Bette Cooper
{{Short description|American model (1920–2017)}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Elizabeth "Bette" Cooper
|image = Bette_Cooper_(1920-2017)_portrait.jpg
|caption = Autographed portrait of Bette Cooper
|image_size =
|birth_name =
|birth_date = {{birth date|1920|8|11}}
|birth_place = Hackettstown, New Jersey, U.S.
|death_date = {{death date and age|2017|12|10|1920|8|11}}
|death_place = Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S.
|death_cause =
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|nationality =
|citizenship =
|other_names =
|known_for =
|education =
|alma_mater = Centenary University
|occupation =
|years_active =
|height =
|title = Miss Bertrand Island 1937
Miss America 1937
|term =
|predecessor = Rose Coyle
|successor = Marilyn Meseke
|spouse = {{marriage|William F. Moore|1951}}
|children = 2
|footnotes =
}}
Elizabeth Cooper-Moore (August 11, 1920 – December 10, 2017) won the Miss America 1937 pageant as Miss Bertrand Island, representing an amusement park on Lake Hopatcong in New Jersey.{{Cite web|url=https://missamerica.org/in-memory-of-miss-america-1937-bette-cooper/|title = In Memory of Miss America 1937 Bette Cooper|date = 5 March 2018}}
Early life
She was born in Hackettstown, New Jersey.{{cite news |newspaper=The New York Times |title=Sororities Admit 85 at Centenary Junior; Majority of Students Named to Three Societies Are From New York Area |url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0814FD3B59177A93C3AB178AD95F438385F9 |date=November 21, 1937 |accessdate=December 6, 2007 |quote=Miss Bette Cooper of this community, who was chosen Miss America for 1937 at the Atlantic City beauty contest in September, is a new member of Delta Sigma Sigma.}} Cooper attended Centenary Junior College (now Centenary University) in Hackettstown where she was a member of the Delta Sigma Sigma sorority and graduated from Centenary Junior College's Academy in 1938 at ceremonies attended by Governor of New Jersey, A. Harry Moore, later graduating from Centenary Junior College in 1940.{{Cite news |newspaper=The New York Times |title=68 to Get Diplomas at Centenary Junior; College at Hackettstown, N. J., to Hold Its Exercises Today |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1938/06/11/archives/68-to-get-diplomas-at-centenary-junior-college-at-hackettstown-n-j.html |date=June 11, 1938 |accessdate=December 6, 2007}}
Pageantry
She caused a stir when she disappeared for some 24 hours with 23-year-old Louis Off, after winning the Miss America title.{{cite news |first=Christian |last=Hetrick |newspaper=The Press of Atlantic City |publisher=BH Media |location=Pleasantville, NJ |title=The curse of Miss New Jersey |url=http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/missamerica/the-curse-of-miss-new-jersey/article_5416c286-2ce3-11e5-9b89-4b5bb1f3e9cd.html |date=July 18, 2015 |accessdate=July 31, 2015}} Evidently overwhelmed by what was expected of her, she insisted upon a much lighter schedule so that she could attend college. This led pageant officials to have future Miss America contestants sign agreements as to what duties were expected of the winner and also be chaperoned.
Career
Cooper, who did some modeling and appearances in the years after her title, long shunned any connection or involvement with Miss America.{{cite web |publisher=Miss America |title=Miss America History 1937 |url=http://www.missamerica.org/our-miss-americas/1930/1937.asp |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923040132/http://www.missamerica.org/our-miss-americas/1930/1937.asp |archivedate=September 23, 2006 |accessdate=December 30, 2006}} Michael Callahan wrote a roman à clef on Cooper titled The Night She Won Miss America (2017).{{Cite web|last=La Gorce|first=Tammy|date=2017-04-19|title=What Happens When Miss America Goes Missing?|url=https://njmonthly.com/articles/jersey-living/books/when-miss-america-went-missing/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180611075136/https://njmonthly.com/articles/jersey-living/books/when-miss-america-went-missing/|archive-date=2018-06-11|access-date=2021-03-27|website=New Jersey Monthly}}
Personal life
She married a Wall Street executive, William Moore, and had two children, Cheryl and Gregory, as well as four grandchildren.{{cite web|first1=Michelle |last1=Tauber |first2=Mike |last2=Neill |first3=Lisa |last3=Russell |first4=Joanne|last4=Fowler |first5=Julie |last5=Dam |first6=Alex |last6=Tresniowski |first7=Samantha |last7=Miller |first8=Steve |last8=Dougherty |first9=Ting |last9=Yu |title= American Beauties: 80 Years |work= People |url=https://people.com/archive/american-beauties-80-years-vol-54-no-16/ |date=October 16, 2000}} Cooper died in December 2017 at the age of 97.{{cite web |title= Elizabeth Moore Obituary - Greenwich, CT |url= http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/greenwichtime/obituary.aspx?pid=187662158 |website= Legacy.com|accessdate=24 February 2018}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.lakehopatconghistory.com/ Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum]
- [http://www.lakehopatcongnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1060:beauty-pagents-on-lake-hopatcong&catid=79:history&Itemid=458/ Lake Hopatcong News]
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{{succession box
| before=Rose Coyle
| title=Miss America
| years=1937
| after=Marilyn Meseke
}}
{{s-end}}
{{MissAmericas 1921–1939}}
{{New Jersey Pageant Winners}}
{{Miss America}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Bette}}
Category:Centenary University alumni
Category:Miss America 1930s delegates
Category:People from Hackettstown, New Jersey
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