alabama, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Virginia Samford University (BA) University of Alabama School of Medicine (MD) |
| Occupation(s) | Physician inObstetrics andGynecology (Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility) |
| Employer | Reach Fertility, North Carolina |
| Title | Miss Leeds Area 2004 Miss Alabama 2004 Miss America 2005 |
| Term | September 18, 2004 - January 21, 2006 |
| Predecessor | Ericka Dunlap |
| Successor | Jennifer Berry |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 1 |
Deidre Downs Gunn (born July 7, 1980) is an Americanphysician and former beauty pageant titleholder. Downs wasMiss Alabama 2004 and later was crownedMiss America 2005.[1][2][3]
After graduating fromPelham High School in 1998,[4] Downs attended theUniversity of Virginia on avolleyball scholarship.[5] While at the University of Virginia, she was an Echols Scholar[4] and a member of the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society.[6] After her freshman year of college at theUniversity of Virginia, Downs chose to focus on her studies and aspiration to go to medical school and ultimately transferred toSamford University.[5][7] Her transfer resulted in her losing her scholarship, so she began competing in local pageants to earn scholarship money.[8] She graduated magna cum laude in 2002 fromSamford University with a degree in history and a double-minor in biology and chemistry.[5][9] She was also a finalist for theRhodes Scholarship in 2002.[4]
After completing her stint as Miss America, she began medical school at theUniversity of Alabama School of Medicine (UAB) inBirmingham.[10] She received herDoctor of Medicine in 2010 and then completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at theUAB Medical Center in 2014.[9] She continued her education at theUAB Medical Center and completed her fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility in 2017.[9]
Downs competed in her high school's pageants and won her senior year.[5]
After her first year of college at theUniversity of Virginia, Downs chose to focus on her studies and aspiration to go to medical school and ultimately transferred toSamford University.[5][8] This transfer resulted in her losing a volleyball scholarship, so she began competing in local pageants to earn scholarship money.[8]
She first entered the Miss Alabama pageant scene in 2000 and was named third runner-up at the 2001 and 2002 pageants[11] and first runner-up at Miss Alabama 2003 pageant.[1]
She was named Miss Leeds Area 2004, making her eligible to compete at theMiss Alabama 2004 pageant.
Downs won the competition in June 2004,[1] when she received her crown from outgoing Miss Alabama titleholder, Catherine Crosby.[12] This was her 5th time competing in the Miss Alabama pageant.[5][8]
Downs was Alabama's representative at theMiss America 2005 competition held inAtlantic City, New Jersey in September 2004. Her platform was "Curing Childhood Cancer."[13]
In the preliminary competition, Downs was announced as the sole winner of the Quality of Life Award.[14] For the talent portion of the competition, she sangLinda Eder's "I'm Afraid This Must be Love."[15]
After competing in casual wear, swimsuit, evening gown, and participating in a "pop quiz", only two state titleholders remained, Downs andMiss Louisiana 2004, Jennifer Dupont.[16] She then beat out Dupont after a head-to-head talent competition[16] for the 2005 title and was crowned byMiss America 2004,Ericka Dunlap, on September 18, 2004.[13][17][18][19] Along with the title of Miss America, Downs also won a $50,000 scholarship. Downs was the thirdMiss Alabama titleholder to win the Miss America title.[15]
Downs later stated that she received nearly $110,000 in scholarship money[4][5] during the five years she competed in the Miss Alabama and Miss America organizations. Downs is the only titleholder to reign for part of three calendar years.[citation needed] The pageant, traditionally held in September, was delayed four months to allow the Miss America Organization to secure a TV deal. Her successor,Jennifer Berry of Oklahoma, was crownedMiss America 2006 on January 21, 2006.
Downs Gunn later served as a judge for the final night of competition for theMiss America 2014 pageant in whichNina Davuluri was namedMiss America.[10]
After Downs married her college sweetheart, Andrew Gunn, in March 2008, she changed her name to Deidre Downs Gunn.[20][21] They had a son in 2010.[4][20] The couple later divorced.
Downs remarried in 2018 in a private ceremony at theBirmingham Museum of Art inBirmingham, Alabama.[15][22] Her wife, Abbott Jones, is an attorney and writer.[22][23] Downs is the first former Miss America national titleholder to enter a same-sex marriage.[24]
...took home the top prize after being named first runner-up in the contest last year.
...Downs, who before this year finished as first runner up for Miss Alabama in 2003 and third runner up in 2001 and 2002.
First runner-up in the Miss Alabama pageant, Shannon Camper, will now serve as the state's winner.
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Miss America 2005 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Catherine Crosby | Miss Alabama 2004 | Succeeded by Shannon Camper |