SPRINGDALE -- More than five decades after she relinquished it, Miss Springdale High School 1967 has her own crown.
Judi Cox -- known as Judi Rosamond at the time -- graduated from Springdale High School in 1967, the same year she was first crowned Miss Springdale, according to a news release from the School District.
"She won the talent portion doing a go-go dance in white boots," said Angela Trunick, the high school's secretary.
Miss Springdale High School was a pageant for beauty, poise and talent that served as a yearbook fundraiser, Trunick said. The pageant began in 1960 and concluded in 2009, when it became the Mr. and Miss Springdale High School pageant, according to the release.
Cox is the only pageant winner who didn't get to keep her crown, Trunick said. They decided that year the winner would hold her crown for one year, then pass it to the following year's winner, she said.
However, another change in the rules allowed all subsequent winners to keep their crowns.
On Monday, during a ceremony at the school's rotunda, Cox received her very own crown -- this time, to keep.
"After a bit of digging, we located the 1967 yearbook to read a little about the pageant and perhaps get a look at the elusive crown that Judi handed to the next winner," Trunick said. "A similar crown was located that resembled the one that Judi had worn."
Haley Person, a Springdale High senior and this year's homecoming queen, placed the new crown on Cox's head.
"I'm just blown away. It seems like 100 years ago," said Cox, who now lives in Bentonville.
A page from the 1967 yearbook states the 13 participants that year were judged on the basis of beauty (25%), personality and poise (25%) and talent (50%).
"I think the connection and memories that so many former students to Springdale have with their school is wonderful," Trunick said. "The memories, loyalty and Bulldog pride are strong, and this is just one more example of the willingness to serve our students past, present and future."
Judi Rosamond Cox is seen Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, in a page from the 1967 Springdale High School yearbook. Cox was crowned Miss SHS in March 1967, but because of a policy change for the pageant that year, she was unable to keep her crown and was instead required her to give it to the next year's winner. When district officials learned of this, they ordered a crown similar to the original using yearbook photographs and held a surprise crowning ceremony. "I'm just blown away. It seems like 100 years ago," Cox said. Visit nwaonline.com/221025Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)