Joyce Ailes Schatz shared some wonderful Maiden of the Roses treasures with us. The photos were taken by her dad, Howard Ailes, on May 30, 1954, and they are of that year’s Maiden of the Roses pageant. The winner that year was Nancy Blanchard (later, Mrs. Clyde Graham). Nancy is Joyce’s cousin.

Nancy attended Mifflin High School, which in 1954 was a county school and located on Sunbury Road near Agler Road. Nancy was born April 23, 1938 in Columbus, and died May 10, 2018. [Images courtesy of Joyce Schatz]

You can read more about this pageant here.

In these images, Queen Nancy is joined by her court, Ruthann Limotta, Carol Newhouse, Dorothy Corfee, Charlene McNair, & Louise Winzenreid (in unknown order). The court’s other member was Barbara Harder, but she does not appear in the picture. Does anyone know who the man is?

In the next two images of the queen and her court, we are not sure who the two extra women are.

Nancy and her mother, Mrs. Bernice (Ailes) Blanchard. Bernice was the photographer’s sister.

In the next three images: Mayor of Columbus Jack Sensenbrenner, Mrs Jane Lausche (wife of Ohio Governor Frank Lausche), and Ray McNamara (Ohio Director of the American Rose Society)

Nancy Blanchard and her court, and Ray McNamara, Ohio Director of the American Rose Society.

And a few more from Joyce’s treasure trove of pictures.