Neva Jane Langley

{{Infobox person

|name = Neva Jane Langley

|image = Hall Miller and Neva Jane Langley.gif

|alt =

|caption =

|birth_name = Neva Jane Langley

| birth_date = {{Birth date|mf=yes|1933|1|25}}

|birth_place = Lakeland, Florida

|death_date ={{nowrap|{{death date and age|2012|11|18|1933|1|25}}}}

|death_place = Macon, Georgia

|body_discovered =

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|nationality = American

|citizenship =

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|education = Wesleyan College

|alma_mater =

|employer =

|occupation = Television celebrity

|years_active =

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|title = Miss America 1953

|term =

|predecessor = Colleen Kay Hutchins

|successor = Evelyn Ay

|spouse = {{marriage|William A. Fickling Jr.|1955}}

|partner =

|children = 4

|parents =

|website =

|footnotes =

}}

Neva Jane Langley Fickling (January 25, 1933 – November 18, 2012) was an American actress and beauty queen who was crowned Miss America 1953.

Biography

Langley was born in Lakeland, Florida. As a college sophomore she transferred to Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, where she was a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority. While attending that college she became Miss Macon, Miss Georgia, and then Miss America 1953.{{cite news|title=Home Town Gives Miss America Noisy Welcome|last=Associated Press|date=1952-09-25|publisher=Sarasota Herald|page=7}}

Ms. Langley's first television appearance as Miss America was on What's My Line (September 14, 1952) as the mystery guest. She rode the grand prize most-beautiful float by a commercial firm, called "America The Beautiful", in the January 1, 1953 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.{{cite news|title="Miss America" Rides In Rose Parade|last=Associated Press|date=1953-01-03|publisher=Sarasota Herald Tribune|page=1}} During her reign as Miss America, she was hospitalized for one week with pneumonia. She was also known for being the only Miss Georgia to win the Miss America pageant until Betty Cantrell was crowned Miss America 2016, sixty-three years later.

Exhibitions

Langley has been featured in museum exhibitions, including a display at the [https://kimballartcenter.org Kimball Art Center] (2009){{Cite web|url=https://www.deseret.com/2009/8/16/20334694/dresses-tell-story-of-miss-america-1953|title=Dresses tell story of Miss America 1953|last=Nicholls|first=Jennie|date=2009-08-16|website=Deseret News|language=en|access-date=2020-03-07}} of eleven original gowns worn in beauty pageant competitions and during her reign as Miss America, and the exhibition "Georgia's Miss Americas" at the Museum of Arts and Sciences (Sept. 23, 2017–Jan. 14, 2018).{{Cite web|url=https://www.masmacon.org/georgias-miss-americas/|title=Georgia's Miss Americas {{!}} Museum of Arts and Sciences|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-07}}

Personal life

Langley married insurance executive, William A. Fickling Jr., in 1955 and was the mother of four children (William, Jane, Julia and Roy).{{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}}{{cite web| url = https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/macon-ga/neva-jane-fickling-5310583| title = Neva Jane Fickling Obituary - Macon, GA}}

On November 18, 2012, Langley died of cancer at the age of 79.{{cite web |url=http://www.41nbc.com/news/local-news/16441-georgia-s-only-miss-america-neva-fickling-passes-away-sunday |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130116010403/http://www.41nbc.com/news/local-news/16441-georgia-s-only-miss-america-neva-fickling-passes-away-sunday |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-01-16 |title=Georgia's Only "Miss America" Neva Fickling Passes Away Sunday |publisher=41 NBC |accessdate=2012-11-19 }}