Donna Axum

Donna Axum (January 3, 1942 – November 4, 2018) was an American beauty pageant winner, author, television executive producer, philanthropist and model. She was crowned Miss America in 1964. One month earlier she had been crowned Miss Arkansas.

After her Miss America win, Axum taught classes at Texas Tech University and worked in television such as starring on The Noon Show and Good Morning Arkansas. Aside from Miss America, Axum was an active civic leader as she served on the National Committee for the Performing Arts of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. after being nominated by President Bill Clinton, the Fort Worth Symphony, the Van Cliburn Foundation and Texas Christian University College of Fine Arts Board of Visitors.

Early life Axum was born in El Dorado, Arkansas to Hurley B. Axum, a banker, and Idelle Axum . She had French, Dutch and Irish ancestors. Axum has a sister, Mona. In 1959, Axum graduated from El Dorado High School.

Education Axum's Miss America scholarship was used to complete her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in speech/drama, television and film. While there, she was a member of the Delta Iota chapter of Delta Delta Delta.

Career Early pageants In 1958, during Axum's high school senior year, she won the beauty pageant title for Miss Union County. She also served on the steering committee of a seven-year capital campaign that raised more than $1.046 billion for the university.

Axum taught speech classes at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, and later worked in television, starring in programs like The Noon Show and Good Morning Arkansas.

Axum remained active at the University of Arkansas, participating in campaigns to help most of the university's fundraising efforts until her death in 2018. The Whitworths lived in Fort Worth, Texas. Bryan Whitworth had three children, Elizabeth, Suzanne, and Cathy.

Axum is buried at Fairview Memorial Gardens in Fayetteville, Arkansas.