Shirley Cothran

{{Infobox person |name = Shirley Cothran |image = Shirley Cothran, 1975 Miss America.jpg |image_size = |alt = |caption = |birth_name = |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|09|18}} |birth_place = Denton County, Texas, U.S. |death_date = |death_place = |death_cause = |nationality = |citizenship = |other_names = |known_for = |education = |alma_mater = North Texas State University<br>Texas Woman’s University |occupation = Author and professional speaker |years_active = |title = Miss Texas 1974<br> Miss America 1975 |term = |predecessor =Rebecca Ann King |successor =Tawny Godin |spouse = {{marriage|Richard Barret|1976}} |children = 4 |website = [http://shirleymissa.com/ Official website] }}

'''Shirley Cothran Barret''' (born September 18, 1952, Denton County, Texas) is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Texas, winning Miss America 1975.

==Early life and education== She graduated from Denton High School in 1970 and was the second Miss America from that high school as Phyllis George was crowned Miss America before her in 1971. She later attended North Texas State University and earned her bachelor of science in elementary education and her master's degree in guidance counseling.<ref>{{cite web |first=Judy |last=Klemesrud |title=For Miss America '75 the Questions Get Tougher |url=http://www.missamerica.org/our-miss-americas/1970/1975.aspx |work= The New York Times |date=September 9, 1974 }}</ref>

Cothran later used the scholarship money she earned from her Miss America win towards her Ph.D. in early childhood education and family counseling.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}

==Life and career== left|thumb|Postcard of Cothran as Miss America 1975 She was crowned Miss Texas 1974 and won the Miss America 1975 title.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Miss America |title=Our Miss Americas: 1975 Shirley Cothran |url=http://www.missamerica.org/our-miss-americas/1970/1975.aspx }}</ref> She currently tours as a motivational speaker and still resides in Texas.

She appeared, with her husband and three sons, on the television game show Family Feud in the season 19 episodes 62 and 64.

==Personal life== Cothran married Richard Barret in 1976 and has four children: David, Julia, John, and Mark.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://shirleymissa.com/about.htm|title=Shirley Cothran Barret PhD Former Miss America, Author, Professional Speaker|website=shirleymissa.com}}</ref> Her daughter Julia is the oldest of her children.<ref name=cothran1978nyt />

Though not maintaining as nearly as high of a public profile as fellow Texas-origin Miss America winner Phyllis George, Cothran did resonate with some younger women in the 1970s, described by the ''New York Times'', along with George, in 1978 as a symbol "to younger Women of Texas tenacity and grace under pressure."<ref name=cothran1978nyt>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/02/24/archives/to-be-plain-in-texas-is-a-fate-worse-than-death-the-texas.html|title=To Be Plain in Texas Is a Fate Norse Than Death’|first=Anna|last=Quindlen|publisher=New York Times|date=February 24, 1978|accessdate=September 14, 2025}}</ref> However, Cothran made clear that she wished to raise her children “as much of a Texan as anyone.”<ref name=cothran1978nyt />

She was openly supportive of the Equal Rights Amendment and spoke in favor of abortions which were related to rape or danger to a mother's life.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/09/09/archives/for-miss-america75-the-questions-get-tougher-masters-degree.html|title=For Miss America ’75 the Questions Get Tougher|first=Judy|last=Klemesrud|publisher=New York Times|date=September 9, 1974|accessdate=September 14, 2025}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.shirleymissa.com/ Official website]

{{s-start}} {{s-ach}} {{succession box | before=Rebecca Ann King | title=Miss America | years=1975 | after=Tawny Godin }} {{succession box | before=Judy Mallett | title=Miss Texas | years=1974 | after=Phyllis Barger }} {{s-end}} {{MissAmericas 1960–1979}} {{Miss America}} {{Miss America 1975 Delegates}} {{Texas pageant winners}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cothran, Shirley}} Category:Miss America winners Category:People from Fort Worth, Texas Category:American motivational speakers Category:Living people Category:1953 births Category:Miss America Preliminary Swimsuit winners Category:Miss America 1975 delegates