Judith Ford | |
|---|---|
 Ford as Miss America 1969 | |
| Born | Judith Anne Ford (1949-12-26)December 26, 1949 (age 76) Iowa County, Iowa, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Western Illinois University |
| Occupations | Athletic teacher and coach |
| Known for | Miss Boone County 1968 Miss Illinois 1968 Miss America 1969 |
| Predecessor | Debra Dene Barnes |
| Successor | Pamela Eldred |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 2 |
Judith Anne Ford Nash (néeFord; born December 26, 1949) is a retiredteacher who wasMiss America 1969. Judith Anne Ford moved toBelvidere, Illinois, at age three with her parents and brother. In 1968 she won the title of Miss Boone County, held at the Boone County Fairgrounds. She also worked as alifeguard at the city's public pool and was a swimming instructor during this time.
Ford qualified to compete in theMiss America pageant by winning first the title of Miss Boone County and then theMiss Illinois 1968 pageant. Ford was a world-class trampolinist at the time of the pageant, and used her skills on the trampoline for her performance in the talent portion of the competition—the only Miss America contestant ever to compete using the trampoline.[1]
Ford attendedBelvidere High School, inBelvidere, Illinois. After graduating from high school, she spent her freshman year of college at theUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette, (then called the University of Southwestern Louisiana), to train under the expertise of trampoline coachJeff Hennessy.
After her freshman year as a gymnast on the trampoline team at theUniversity of Louisiana, Ford took time off from her studies to compete in the Miss America pageant and its preliminaries. Following her year off, she transferred to theUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she received her bachelor's degree inphysical education and was a member ofDelta Gamma sorority. Later in life she earned a master's degree in physical education fromWestern Illinois University.
She served on thePresident's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports for eight years, appointed by presidentsRichard Nixon andGerald Ford. She was an elementaryphysical educationteacher and is now retired, but still coaches golf and basketball.
Ford was previously married to Edwin Johnson and had two sons, Brad and Brian.[2] She married James Nash, an attorney, inGeneseo, Illinois, in 1990.[2]
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Miss America 1969 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Kathryn Myers | Miss Illinois 1968 | Succeeded by Sharon Mitchell |
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