Janelle Commissiong

{{Short description|Trinidadian politician and model (born 1953)}}

{{Infobox pageant titleholder

| name = Janelle Commissiong

| honorific_suffix = T.C.

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1953|6|15|df=y}}

| other_names = {{startplainlist}}

Penny
Janelle Commissiong-Chow

| image = Janelle Commissiong, ACF 2014.png

| caption = Commissiong in 2014

| birth_place = Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

| education = Fashion Institute of Technology

| title = Miss Trinidad & Tobago 1977
Miss Universe 1977

| competitions = Miss Trinidad & Tobago 1977
(Winner)
Miss Universe 1977
(Winner)
Miss Photogenic 1977
(Winner)

| height = {{height|m=1.65}}

| eye_color = Brown

| hair_color = Brown

| spouse = {{startplainlist}}

Alwin Chow

}}

Janelle "Penny" Commissiong, T.C. (born, 15 June 1953) is a Trinidadian politician, model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe 1977.

Early life and education

Janelle Commissiong was born on 15 June 1953 in Port of Spain, to Lucy Maria Joseph and Ruel Commissiong.{{cite web |title=HOMMEWRK Presents JANELLE PENNY COMMISSIONG |url=https://hommewrk.com/pages/muse |website=HOMMEWRK |access-date=12 June 2025 |date=2022}} Commissiong's mother was Venezuelan and her father was Trinidadian. Commissiong has one older sister, Gail.

In 1958, Commissiong's parents moved to Venezuela and later migrated to New York City. During this time Commissiong and her sister remained in Trinidad and lived with their aunts. Commissiong studied at Bishop Anstey High School.{{Cite web |title=Bishop Anstey celebrates anniversary |url=http://www.guardian.co.tt/article-6.2.459126.d7e61f9932 |access-date=2024-01-26 |website=www.guardian.co.tt |language=en}} In 1966, Commissiong to migrated New York City, and was educated at Erasmus Hall High School.

Commissiong studied fashion at the Fashion Institute of Technology {{citation needed|date=June 2025}}. In 1976, Commissiong returned to Trinidad.

Career

Commissiong was selected to represent the country at the 1977 Miss Universe competition in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

She was elected Miss Photogenic four days before the final, becoming the first black woman to win these awards in Miss Universe history. On July 16, in the National Theater of Santo Domingo, Commissiong was crowned Miss Universe, attracting international attention as the first black winner in the chronology of Miss Universe.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

During her reign, she was an advocate for black rights and world peace. Commissiong was awarded the Trinity Cross, the country's highest award, in 1977. After winning the Miss Trinidad and Tobago Universe title, she went on to be crowned Miss Universe 1977 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and in the process became the first black woman to win the prestigious pageant crown. After winning the title, she was most commonly known as 'Penny' because she was small as a penny.

Commissiong was named chair of the newly formed Tourism Trinidad Destination Management Company in October 2017. From 2012 to 2015 she had served as vice-chair of its predecessor agency, the Tourism Development Company.{{cite news |url=http://www.looptt.com/content/penny-commissiong-heads-new-tourism-agency |title=Penny Commissiong heads new tourism agency |date=4 October 2017 |publisher=looptt.com |access-date=21 July 2018 |archive-date=3 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103233802/http://www.looptt.com/content/penny-commissiong-heads-new-tourism-agency |url-status=dead }}

In popular culture

File:Janelle Commissiong 01.jpg

In honour of Commissiong's Miss Universe 1977 winner, Three postage stamps were commissioned of Commissiong by the Trinidad and Tobago Postal Service.

In 2017, Queen Street in Port of Spain was renamed to Queen Janelle Commissiong Street in tribute of Commissiong's 1977 Miss Universe win.{{cite web |last1=Regis |first1=Jancie |title=Queen Janelle Commissiong Street Port of Spain |url=https://www.nalis.gov.tt/blog/queen-janelle-commissiong-street-port-of-spain/ |website=NALIS Blog |publisher=National Library and Information System Authority |access-date=12 June 2025 |location=Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago |date=2021}}

Personal life

She married Brian Bowen, founder of Bowen Marine, who died in an accident in November 1989. After his death, she married businessman Alwin Chow. {{citation needed|date=May 2019}}

References

[http://www.bestoftrinidad.com/profiles/commissiong.html Janelle Commissiong] at bestoftrinidad.com
[https://web.archive.org/web/20060427104937/http://www.nalis.gov.tt/Biography/PENNY3.html The Penny that didn't drop] - biography at nalis.gov.tt

{{s-bef|before={{flagicon|ISR}} Rina Messinger}}

{{s-aft|after={{flagicon|RSA|1928}} Margaret Gardiner}}

{{Big Four Pageants titleholders

|Year = 1977

|Miss World={{flagicon|Sweden}} Mary Stävin

|Miss Universe={{flagicon|Trinidad and Tobago}} Janelle Commissiong

|Miss International={{flagicon|Spain}} Pilar Medina

}}

{{Miss Universe Organization titleholders

|Year = 1977

|Miss Universe= {{flagicon|Trinidad and Tobago}} Janelle Commissiong

|Miss USA= {{flagicon|Texas}} Kimberly Tomes