Jane Anne Jayroe
Encyclopedia
Jayne Anne Jayroe-Gamble (born October 30, 1947) is an American
beauty queen
from Laverne
, Oklahoma
, who was Miss America
1967 and Miss Oklahoma
in 1966. Jayroe worked in the news industry for many years until Governor of Oklahoma
Frank Keating
appointed her to serve as his Secretary of Tourism and Recreation
in his Cabinet. She served in that position from 1999 until 2003.
. Jane grew up in Sentinel
and Laverne, Oklahoma
. She has one older sister, a teacher and mother of three in Follett, Texas
, Judy Jayroe Elmore.
, she entered the University’s pageant through her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega
, and then went on to win the Miss Oklahoma
Pageant. Then, at the age of 19, and with no previous pageant experience, Jane was crowned Miss America
, 1967. She sang and conducted the orchestra for her talent.
After being crowned Miss America 1967, Jane traveled all around the world and was even able to travel to Vietnam
to entertain America’s troops abroad.
) in Oklahoma City
and KXAS in Dallas/Fort Worth. She won several awards during her 16-year career including the first female to be awarded “Outstanding News Personality” in the Dallas-Fort Worth television market. She also hosted a health-related public affairs show, "Health Matters" on Oklahoma's PBS network, OETA. Jayroe later went on to co-host a popular television show, Discover Oklahoma promoting tourism within the state of Oklahoma.
Breast Health Institute, Oklahoma City University
Board of Trustees and the Oklahoma Health Center Foundation]]. As a member of the United Methodist Church
Church of the Servant in Oklahoma City
, Jayroe is on the Women's Ministries Team and a board member for the Education and Employment Ministries. She has taken an active role in issues affecting young people, serving as honorary chair for the Conference on Teen Pregnancy, Youth Arts Month and the Oklahoma Parents and Teachers Association. She is a former trustee for the Sarkey's Foundation.
George Nigh
appointed Jayroe to the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women
, Governor David Walters
appointed her to the Oklahoma Board on Legislative Compensation.
appointed Jayroe as his Secretary of Tourism and Recreation
. In addition to her service as Tourism Secretary, Keating appointed Jayroe to serve as the Director of the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation
.
and other publications such as Out of the Blue, Delight Comes Into Your Life and Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul
. She was producer for "Daily Devotionals," A set of audiocassettes by area ministers and laypeople and recently created a seminar for women titled, Living Grace-fully.
Her most current publications include More Grace Than Glamour: My Life as Miss America and Beyond, and Oklahoma 3, a book published for the Centennial year of Oklahoma’s statehood and portraying the diversity of the state.
. She is mother to Tyler Jayroe, a graduate of Vanderbilt University
.
in the State Centennial year. A street in her childhood hometown of Laverne, Oklahoma
was renamed in her honor.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
beauty queen
Beauty Queen
"Beauty Queen" is the second song from Roxy Music's second album, For Your Pleasure. The lyrics refer to Ferry's girlfriend, Valerie Leon, one-time UK beauty queen, B-movie actress and model working in the Newcastle area, circa 1973.-Musicians:...
from Laverne
Laverne, Oklahoma
Laverne is a town in Harper County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,344 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Laverne is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, who was Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
1967 and Miss Oklahoma
Miss Oklahoma
The Miss Oklahoma competition selects a winner to compete on behalf of Oklahoma in the Miss America pageant. Miss Oklahoma has won the crown on five occasions. Also, in the years when city representatives were common, Norma Smallwood won, competing as Miss Tulsa, giving the state of Oklahoma a...
in 1966. Jayroe worked in the news industry for many years until Governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
Frank Keating
Frank Keating
Francis Anthony "Frank" Keating is an American politician from Oklahoma. Keating served as the 25th Governor of Oklahoma. His first term began in 1995 and ended in 1999...
appointed her to serve as his Secretary of Tourism and Recreation
Oklahoma State Cabinet
The Cabinet of the Governor of Oklahoma is a body of the most senior appointed officials of the executive branch of the government of Oklahoma. Originally an informal meeting between the Governor of Oklahoma and various government officials, the Governor's Cabinet has evolved into a major part of...
in his Cabinet. She served in that position from 1999 until 2003.
Beginnings
Jane Anne Jayroe was born on October 30, 1947 to Pete Jayroe and Helene Smith Jayroe in Clinton, OklahomaClinton, Oklahoma
Clinton is a city in Custer and Washita counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 9,033 at the 2010 census.-History:The community began in 1899 when two men, J.L. Avant and E.E...
. Jane grew up in Sentinel
Sentinel, Oklahoma
Sentinel is a town in Washita County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 901 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Sentinel is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
and Laverne, Oklahoma
Laverne, Oklahoma
Laverne is a town in Harper County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,344 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Laverne is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land...
. She has one older sister, a teacher and mother of three in Follett, Texas
Follett, Texas
Follett is a city in Lipscomb County, Texas, United States. The population was 412 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Follett is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, Judy Jayroe Elmore.
Miss America
As a student at Oklahoma City UniversityOklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University, often referred to as OCU, is a coeducational, urban, private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
, she entered the University’s pageant through her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega is a women's fraternity founded on October 15, 1885. Currently, there are 135 chapters of Alpha Chi Omega at colleges and universities across the United States and more than 200,000 lifetime members...
, and then went on to win the Miss Oklahoma
Miss Oklahoma
The Miss Oklahoma competition selects a winner to compete on behalf of Oklahoma in the Miss America pageant. Miss Oklahoma has won the crown on five occasions. Also, in the years when city representatives were common, Norma Smallwood won, competing as Miss Tulsa, giving the state of Oklahoma a...
Pageant. Then, at the age of 19, and with no previous pageant experience, Jane was crowned Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
, 1967. She sang and conducted the orchestra for her talent.
After being crowned Miss America 1967, Jane traveled all around the world and was even able to travel to Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
to entertain America’s troops abroad.
News industry
Jane became a well-recognized and respected primetime news anchor for KOCO and KTVY (now KFOR-TVKFOR-TV
KFOR-TV, virtual channel 4 , is the NBC-affiliated television station in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. KFOR-TV is owned by Local TV, a subsidiary of the private equity group Oak Hill Capital Partners, in a duopoly with MyNetworkTV affiliate KAUT-TV ; its studios are located at 444 East Britton Road in...
) in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
and KXAS in Dallas/Fort Worth. She won several awards during her 16-year career including the first female to be awarded “Outstanding News Personality” in the Dallas-Fort Worth television market. She also hosted a health-related public affairs show, "Health Matters" on Oklahoma's PBS network, OETA. Jayroe later went on to co-host a popular television show, Discover Oklahoma promoting tourism within the state of Oklahoma.
Health advocacy
In 1992, Jayroe become the first spokesperson for the Oklahoma Health Center and Vice President of the Presbyterian Health Foundation.Civic work
She was the first woman elected Chairman of the Oklahoma Academy for State Goals and is on executive committees for the University of OklahomaUniversity of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
Breast Health Institute, Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University, often referred to as OCU, is a coeducational, urban, private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
Board of Trustees and the Oklahoma Health Center Foundation]]. As a member of the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
Church of the Servant in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
, Jayroe is on the Women's Ministries Team and a board member for the Education and Employment Ministries. She has taken an active role in issues affecting young people, serving as honorary chair for the Conference on Teen Pregnancy, Youth Arts Month and the Oklahoma Parents and Teachers Association. She is a former trustee for the Sarkey's Foundation.
Government service
Governor of OklahomaGovernor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
George Nigh
George Nigh
George Patterson Nigh , is a popular civic leader in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Nigh served as the 17th and the 22nd Governor of Oklahoma. He was the first Oklahoma Governor to be re-elected and the first to win all 77 counties in the state...
appointed Jayroe to the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women
Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women
Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women was created by the Oklahoma State Legislature in 1994. Made up of thirty members, one-third are appointed by the Governor of Oklahoma, one-third are appointed by the President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate, one-third are appointed by the Speaker of...
, Governor David Walters
David Walters
David Lee Walters was the 24th Governor of Oklahoma from 1991 to 1995.-Biography:Walters was born near Canute, Oklahoma. He graduated as valedictorian from Canute High School in 1969. He later graduated from University of Oklahoma in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering...
appointed her to the Oklahoma Board on Legislative Compensation.
Keating Administration
Following his reelection as Governor, Frank KeatingFrank Keating
Francis Anthony "Frank" Keating is an American politician from Oklahoma. Keating served as the 25th Governor of Oklahoma. His first term began in 1995 and ended in 1999...
appointed Jayroe as his Secretary of Tourism and Recreation
Oklahoma State Cabinet
The Cabinet of the Governor of Oklahoma is a body of the most senior appointed officials of the executive branch of the government of Oklahoma. Originally an informal meeting between the Governor of Oklahoma and various government officials, the Governor's Cabinet has evolved into a major part of...
. In addition to her service as Tourism Secretary, Keating appointed Jayroe to serve as the Director of the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation
Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation
The Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation is a department of the government of Oklahoma under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Tourism...
.
Literary work
Jayroe is the author of several articles appearing in McCall'sMcCall's
McCall's was a monthly American women's magazine that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century, peaking at a readership of 8.4 million in the early 1960s. It was established as a small-format magazine called The Queen in 1873...
and other publications such as Out of the Blue, Delight Comes Into Your Life and Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul
Chicken Soup for the Soul
Chicken Soup for the Soul is a series of books, usually featuring a collection of short and dense inspirational stories and motivational essays. The 101 stories in the first book of the series were compiled by motivational speakers Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen.There have been over 200 titles...
. She was producer for "Daily Devotionals," A set of audiocassettes by area ministers and laypeople and recently created a seminar for women titled, Living Grace-fully.
Her most current publications include More Grace Than Glamour: My Life as Miss America and Beyond, and Oklahoma 3, a book published for the Centennial year of Oklahoma’s statehood and portraying the diversity of the state.
Personal life
Jane Jayroe Gamble currently resides with her husband, Gerald Gamble, in Oklahoma CityOklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
. She is mother to Tyler Jayroe, a graduate of Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
.
Other honors
Jayroe Gamble was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of FameOklahoma Hall of Fame
The Oklahoma Hall of Fame was established in 1927 by Anna B. Korn. To be eligible for induction, an individual must satisfy the following criteria:* Reside in Oklahoma or be a former resident of the state....
in the State Centennial year. A street in her childhood hometown of Laverne, Oklahoma
Laverne, Oklahoma
Laverne is a town in Harper County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,344 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Laverne is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land...
was renamed in her honor.