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 Univers ity of Arkansas, Fayetteville. While at the UA, she sang in Scho la Cantorum and the UARKettes . In 1963 , she was crowned Mis s 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 19 8 8, she received a Citation of Distinguished Alumni Award from the University o f Arkansas Alumni Association. She has served on the executive board of the Fort Worth Symph o ny , 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
