Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the Lenora Slaughter Papers

Summary

Photograph album
Photograph album
Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.1227
Creators:
Slaughter, Lenora, 1906-2001
Dates:
1935-1996, undated
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
6 Cubic feet
10 boxes
Repository:
Personal papers primarily documenting the professional career of Lenora Slaughter, director of the Miss America pageant, with some information relating to post-retirement activities and other beauty pageants.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
Collection primarily documents Lenora Slaughter's reign as director of the Miss America pageant. It consists of official pageant materials, such as programs, photographs, internal memos, correspondence, manuals, official press guides, newspaper clippings, publications, and 16mm film. A small amount of the collection relates to her private life and post-retirement activities. In addition, information relating to other pageants can also be found among these materials.
The collection is arranged in five series: Series 1, Personal Papers, 1936-1967, undated; Series 2, Professional Materials, 1935-1995, undated; Series 3, Miss America Pageant, 1945-1996, undated; Series 4, Photographs, 1951, undated; and Series 5, Bradford Frapart Papers, 1954-1969.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Collection is arranged in five series.
Series 1, Personal Papers, 1936-1967, undated
Series 2, Professional Materials, 1935-1995, undated
Series 3, Miss America Pageant, 1945-1996, undated
Series 4, Photographs, 1951, undated
Series 5, Bradford Frapart Papers, 1954-1969

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Lenora S. Slaughter, director of the Miss America pageant from 1941-1967, played a pivotal role in significantly shaping the program in more purposeful and lasting ways. During her leadership as the first female director, she changed the perspective of the pageant and created a safer and more meaningful experience for the young women. Some of the changes she is credited with are a ban on contestants representing commercial interests, adding the talent portion of the competition, providing chaperones for participants during their time in Atlantic City, establishing rules for age and marital status, and creating the college scholarship program. Slaughter also ultimately turned the local Atlantic City beauty pageant into a national event.
Lenora S. Slaughter was born in Live Oak, Suwannee County, Florida on October 23, 1906, to Alpheus Byron Slaughter (August 1882-May 1,1946) and Susan Letitia Johnson (February 4, 1876-June 5, 1969). She graduated from Hamilton College and married Bradford Hutton Frapart (October 12, 1910-September 27, 1972) in 1948. Lenora Slaughter died in Gilbert, Maricopa County, Arizona on December 4, 2000, at the age of ninety-four.

Administration

Author
Vanessa Broussard-Simmons
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection purchased from David Slaughter, great nephew of Lenora Slaughter, in 2011.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Sarah Gediman, intern, 2019; Julia Gibson, intern, 2019; Savannah Hildre, intern, 2019; and Lauren Janik, intern, 2019; supervised by Vanessa Broussard-Simmons, archivist, 2019.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Preferred Citation
Lenora Slaughter Papers, 1935-1996, undated, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Conditions Governing Use
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
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Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Awards Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Beauty contestants Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Beauty contests -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Beauty culture Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Corporations Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Costumes and clothes Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Correspondence Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Correspondence -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Black-and-white photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Fashion -- 20th century Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Feminine beauty (Aesthetics) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
NEW JERSEY-Atlantic City Title Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pageants Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pageants -- 1930-1940 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photograph albums -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
scholarships Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Scrapbooks Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Scrapbooks -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Shows Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
16mm films Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Telegrams Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Weddings Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Weddings -- 1940-1950 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
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Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
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