Cheryl Prewitt Salem is borrowing something from the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum for a special occasion.
The former Miss America will wear a lavender gown long showcased at the museum when she emcees the 2017 Miss Mississippi pageant in June. Prewitt Salem, an Ackerman native, wore that same gown in 1981 when she passed down her Miss America crown.
“I would like to take those who are as old as I am down memory lane a bit,” said Prewitt Salem, now 60 and living in California. “But I promise I will return it back to the heritage museum as safely and quickly as possible.”
Prewitt, a Mississippi State University alumna who also won Miss Starkville and Miss Mississippi honors in 1979, became the third ever representative of the Magnolia State to capture the Miss America crown, winning it in 1980.
Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum also showcases a crown, a signed photograph, book, and one other gown of Prewitt’s. It has displayed her lavender gown since it was donated in 2004, after board members reached out to Bill and Sara Foster.
Bill Foster, at the time of Prewitt’s Miss Starkville title win, was the director of the pageant and in charge or getting her ready for the state-level event. Bill prepped Prewitt for interviews and swimsuit rounds, while his wife, Sara, assisted her with gowns and clothing needs.
The Fosters’ daughter, Kathy Foster, is a member of the 2017 Miss Mississippi staff and has worked as Prewitt’s liaison while prepping for her arrival. Kathy also picked up the gown on Thursday through the museum’s loan process, in which donors can borrow items for an agreed-upon timeframe.
Marty Sparrow, accessions coordinator and volunteer at the heritage museum, said the loan process can be a hassle and not usually utilized. However, she said, this is an unusual circumstance and one that personally resonates with her.
“I remember following her progress as Miss Starkville and Miss Mississippi and remember watching TV whenever she was crowned as Miss America,” said Sparrow, who was also a student at MSU at the time. “Everyone was so excited because she was the only person to represent Starkville and the only person from Starkville to be Miss America.”
Displaying textiles
Textiles, such as formal gowns and military uniforms, are difficult and expensive to maintain, and Sparrow said the museum in Starkville does not have the expertise or equipment to preserve them — a process that involves cleaning and sealing the items.
Because of those costs, the museum sometimes turns down textile donations.
“At the museum, we take things as they are given to us,” Sparrow said. “Donations, like the dress, we always take as-is.”
Fortunately, she added, Prewitt’s lavender gown came to the museum in immaculate condition. She said today’s condition of the 37-year-old gown — complete with sequins, jewels and ostrich feathers — is “nothing short of remarkable.”
Though no precautionary measures were taken to preserve the gown’s original look, the museum held all of Prewitt’s items in a temperature-constant glass display that limited the air allowed to reach the garments. Aside from some color fading and a few loose feathers, the dress remains wearable.
“We were fortunate that this gown was in such great shape when it came to us and that we were able to display it,” Sparrow said.
‘My state, my family, my home’
Prewitt Salem, along with her husband, Harry Salem II, and two children, operate the Christian-based Salem Family Ministries, through which they sing and share the gospel all over the country.
That makes for a hectic travel schedule, she admits, and she is homesick for the place she calls “My state, my family, my home.”
“I am more homesick for Mississippi than I ever have been before. I love the green foliage as I fly in, and I get excited just seeing the treetops,” she said. “And remember, Starkville family, to look for me strolling down Main Street and enjoying the friendliest people in the world.”
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