There’s something a bit unnerving to be considered “historic,” Debra (Barnes) Snodgrass told audience members Tuesday at the Allen County Historical Society’s summer meeting.
“It means I’m getting old,” joked Snodgrass, who grew up in Moran as Debra Dene Barnes and was crowned Miss America in 1968.
Snodgrass spoke about how growing up in Moran and Allen County shaped her life.
SNODGRASS described herself as a product of her community, and of all of her music instructors through the years, including her mother and Iolan Florence Hobart. Hobart carried special significance because she convinced Snodgrass to enter music competitions as a child, which led to her earning a scholarship to attend Pittsburg State University.
It was at PSU that Snodgrass was convinced to try out for a local pageant, more on a lark than anything.
A music club asked her to represent them in a newly developed Miss Pittsburg State Pageant.
Snodgrass maintained she felt more at home on a softball field.
“I was a tomboy musician,” Snodgrass recalled.
But her fellow collegians had a sound reason for picking Snodgrass. As a pianist, she could easily put together a three-minute performance, one of the pageant’s requirements.
“I was a convenient contestant,” she said. “I didn’t win. I didn’t know what I was doing. None of us did, but we had a great time.”
A year later, another group asked Snodgrass to represent them in PSU’s second Miss Pittsburg State Pageant a year later.
“Why?” Snodgrass asked. “I’d already tried this once.”
“Because you already have all the clothes,” was the response.
Snodgrass agreed, eyeing a potential $150 scholarship — enough to cover her entire tuition at PSU.
“You know, not one person that I can remember ever said, ‘We think you can win,’” she joked. “The biggest reason was I’m not the pageant type. I thought pageant girls sat around reading fashion magazines and doing their nails all day. That’s not me; that’s still not me.”
But this time, Snodgrass did win, not knowing the pageant was a precursor to Miss Kansas and later Miss America that same year.
