The Miss Arkansas Pageant has sent a representative to the Miss America Pageant since 1938. Having first been held in Helena and in Brinkley, the state pageant moved to Hot Springs in 1957 and has been held in the Spa City since. Bill Muncrief served as the pageant's Executive Director upon its arrival in Hot Springs. He would later join the Miss America Pageant staff and pass the state leadership onto his business partner, Bob Wheeler, who would continue in the Executive Director's role for over forty years. Kelly Bales, Bob's daughter, would become Executive Director and remain in that capacity until 2008 when Rick Pruitt assumed the role.
Rich in history and social significance, the Miss America Organization is a not-for-profit corporation that has maintained a tradition for many decades of empowering American women to achieve their personal and professional goals, while providing a forum in which to express their opinions, talent and intelligence.
The Miss America competition exists for the purpose of providing personal and professional opportunities for young American women and promoting their voice in culture, politics and the community. In addition to conducting the annual national competition, the Organization acts year-round as the nation's leading achievement program and largest scholarship fund for young American women. Each year the Miss America Organization attracts approximately 80,000 contestants for competition and fosters a large network of more than 300,000 volunteers who organize all state and local competitions to further scholarship and achievement among young women in their communities.
The Miss Arkansas Pageant is Co-sponsored by the Miss Arkansas Scholarship Foundation, Inc. ~ The Hot Springs Advertising & Promotion Commission ~ The Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce ~ and The City of Hot Springs.
Board of Directors
Bobbie Horton, Vice President
June C. Felix
Fred Osborne
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