{{Short description|American model (1909–1966)}} {{Infobox person | name = Norma Smallwood | image = Norma Smallwood.jpg | alt = | caption = Smallwood in 1927 | birth_name = Norma Des Cygne Smallwood | birth_date = {{birth date|1909|05|12}} | birth_place = | death_date = {{death date and age|1966|05|08|1909|05|12}} | death_place = Wichita, Kansas | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | nationality = | citizenship = | other_names = | known_for = | education = Oklahoma College for Women | alma_mater = | employer = | occupation = | years_active = | title = Miss Tulsa 1926<br>Miss America 1926 | term = | predecessor = Fay Lanphier | successor = Lois Delander | party = | opponents = | boards = | spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|Thomas Gilcrease|1928|1934|reason=divorced}} * {{marriage|George H. Bruce|1936}} }} | partner = | children = 1 | parents = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }}
'''Norma Des Cygne Smallwood''' (May 12, 1909 – May 8, 1966) was the winner of the Miss America 1926 pageant.
==Early life== Smallwood's hometown was Bristow, Oklahoma.<ref name="Tulsa-World-5-28-2015">Jackson, Debbie and Hilary Pittman. [http://www.tulsaworld.com/blogs/news/throwbacktulsa/throwback-tulsa-ex-miss-america-s-divorce-case-scandalized-tulsa/article_e4a9da7b-6100-5004-9807-eb25366e163e.html "Throwback Tulsa: Ex-Miss America's divorce case scandalized Tulsa in '34,"] ''Tulsa World'', May 28, 2015. Accessed May 28, 2015.</ref> She was the daughter of Edward Smallwood and Mahalia Angela (Robinette) Smallwood. She also had a paternal half sister and half brother. She earned the Miss Tulsa title and graduated from high school at age 16.
==Miss America 1926== At the time she competed for Miss America, Smallwood was a student at the Oklahoma College for Women.<ref name="United Press 1"/> Her hobbies included swimming, dancing, and horseback riding, and she served as captain of her college hockey team.<ref>{{cite news|title=Miss America 1926 Truly Beautiful and Different|last=N.E.A.|date=1926-09-24|publisher=The Evening Independent|page=10A}}</ref><ref name="Miss-America-Archive">{{cite web | url= http://www.missamerica.org/our-miss-americas/1920/1926.asp | title= Miss America History 1926 | accessdate = 2006-12-23 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060923040409/http://www.missamerica.org/our-miss-americas/1920/1926.asp <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2006-09-23}}</ref>
Smallwood captured first place in both the bather's review<ref name="United Press 1">{{cite news|title='Miss America' Likes Tall Man|agency=United Press|date=1926-09-11|newspaper=The Pittsburgh Press|page=1|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VUMqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HkoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5624%2C2580342}}</ref> and the evening gown contest.<ref>{{cite news|title=Beauty Contest Narrows Down|last=Associated Press|date=1926-09-10|publisher=The Evening Independent}}</ref> For the latter, she wore a pale blue velvet gown designed by Paul Nemzershe.<ref name="Tulsa-World-7-15-2015">Covington, Hannah. [http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/for-sale-one-miss-america-trophy-mystery-included/article_9b38f6c9-0b88-5acd-9e59-edd9c28d2645.html "For Sale: One Miss America Trophy - Mystery Included,"] ''Tulsa World'', July 15, 2015. Accessed July 15, 2015.</ref> The following evening, she was crowned Miss America 1926.<ref>{{cite news|title=Miss America Fets Offers to Go In Movies, on Stage, and to Altar|last=United News |date=1926-09-14|publisher=The Evening Independent|page=2}}</ref> Smallwood is noted as being the first self-identified Native American (Cherokee) to win the crown.<ref>[http://www.missamerica.org/our-miss-americas/1920/1926.aspx 1926 Norma Smallwood ] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502105624/http://missamerica.org/our-miss-americas/1920/1926.aspx |date=2012-05-02 }}</ref> Despite claiming Cherokee heritage, Smallwood and her family are not listed on the Dawes Rolls and were not Cherokee Nation tribal citizens.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/people/nofsinger-to-compete-in-miss-oklahoma-pageant/article_add43666-beac-11ec-8152-9bd5b0ebe828.html |title=Nofsinger to compete in Miss Oklahoma Pageant |date=18 April 2022 |publisher=Cherokee Phoenix |accessdate=2022-05-21}}</ref>
Smallwood wore her long chestnut hair in two braided buns, unlike the bobbed flapper style that was popular at the time.<ref name="Tulsa-World-5-28-2015"/> Her measurements were 33-24-33, which also contrasted with the flat-chested style preferred by flappers.<ref>Carlile, Glenda. ''Petticoats, Politics, and Pirouettes: Oklahoma Women 1900-1950'', Southern Hills Publishing Company: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1995, p.58.</ref> The ''Tulsa World'' considered Smallwood's win a victory against the nontraditional flappers.<ref name="Tulsa-World-5-28-2015"/>
During her year as Miss America, she became the poster girl for Meadows Washing Machines and Westinghouse Electric, in addition to many others. It was said she made approximately $100,000 during her year.<ref name="Miss-America-Archive"/>
==Later life== Though Smallwood had originally planned to return to Oklahoma College for Women after her year as Miss America, she instead accepted an offer to tour the United States on the Orpheum Circuit for $1,500 a week.<ref name="Tulsa-World-5-28-2015"/>
Smallwood married oilman Thomas Gilcrease on September 3, 1928.<ref>{{cite news|title=Miss America Is Oil Man's Bride|date=1928-09-28|publisher=The Rock Hill Herald|page=1}}</ref><ref name="Tulsa-World-5-28-2015"/> They had a daughter, Des Cygne L'Amour Gilcrease, who was born on June 12, 1929, in Tulsa. The marriage ended in divorce on May 2, 1934, and the father was awarded sole custody of their daughter.<ref>{{cite news|title=Witness Stirs Beauty Queen |last=Associated Press|date=1934-04-22|publisher=Reading Eagle|page=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Ex-Beauty Seeks $10,000 Alimony |last=United Press|date=1937-08-08|publisher=The Pittsburgh Press|page=2}}</ref>
In 1936, Smallwood married George H. Bruce, president of Aladdin Petroleum Corporation.<ref name="Tulsa-World-5-28-2015"/><ref>{{cite news |title=When It Comes To Miss America, Oklahoma Comes Out On Top |last=Associated Press |date=2007-01-31 |newspaper=Las Vegas Sun |url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2007/jan/31/when-it-comes-to-miss-america-oklahoma-comes-out-o/ }}</ref>
She died on May 8, 1966, in Wichita, Kansas, aged 56.<ref name="Tulsa-World-7-15-2015"/>
== References == {{reflist|30em}}
{{s-start}} {{s-ach}} {{succession box | before=Fay Lanphier | title=Miss America | years=1926 | after=Lois Delander }} {{succession box | before=Sue Starkey | title=Miss Tulsa | years=1926 | after=Virginia Howard }} {{s-end}}
{{MissAmericas 1921–1939}} {{Oklahoma pageant winners}} {{Miss America}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smallwood, Norma}} Category:1909 births Category:1966 deaths Category:Miss America 1920s delegates Category:Miss America winners Category:People from Tulsa, Oklahoma Category:People from Wichita, Kansas Category:University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma alumni Category:American people who self-identify as being of Cherokee descent