Name Behind the Story: Crowning of Miss Boulder 1964

Some of us remember when television audiences watched spellbound as pageant host Bert Parks whittled down a row of finalists to reveal the identity of our new Miss America.

The year's reigning beauty would hear her name as the last one called, then half-laughing, half-sobbing, she'd parade across the stage, one shaking hand steadying her new tiara, the other wrapped around an enormous bouquet of fresh flowers. She was the very vision of disbelief that her lifelong dream had come true.

This isn't that story, exactly.

This is the story of a different coronation: the crowning of Miss Boulder, 1964.

"It was just a stupid whim," said a once-upon-a-time pageant contestant of a different ilk (and the subject of this column). "I thought 'oh, why not? If I can get some money to pay for college, then that would be cool.'"

You may know this particular pageant contestant. She's a native of Boulder and has lived in Niwot for more than 50 years. She's a fixture in the Niwot community. At the time, she was an anthropology and sociology major at Colorado State University.

"I didn't tell my parents. Why would I? I was not expecting anything."

Maybe she should have expected something. It was only her junior year at CSU, and, according to the Boulder Daily Camera, she'd already been voted Phi Kappa Tau Dreamgirl, Sports Car Club Queen finalist, and Snowball Queen finalist, to name a few.

Anyway, she used a bridal shower invitation as an excuse to dress up on a Saturday afternoon and snuck off to the Holiday Inn, armed with talent, poise, and a beautiful smile. It was June 13th, 1964.

She knew the winner of Miss Boulder would compete statewide for the title of Miss Colorado. Then Miss Colorado would rise to the national pageant, where she'd showcase her talent, model her swimsuit and evening gowns, and maybe chat about the state of the world with Bert Parks, vying for the coveted title of Miss America.

But before our home team contestant could take her shot on the national stage, she had to earn the satin sash inscribed with the words "Miss Boulder."

There was an interview with judges:

"I spoke slowly and enunciated, and thought as I spoke to answer questions."

And there was a talent competition:

"I did my best at what I could do."

We already know this isn't a run-of-the-mill pageant story, so clearly there were no grand pianos, no operatic solos, no dramatic soliloquies. What was it that she chose to do?

"Synchronized swimming."

Synchronized swimming?

"We were at a hotel and they had a pool."

Certainly she didn't synchronize with the other contestants, right?

She laughs and shrugs. "Well I guess you could say it was water ballet. Synchronized to the music."

The performance was entitled "Exotica" and must have wowed the judges, along with our contestant's personality and physical charms. By the time evening rolled around, she was crowned Miss Boulder 1964.

"I was awestruck," she remembered. "I came home with a big trophy."

She also came home with a new mission: next up, the Miss Colorado pageant.

The new Miss Boulder needed approval to take her synchronized swimming performance up the pageant chain. The state had no issues, but a week before the pageant, the national organization weighed in.

"National said your performance had to be live on stage, because if you win they don't know what they would do."

With one week until the state pageant, Miss Boulder needed a new gig.

"I had to come up with something," she said. In her case, that meant sewing her own pink and red chiffon dress, creating her own abstract chalk background, and choreographing and performing her own modern dance to Al Hirt's "Cotton Candy."

"I mean modern dance? I didn't do modern dance," she laughed. "We all do what we have to do."

Sadly, the last-minute switch turned our favorite contestant into an underdog. Miss Boulder lost the state competition to a Denver University student who sang an operatic solo.

Figures.

Now we come to the name behind this surprising story. Here are some hints that may give that name away:

Her family came to the Boulder area in the 1800's. Her great grandfather was one of the earliest Boulder County Commissioners.

She moved from Boulder to Niwot in 1972.

She raised two daughters, became a substitute teacher, and actively volunteered in Niwot schools.

She organized the Fourth of July and Nostalgia Days Parades for Niwot, and raised sponsorship money for Rock & Rails.

She held a place on the Left Hand Grange Executive Committee and still volunteers for the Grange.

She is on the Board of Directors for the Niwot Community Association and acts as the NCA's representative to the Niwot Business Association.

She is the President of the Niwot Historical Society.

Who is this beautiful Niwot icon?

Well, if Bert Parks had gotten the chance to pronounce our pageant contestant's name, he would have said Kathy Monroe. However, we know her now as Kathy Koehler. If you haven't met Kathy, you ought to. She has some wonderful stories to tell.

Oh, in addition to all she does for Niwot, she's taken on the role of writing reunion letters to the pageant contestants she met in 1964, so it turns out that winning the Miss Boulder pageant held some unexpected rewards.

"It didn't come with a scholarship," Koehler said. "It was quite the experience, though."