[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 135 (Friday, September 23, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 23, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
              TRIBUTE TO HEATHER WHITESTONE, MISS AMERICA

  (Mr. EVERETT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks and include extraneous 
matter.)
  Mr. EVERETT. Mr. Speaker, some say miracles don't happen and some 
even claim that dreams can no longer come true. But, I am proud to say 
that an extraordinary young lady from my congressional district has 
gracefully proven them wrong.
  Last Saturday evening before a national television audience, Dothan, 
AL, native, Heather Whitestone defied personal challenges and 
traditional odds by becoming the first deaf woman to be crowned Miss 
America.
  Heather's story is more than just a first for the national pageant. 
It is a shining example of what one can accomplish if only they put 
their mind to it. In Heather's words, ``The most handicapped person in 
the world is a negative thinker.''
  She is the embodiment of personal achievement, observing that as a 
child her mother told her the last four letters of ``American'' spell 
``i can.''
  If the beauty and talent of this young lady were sufficient enough to 
wow the American public, her grace and bravery against a seemingly 
insurmountable obstacle surely won their hearts.
  Heather is proof positive that belief in oneself coupled with a 
strong faith in our creator are still sufficient to achieve the 
greatest of triumphs. Heather's father Bill, and her grandparents, Herb 
and Colley Whitestone, reside in Dothan while grandparents, Jim and 
June Gray, and her mother, Daphne Gray, live in Birmingham and Pelham, 
respectively.
  Heather, we are so very proud of you. Alabama is much richer because 
of your presence and the Nation will be wiser for your gifted 
inspiration.
  Congratulations to the new Miss America.

                [From the Dothan Eagle, Sept. 19, 1994]

         Dothan Native Heather Whitestone-the New Miss America

       When Heather Whitestone finished her walk down the runway 
     as the new Miss America Saturday night, the other contestants 
     were eager to crowd around her.
       They didn't seem disappointed that another woman had won 
     the title they all wanted. In fact, some of them were 
     celebrating as much as she was.
       Some people say Miss Whitestone was destined to win. She 
     won the Miss Alabama Pageant on her third try, and one of the 
     state organizers said that in the 74 years of the Miss 
     America pageants, ``there has never been a contestant like 
     this.''
       The judges felt the same way. But the road to the Miss 
     America title was not a cakewalk for the 21-year-old Dothan 
     native.
       Miss Whitestone was born with normal hearing, but suffered 
     nerve damage in both ears as the result of a reaction to a 
     diphtheria-pertussis-rubella vaccine when she was 18 months 
     old.
       Doctors classify her as ``profoundly deaf.'' She can hear 
     virtually nothing without a hearing aid.
       She says had her parents not enrolled her in dance classes 
     so she would have a form of expression, she probably would 
     not have been in the pageant. Her ballet teacher in 
     Birmingham says Miss Whitestone ``dances for God, that it's 
     her way of expressing her gratefulness for giving her 
     something special.''
       Her ballet, performed to the song ``Via Dolorosa,'' 
     enchanted the judges Saturday. In preliminary competition, 
     the crowd in the Atlantic City Convention Center gave her 
     three thunderous ovations before she was finished and another 
     at the end.
       She also won the swimsuit competition, becoming the 28th 
     woman in pageant history to win two preliminary events. She 
     was the 14th to go on to win the crown.
       Miss Whitestone is the first Miss America with a physical 
     disability. At least one past contestant had a hearing 
     impairment and others have had cancer, Bell's palsy and other 
     ailments.
       Beauty pageants were criticized in the 1960s and 1970s for 
     being sexist, racist and demeaning. The Miss America Pageant 
     responded by erasing the word ``beauty'' from the title, 
     crowning a black winner, dropping the scoring significance of 
     the swimsuit competition and encouraging contestants to speak 
     out on issues.
       The junior accounting major at Jacksonville State 
     University wants to become a CPA and a dance teacher, but is 
     considering switching to a career in counseling.
       Her goal is to inspire people to overcome their obstacles 
     and achieve their dreams. We can think of no better 
     ambassador.
       We know a winner when we see one, and her name is Heather 
     Whitestone.

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