Enjoy the glamour and excitement of the Miss Wool of America Pageant in the Texas Archive of the Moving Image's February New Releases!  This collection came to TAMI through a partnership with Angelo State University in San Angelo, the same city where the Miss Wool of America Pageant was held annually from 1952 – 1972. The National Wool Growers Association, the American Sheep Producers Council, and the Wool Bureau, Inc. sponsored the pageant, held in San Angelo to celebrate its strong sheep and wool industry -- San Angelo's Producers' Livestock Auction is the nation's largest for sheep and lambs, and the city was once known as the Inland Wool Capital of the World. The highlight of the national pageant, which brought together the Miss Wools of each state for a competition of poise and beauty, was the modeling of wool fashions for the upcoming season.  The winner represented the wool industry nationally, touring the country in all the latest woolen fashions.

What began as a small pageant became a nationally telecasted event featuring Hollywood stars and pop singers. See an early newsreel reporting on the 1956 Texas state pageant, then see sheep in diapers on the runway in this newsreel from 1962. This television special takes the viewer through the entire week of the 1963 Miss Wool pageant, from Governor John Connally meeting the contestants in San Angelo to actor Roddy McDowall crowning the winner. The 1967 pageant featured Donald O'Connor, and Glenn Ford was a judge at the 1970 pageant. Despite the fashion and talent in the aforementioned films, the favorite around the TAMI office remains the full telecast of the 1968 pageant, which was hosted by Art Linkletter and also starred June Allyson and Frankie Avalon!

TAMI received these films through the Texas Film Round-up in San Angelo, which wraps up today, February 1, 2014. TAMI is excited to see what other gems come in from the West Texas city! Enjoy the Miss Wool of America Collection, and check back next month for more New Releases!