MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2015
By: Senator(s) Kirby, Browning, Bryan, To: Rules Burton, Butler (38th), Carmichael, Fillingane, Frazier, Gollott, Hopson, Jackson (32nd), Jolly, Lee, Montgomery, Parker, Simmons (12th), Wilemon, Younger
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 512
1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION MOURNING THE LOSS AND REMEMBERING THE 2 HISTORICAL AND CHARITABLE LEGACY OF MISSISSIPPI'S FIRST MISS 3 AMERICA MARY ANN MOBLEY. 4 WHEREAS, Mary Ann Mobley Collins, a Brandon, Mississippi, 5 native who was Mississippi's First Miss America in 1959, passed 6 away at her home in Beverly Hills, California, on December 9,
7 2014, at age 77. She was an actress and singer in movies and 8 television and on Broadway, later became a documentary filmmaker, 9 and was known for her extensive charity work; and 10 WHEREAS, Mary Ann grew up in Brandon and was the first Miss 11 Mississippi to be selected as Miss America. She graduated from 12 Ole Miss in 1958, the same year she won the Miss America Crown. 13 Mary Ann Mobley of Mississippi was crowned Miss America 1959 by
14 outgoing Miss America Marilyn Elaine Van Derbur at the annual Miss 15 America Pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on September 6, 16 1958. When Lynda Lee Mead, another Ole Miss student, won Miss 17 America the following year, Sports Illustrated magazine published 18 an article "Babes, Brutes and Ole Miss." It focused on the
S. C. R. No. 512 *SS02/R526* ~ OFFICIAL ~ N1/2 15/SS02/R526 PAGE 1 (tb\rc) 19 Rebels' gridiron accomplishments and the back-to-back Miss 20 Americas; and 21 WHEREAS, Mary Ann Mobley was born in Biloxi and spent many of 22 her formative years in Brandon. Mobley's long acting career 23 included two starring roles opposite Elvis Presley and a run on 24 ABC's "Diff'rent Strokes" as Mr. Drummond's wife in Season 8.
25 Mobley moved to Los Angeles after claiming the Miss America tiara 26 and studied under legendary acting Coach Lee Strasberg, eventually 27 signing a multipicture film contract with MGM. From there she 28 landed a role on Aaron Spelling's "Burke's Law," appearing on five 29 episodes through 1965. That same year she starred in "Girl Happy" 30 opposite Presley, who had by then established himself as a 31 prolific actor and rock'n'roll legend. Mobley again starred
32 opposite Presley in "Harum Scarum," MGM's 1965 assassination 33 thriller, and was named Most Promising Newcomer at that year's 34 Golden Globes, a title she shared with Mia Farrow and Celia Kaye. 35 Her 1960s TV appearances included one-off stints on "The Man from 36 U.N.C.L.E.," "Perry Mason" and "Mission: Impossible." Her other
37 notable film credits include "The Kings Pirate," "The Legend of 38 Custer" and "For Singles Only." She remains one of only a handful
39 of Miss America winners to have achieved a successful Hollywood 40 career, including Phyllis George and Vanessa Williams. After the 41 1960s, she went on to star on multiple episodes of "Fantasy 42 Island," "The Love Boat," and "Falcon Crest"; and
S. C. R. No. 512 *SS02/R526* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 15/SS02/R526 PAGE 2 (tb\rc) 43 WHEREAS, Sam Haskell, Chairman of the Board and CEO of the 44 Miss America Organization, was friends with Mobley for 40 years. 45 Mobley's extensive charity work earned her the Outstanding Woman 46 of the Year Award in 1966, presented to her by First Lady, Lady 47 Bird Johnson. According to the University of Mississippi, in 48 recent years, Mobley dedicated her time to charity, raising money
49 and awareness for both the March of Dimes and the United Cerebral 50 Palsy Association. She also visited various developing Asian and 51 African countries to make documentary films which chronicled the 52 struggles of those countries' homeless and starving children; and 53 WHEREAS, Mobley met her husband, late Television Host Gary 54 Collins, in 1966 while starring alongside Jerry Lewis in the film 55 "Three on a Couch." The couple married a year later. Mobley and
56 her late husband, Gary Collins, had one daughter, Clancy 57 Collins-White; and 58 WHEREAS, Mary Ann Mobley will be sorely missed and we pay 59 tribute and cherish fondly the memory of this most public spirited 60 citizen of Mississippi whose enormous civic energy will never be
61 forgotten: 62 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF
63 MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That 64 we do hereby mourn the loss and remember the historical and 65 charitable legacy of Mississippi's First Miss America, Mary Ann 66 Mobley, and extend the sympathy of the Legislature to her 67 surviving family.
S. C. R. No. 512 *SS02/R526* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 15/SS02/R526 PAGE 3 (tb\rc) 68 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to 69 the surviving family of Mary Ann Mobley, forwarded to the 70 Chancellor of the University of Mississippi and the Mississippi 71 America Organization, and made available to the Capitol Press 72 Corps.
S. C. R. No. 512 *SS02/R526* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 15/SS02/R526 ST: Remember life and legacy of Mississippi's PAGE 4 (tb\rc) First Miss America Mary Ann Mobley.