Venus Ramey | |
|---|---|
 Venus Ramey in 2007 | |
| Born | (1924-09-26)September 26, 1924 |
| Died | June 17, 2017(2017-06-17) (aged 92) |
| Occupation(s) | Tobacco farmer, activist |
| Title | Miss America 1944 |
| Predecessor | Jean Bartel |
| Successor | Bess Myerson |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
Venus Ramey Murphy (September 26, 1924 – June 17, 2017) was an American beauty pageant contestant, and later an activist. She won theMiss America competition inAtlantic City, New Jersey, on September 9, 1944.
Ramey was born inSomerset, Kentucky, to Evalena (née Brown; 1889–1967) and John Coons Ramey (1887–1970).[1] She later left Kentucky to work for the war effort inWashington, DC. Through herpatriline, Ramey was distantly related to Country musiciansLoretta Lynn,Crystal Gayle,Jay Lee Webb,Peggy Sue andPatty Loveless.[citation needed]
She won theMiss District of Columbia pageant and then becameMiss America in 1944. She was the first Miss America to be photographed in color and also the first red-haired contestant to win the national title.[2]
She was wooed byHollywood in 1947, but dissatisfied with show business, she returned home to herEubank, Kentucky, tobacco farm (which she maintained for over 50 years) inLincoln County, Kentucky.
Ramey became the first Miss America to run for public office, seeking a seat in theKentucky House of Representatives.[2] In the 1970s, Ramey successfully campaigned to saveOver-the-Rhine, a neighborhood inCincinnati, Ohio. The neighborhood was eventually listed on theNational Register of Historic Places, and her work led her to make an unsuccessful bid for a spot on theCincinnati City Council.[2]
She was a tobacco farmer who, in 1999, filed an unsuccessful lawsuit against the federal government for $300 billion for its anti-tobacco policies.[3] She also was a write-in candidate for the 2000 presidential election.[3]
In April 2007, at age 82, Ramey confronted intruders who had entered a storage building on her Waynesburg, Kentucky farm where thieves had previously stolen equipment. She used a snub-nose .38revolver to shoot out the tires on their pickup truck, then flagged down a car and had the driver call 911, holding the would-be thieves at gun-point until the sheriff arrived. "I didn't even think twice. I just went and did it", she said. "If they'd even dared come close to me, they'd be six feet under by now."[4]
In 1944, aB-17 of the 15th Air Force, 301st bomb group was named the "Venus Ramey." This plane is reputed to be one of the longest-lived B-17s of thewar, having flown over 150 missions and survived the war. It was later scrapped.[5] There was also aB-24 Liberator bomber (42-52312) in the 454th bomb group named "MISS AMERICA '44" which flew 133 missions.[6]
She married Joseph Henry Murphy Jr. in 1948; the couple later divorced.[3] Ramey raised two sons, Joseph Henry "Hank" Murphy III and Martin Wallace "Wally" Murphy, who survive her.[2]
Ramey died in anAgoura Hills, California, hospice on June 17, 2017, at the age of 92. Her funeral was held at aScience Hill, Kentucky, funeral home on July 2, 2017, followed by burial at the Eubank Cemetery inPulaski County, Kentucky.[7]
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Miss America 1944 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Dixie Lou Rafter | Miss Washington, D.C. 1944 | Succeeded by Dorothy Powell |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
