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Maria Fletcher | |
|---|---|
 Postcard of Fletcher as Miss America 1962 | |
| Born | Maria Beale Fletcher (1942-06-23)June 23, 1942 (age 83) |
| Alma mater | Vanderbilt University |
| Title | Miss Asheville 1961 Miss North Carolina 1961 Miss America 1962 |
| Predecessor | Nancy Fleming |
| Successor | Jacquelyn Mayer |
| Children | 2 |
Maria Beale Fletcher (born June 23, 1942) is an American beauty pageant contestant who wasMiss America 1962.[1]
Fletcher was born to dancing duo Charles "Beale" and Margaret Gatley Fletcher, who were the founders of the Fletcher School of Dance and the Land of the Sky Civic Ballet. She has one brother, Walter, and two sisters, Margaret and Bonnie.[2]
She is fromAsheville, North Carolina, and was a graduate of A.C. Reynolds High School. She worked as aRadio City Music HallRockette prior to winning the Miss America crown.[3] After winning Miss America, Fletcher used her earned scholarship towards a degree in French fromVanderbilt University.[4]
She was the Miss America preliminary competition swimsuit winner, and her overseas tour included visits to 31 Army hospitals and Servicemen's Clubs. For the talent competition, shetap danced to a recording of herself singing “Somebody Loves Me.”[5] She remains as of 2025[update] the onlyMiss North Carolina to be crownedMiss America.
During the late 1960s, Fletcher served as co-host ofThe Noon Show onNashville, Tennessee, television stationWSM.
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Miss America 1962 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Ann Herring | Miss North Carolina 1961 | Succeeded by Susan Woodall |
 | This biography article about a United States contestant in a beauty pageant is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
 | ThisNorth Carolina–related article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |