Judith Ford
Encyclopedia
Judi Nash [née Judith Anne Ford] is a retired teacher who was Miss America 1969. Ford qualified to compete in the Miss America
pageant by winning first the title of Miss Boone County and then the Miss Illinois
pageant. Ford was a world-class trampolinist at the time of the pageant, and used her skills on the trampoline for her performance in the talent portion of the competition—the only Miss America contestant ever to compete using the trampoline.
Ford had won the Miss Illinois Teenager Pageant while she attended Belvidere High School
, in Belvidere, Illinois
. After graduating from high school, she spent her freshman year of college at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
, (then called the University of Southwestern Louisiana), to train under the expertise of trampoline coach Jeff Hennessy
. After her freshmen year she took time off from her studies to compete in the Miss America pageant and its preliminaries. Following her year off, she transferred to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
, where she received her bachelor's degree in physical education. She later in life earned a master's degree in physical education from Western Illinois University
.
She served on the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
for eight years, appointed by Presidents Richard Nixon
and Gerald Ford
. She was an elementary physical education teacher and is now retired, but still coaches golf and basketball. She is married to James Nash, an attorney in Geneseo, Illinois
.
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...
pageant by winning first the title of Miss Boone County and then the Miss Illinois
Miss Illinois
The Miss Illinois competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Illinois in the Miss America pageant. The Miss Illinois pageant started in 1927, several years after the initial Miss America pageant. The first "Miss Illinois" sent to the national pageant, Lois Delander,...
pageant. Ford was a world-class trampolinist at the time of the pageant, and used her skills on the trampoline for her performance in the talent portion of the competition—the only Miss America contestant ever to compete using the trampoline.
Ford had won the Miss Illinois Teenager Pageant while she attended Belvidere High School
Belvidere High School (Belvidere, Illinois)
Belvidere High School is located in at 1500 East Ave., Belvidere, Illinois, 61008 in Boone County.The school is perhaps most notable for the deaths of 13 students and staff on the afternoon of April 21, 1967 when an F4 tornado struck the school as part of a massive tornado outbreak in the Midwest...
, in Belvidere, Illinois
Belvidere, Illinois
Belvidere is a city in Boone County, Illinois, United States. The population was 25,585 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Boone County. Belvidere is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. After graduating from high school, she spent her freshman year of college at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
, (then called the University of Southwestern Louisiana), to train under the expertise of trampoline coach Jeff Hennessy
Jeff Hennessy
Jeff Hennessy was the United States trampoline team coach from 1964 to 1980. During this period, he coached more trampoline and double mini-tramp world and national champions than any other person in the United States...
. After her freshmen year she took time off from her studies to compete in the Miss America pageant and its preliminaries. Following her year off, she transferred to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, where she received her bachelor's degree in physical education. She later in life earned a master's degree in physical education from Western Illinois University
Western Illinois University
Western Illinois University is a public university founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. Like many similar institutions of the time, Western Illinois State Normal School focused on teacher training for its relatively small body of students. As the normal school grew, it became...
.
She served on the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
The President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition , is an American government organization that aims to "promote, encourage and motivate Americans of all ages to become physically active and participate in sport"...
for eight years, appointed by Presidents Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
and Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
. She was an elementary physical education teacher and is now retired, but still coaches golf and basketball. She is married to James Nash, an attorney in Geneseo, Illinois
Geneseo, Illinois
Geneseo is a city in Henry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,586 at the 2010 census, up from 6,571 at the 2000 census. Geneseo is located 20 miles east of The Quad Cities and Geneseo is part of the Quad Cities Metro Area....
.