Donna Axum Whitworth was born on January 3, 1942, in El Dorado, Union County, Arkansas.
Whitworth earned a B.A. and an M.A. in speech and drama from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. While at the UA, she sang in Schola Cantorum and the UARKettes. In 1963, she was crowned Miss America 1964. After completing her graduate degree, she taught in the speech department at Texas Tech and hosted TV shows such as A Date with Donna and The Noon Show.
In 1988, she received a Citation of Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Arkansas Alumni Association. She has served on the executive board of the Fort Worth Symphony, the Arkansas Alumni Association Board of Directors, and the President's Advisory Committee on the Arts for the Kennedy Center.
Whitworth passed away on November 4, 2018.
#1: Composite image of early photo of Donna Axum Whitworth and still frame from Pryor Center video interview
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#2: Idelle and Hurley Axum, parents of Donna Axum Whitworth; El Dorado, Arkansas, mid-1940s
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#3: Donna Axum (Whitworth), age 2; El Dorado, Arkansas, 1944
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#4: Donna Axum (Whitworth), age 2, outside First Baptist Church on Sunday morning; El Dorado, Arkansas, 1944
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#5: Donna Axum (Whitworth), age 4, and her sister, Mona; El Dorado, Arkansas, 1946
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#6: Donna Axum (Whitworth)
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#7: Donna Axum (Whitworth), age 11, visiting the University of Arkansas campus, 1953
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#8: Donna Axum (Whitworth) publicity photo
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#9: Donna Axum (Whitworth) at Tri Delta formal pledging ceremony, University of Arkansas, 1960
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#10: Donna Axum (Whitworth) (3rd from left) with Tri Delta pledge sisters, University of Arkansas
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#11: Donna Axum (Whitworth) as Mehitabel (3rd from right) in the University of Arkansas production of Archy and Mehitabel
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#12: Donna Axum (Whitworth) (left) at the Tri Delta sorority house
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#13: Donna Axum (Whitworth) at the Tri Delta sorority house at the University of Arkansas
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#14: Donna Axum (Whitworth) and Governor Orval Faubus at the signing of the proclamation of National Forest Week; Little Rock, Arkansas, 1961
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#15: Senator John McClellan and Donna Axum (Whitworth), 1961
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#16: Hurley and Idelle Axum, parents of Donna Axum Whitworth, ca. 1963
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#17: Donna Axum (Whitworth) on the cover of Arkansas Baptist after being named Miss Arkansas, August 1, 1963
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#18: Donna Axum (Whitworth) formal portrait as Miss Arkansas in the Miss America 1964 program
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#19: Donna Axum (Whitworth) onstage after being crowned Miss America 1964 in Atlantic City, New Jersey; September 7, 1963
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#20: Donna Axum (Whitworth) (right) with the Miss America 1963, Jacquelyn "Jackie" Jeanne Mayer
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#21: Donna Axum (Whitworth), Miss America 1964
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#22: Donna Axum (Whitworth) arrives in El Dorado, Arkansas, aboard Central Flying Service airplane, after being crowned Miss America 1964
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#23: Donna Axum (Whitworth) arrives in El Dorado, Arkansas, for homecoming event in her honor after being crowned Miss America 1964
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#24: Donna Axum (Whitworth) in a Cinderella-themed homecoming parade in her honor after being crowned Miss America 1964; more than double El Dorado's population attended the event; El Dorado, Arkansas, 1963
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#25: Hurley and Idelle Axum, parents of Donna Axum (Whitworth), in the Miss America 1964 homecoming parade; El Dorado, Arkansas, 1963
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#26: Donna Axum (Whitworth) with Governor Orval Faubus (left) at the Miss America 1964 homecoming; El Dorado, Arkansas, 1963
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#27: Miss America novelty license plate popular during the reign of Donna Axum (Whitworth) as Miss America 1964
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#28: Donna Axum (Whitworth) at the University of Arkansas-Texas A&M football game after being crowned Miss America; Little Rock, Arkansas; November 2, 1963
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#29: Front page of the Atlantic City Press detailing a fire in the hotel where Donna Axum (Whitworth) was staying; December 30, 1963
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#30: Donna Axum (Whitworth) in an Oldsmobile commercial during The Garry Moore Show; January 3, 1964
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#31: Donna Axum (Whitworth) as Miss America appearing at an Oldsmobile auto show
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#32: Donna Axum (Whitworth) modeling an Everfast wardrobe, North, South, East and West, in McCall's Magazine; pictured here is South made from McCall's pattern 7195; February 1964; William Helburn Photographer
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#33: Donna Axum (Whitworth) on the cover of the Miss America 1965 program
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#34: Donna Axum (Whitworth) on the back cover of the Miss America 1965 program
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#35: Donna Axum (Whitworth) at the Miss America 1965 pageant, where she relinquished her crown, Atlantic City, New Jersey
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#36: Donna Axum (Whitworth) interviewing Star Wars star, Mark Hamill, at 20th Century Fox, June 1977
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#37: Book jacket of The Outer You...The Inner You by Donna Axum, published 1978
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#38: Donna Axum Whitworth publicity photo
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#39: Donna Axum Whitworth with her husband, J. Bryan Whitworth
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#40: Donna Axum Whitworth with John White (left) and Alan Sugg at the University of Arkansas Towers of Old Main event, 2003
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#41: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with Donna Axum Whitworth at the Sandy Edwards residence; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2007
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#42: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with Donna Axum Whitworth at the Sandy Edwards residence; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2007
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#43: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Donna Axum Whitworth; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2007
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#44: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Donna Axum Whitworth; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2007
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#45: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Donna Axum Whitworth; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2007
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
