HELENA — For the first time, Miss Montana memorabilia is becoming part of the Montana Historical Society’s collection. Joanna Lester, who held the title in 1961, donated several items from her pageant days to help preserve that legacy and empower young women.
Watch the full story below:
Lester was meant for the stage. Her mom, a model, and her dad, a singer, moved from New York to Montana. That’s where Lester’s pageant story begins.
“I have been all over the world, and they say you can take Joanna out of Montana, but you can’t take Montana out of Joanna,” Lester said.
Lester is one of only two crowned Miss Montanas who was named a top-10 finalist in the Miss America pageant and one of 76 to hold the title in the state.
Those accolades and her commitment to preserving Montana history led her to donate her competition gown, trophies, and crown to the Montana Historical Society.
“It is really exciting to have this in the collection because it is our first piece, and so it kind of opens that door to be able to incorporate that part of Montana history and just how important it is to those people who participated in the Miss Montana pageant,” Kendra Newhall, the head of collections for MTHS, said.
Lester says the preservation of these pieces is not about the competition specifically but about the positive impact it has for young women.
“I think it is really wonderful that women have more attention on them, especially this kind of a thing because it is not just about the beauty; it is about their character and what they are doing for this world.”
Lester’s donation gives the Heritage Center a new way to tell Montana’s pageant history, preserving these pieces of the past for generations to come.
