by Sonya Gavankar, Miss DC 1997

Being interviewed is nothing new for all the women who have had the honor of wearing the Miss America crown. So, I was a bit nervous calling Neva Langley Fickling, Miss America 1953. A quick search of the Internet proved she had done many things and had been interviewed many times (http://www.missamerica.org/meet/history/1950/1953.asp). 
From the start of our phone conversation, I immediately realized why she had won the title. We had an interview scheduled for 2PM, but due to a family emergency, she had rushed home without having lunch. She asked, in the most gracious manner, if I wouldn’t mind calling back in 15 minutes so she could have lunch. This was Miss America! She deserved more than 15 minutes to enjoy lunch! 
 
Neva has always been a giver. You could tell that fact simply from her vast experience since Miss America. She constantly gives her time and energy to some of the country's  best musical causes. I am sure the Miss America judges saw that giving spirit.
 
Neva won the title at the tender age of 19. “Every girl has had a unique experience in their own way. Mine was that I broke in the first chaperone.”
 
It is hard for us today to imagine Miss America – or even a Miss State – traveling to appearances without that famous traveling companion with them every step of the way. Neva guesses that because she was so young, the Miss America Organization felt she needed a companion to not only watch over her, but to be a companion on the cross country trips. Her chaperones were various sponsors, sometimes her sister, or volunteers from events where she appeared at. Even with the constant watchful eyes, she was given a good deal of freedom. By the spring, the chaperone disappeared. “I guess they thought I could handle it” she remarked. 
 
Neva handled herself impeccably through out all her trips - model of grace and poise, an incredible role model for young people. The Miss America Organization realized she was a pro, and by August the chaperone had returned. “Mary Corey was the first official Miss America Chaperone. They sent her to me and said, ‘Neva, teach her what to do.’”
 
She traveled all over the country: in New York City one day; and Los Angeles the next, taking her at least 14 hours to get from one city to the next. This was during a time when only celebrities traveled by air, and Miss America was one of the biggest. She appeared at Presidential Inaugurations, Congressional Luncheons and being a hostess for Look Magazine’s, “All American Football Athletes.” The appearances were as glamorous as appearing on “The Jackie Gleason Show,” or as homespun fun as the “Yamblies Festival” in Louisiana. 
 
She worked hard; so hard that she was bedridden for 2 weeks with pneumonia. “I got it between the Rose Bowl Parade and Eisenhower’s Inauguration” she remembered. Both were memorable appearances for her, but it is the pneumonia that makes her laugh. Because of the bout with pneumonia, the Miss America Organization required a new rule that no Miss America could work more than 12 hours straight, and she had to have a block of 4 hours to relax at some point in the day. Neva only asked for a week off at Christmas and 2 weeks before the pageant, so she could learn a new piano composition. “I was exhausted when it was all over,” she said.

Neva traveled to all sorts of locations performing her breathtaking piano talent on everything from Steinways to upright pianos. While she had no official platform, Neva integrated a message of strong moral beliefs in all her appearances. “It wasn’t being preachy, it was setting good examples,” she remarked proudly.