The Great CPT Photobomb Experiment on Facebook and Carol Morris, Miss Universe!

Thank you for taking part in my CPT Facebook Photobomb experiment.  Since the world, America and social media has been overcome by fake news, agitators, instigators, and jerks, and thanks to the news media it has engulfed the nation, I wanted to try an experiment.

Hardly a conversion on social media takes place in which people don’t judge and condemn each other over the most trivial of things, mostly politics.  I have experienced old friends from high school whose friendships have survived for decades suddenly unfriend old friends for the stupidest of reasons.

Conversation works two ways and there can be none without listening to the other person, respecting their right to an opinion, and understanding you can differ on issues without trashing your lifelong friendships.

I do not believe humans can survive without communication.  Differences should not destroy relationships but help people understand each other.  Passion for an issue does not mean you hate everyone with an opposing view.

So, I set up a rather interesting experiment.  I decided to spend a weekend on social media starting a series of conversations related to the Walsh basketball legacy that could include people of any philosophy, political bend, prejudice or passion, could bring in those on different sides of events (like the Walsh and OHS participants in state tournament basketball games), and include people from any school who related to Ottumwa.

My goal was to create enough series to keep it going for at least 72 straight hours and it would draw hundreds of interactions and comments.  My dream was to generate all this social media chatter on Facebook and get through several days without a SINGLE nasty, bad, bitter, hateful, or incendiary remark.

Start conversations that ignored hate, disrespect, a failure to communicate, and all the other bias and prejudice so prevalent on the internet.  Bring people together rather than tear them apart.  Heal wounds rather than rip the band aid off.

Thanks to all of you the experiment was a stunning success as hundreds upon hundreds of people participated and there was not a single, negative element to over 72 hours of non-stop chatter.

It was great to see children and grandchildren of those mentioned in my conversation strings point out their relatives, many deceased, and to learn more about the world we grew up in during the fifties and sixties.

We did it.  All differences were put aside for a brief moment in time and now I know the time will come when those filled with hate, rage and bias will no longer dominate.

Following is one last reminder of a Golden Age in our lives, youth, as my form of thanks for reinforcing my faith that the spirit of Jesus will bring an end to the darkness and prevail in the end.  Yet another integral yet often forgotten memory of our youth.

Carol Ann Laverne Morris

Better known as Miss Universe

The Pride of Ottumwa, Iowa and a Nation!

Beauty, Brains, Brawn, and Breathtaking – Iowa’s National Treasure

So, Ottumwa, Iowa is not exactly a household name to most people and were it not for Radar O’Reilly on Mash, whose fictional hometown was Ottumwa, Iowa, or Tom Arnold who married Roseanne Barr for a time and starred in movies like True Lies with Arnold Schwarzenegger, one might not know it exists.

Could you ever imagine this small town in Southeastern Iowa was also the home of someone who earned the title of the most beautiful woman in the world?

I know, it is truly stretch but truth often involves some rather strange situations.  This is one.

You see, once upon a time back in the Golden Age of the 1950’s for a brief moment of time Ottumwa could brag about being home to the most beautiful woman in the world.

Not only was she beautiful but smart, athletic, played violin, sang in the choir, and was a preacher’s daughter.

Let me introduce you to Carol Ann Laverne Morris, perhaps the most famous person to ever grow up in Ottumwa, Iowa.

    

Born April 8, 1936, in Omaha, Nebraska Carol Morris lived for a time in Scott City, Kansas before moving to Ottumwa, Iowa where she spent most of her early life and attended Ottumwa High School.

The only child of Minister Laverne Morris and his wife, Carol became a lifeguard at the public swimming pool, taught swimming, and was an exceptional swim team member.

She was also smart, for in high school Carol finished 4^th in her class of 300 students.  At the same time Carol was a violin virtuoso and a member of the church choir.

Attending college at Drake University in Des Moines where she studied elementary education, she became a swimming star and in 1954 she broke the national junior Olympics backstroke record.

This intellectual, athletic, musically inspired and beautiful young woman was invited to join the prestigious Kappa Alpha Theta international sorority, the oldest Greek sorority in America for women.

Also during three years at Drake she played viola with the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra.

That was when Carol developed into a stunning 5-foot 7-inch beauty weighing 131 pounds with blue eyes and nearly dark brown hair.

Perhaps she was destined to be a beauty queen when, during high school, she won the Miss Ottumwa competition.  She was sponsored by the South Ottumwa Boosters Club.

While at Drake University she entered and won the Miss Iowa beauty pageant of 1954 and in 1955 represented Iowa in the Miss America competition.  In the talent portion she played the song Stardust on her violin.

The next year, 1956, she represented Iowa in the Miss USA beauty pageant which she won in Long Beach, California.

Her final competition was the 1956 Miss Universe contest where she beat out 83 worldwide competitors to become only the second American and the first Iowan to win the international honor.

In fact, no other Iowan has ever won the Miss USA or Miss Universe competitions.

Miss Universe Competition

During her year reigning as Miss Universe she toured with Bob Hope and got to meet Presidents Harry Truman and Herbert Hoover.

Miss Universe 1956 Carol Morris was a Guest on 'What's My Line' Show (Aired August 5, 1956).  Carol also was “mystery” guest on two of the most popular game shows of the 1950’s What’s My Line and To Tell the Truth.  She was on the same What’s My Line episode as Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago.

She did manage to return home during the year to Ottumwa where over 2,000 people made the 12-mile trip to greet her at the airport while thousands swarmed the parade downtown including me, to see the stunning beauty and her four-foot tall Miss Universe trophy. 

Joining the festivities was Iowa Governor Leo Hoegh.

One of the prizes from the competition was an acting contract for a year at Universal Studios after her year as Queen and she co-starred with actor Jeff Chandler in her debut movie, Crazy Love.

A movie and television career followed and she acted in many productions such as the movie Born to be Loved and a TV episode of Ozzie and Harriet but performed in her last movie, Paradise Valley, released in 1962.

In June of 1959 at age 23 Carol married a 45-year old Texas oil tycoon from Houston, Ed “Buzz” Burke.  In April 1960 they had their first child, a boy, and then two more children.

Her husband died and Carol remarried and had one further child.

In 2007 she resurfaced in the Hollywood scene as Executive Producer of the motion picture The Cake Eaters, with Mary Stuart Masterson producing and directing and Kristen Stewart, Elizabeth Ashley, and Bruce Dern starring.

According to friends, Carol still lives in Texas and is doing well, happy, and content with life.  From an old Ottumwa friend and classmate I got the following update on Carol.

"Carol lives in Houston, Texas and is as lovely and sweet as ever.  Carol is very family oriented and does not live in the past that much. She never attends any of her OHS class reunions either!  She loves her life in Texas, but does respond to her Ottumwa friends when notified!"