Miss Rodeo America Hall of Fame
Saturday, August 13, 1955 marked the first Miss Rodeo America Pageant, beginning over a half-century worth of tradition. The Miss Rodeo America Hall of Fame honors exceptional individuals and groups who have contributed to the success of the Miss Rodeo America organization, pageant and its perpetuation.
The Miss Rodeo America organization is a tradition etched in the history of professional rodeo and the western life style. Created and produced by a group of volunteers who annually give of their time, talent and effort, those chosen for the Hall of Fame may be representatives of both the competitive and cooperative spirit of 50+ years of Miss Rodeo America.
As part of Miss Rodeo America’s 50th Anniversary celebration, December 1, 2004 marked the first inductions into the Miss Rodeo America Hall of Fame. Inaugural inductees were Mr. Bill Hervey from Greensboro, NC and Mrs. Arlene Kensinger from Cheyenne, WY.
Nomination Instructions
1. Any person can submit a resume answering questions regarding their nominee. Nomination forms can be obtained through a member of the Hall Of Fame Committee or the Miss Rodeo America business office.
2. Each application will be held for four (4) years for consideration. Nominee may be living or deceased.
3. The Hall of Fame Committee will make the final decision on Inductees. There may or may not be an Inductee(s) each year.
4. The previous year’s Inductee(s) will serve on the Hall of Fame Committee for one year (if living).
For additional information please feel free to contact members of the Hall Of Fame Committee:
—Sherry Smith, Chairperson
—Debbie Dilley, Carol Grencevicz, Zona Vig, and Kiki Shumway.
Members of the miss rodeo hall of fame
2008 INDUCTEE
WILMA FULGHAM (1931- )
The 2008 inductee into the Miss Rodeo America Hall of Fame is longtime, dedicated director from New Mexico, Wilma Fulgham. Wilma was born in Farwell, TX, March 22, 1931. She has spent nearly all of her life in Clovis, NM, attending school and church there, serving on numerous civic committees and raising her family. She and husband Benny Fulgham have been married for 57 years. They were blessed with three sons – Larry, Jerry and Gary.
Over the years, Wilma has worn many different hats – including Girl Scout, beauty queen, cowgirl, rodeo queen, wife, mother, businesswoman, civic leader, pageant director and mentor. Wilma’s introduction to the rodeo queen world came in 1950 when she was crowned Queen of the New Mexico State Fair. Later, in 1954, she was named Mrs. Clovis.
Her involvement in rodeo runs deep. She served as chair of the Curry County Queen Contest from 1954 to 1978. In 1975, she started the Little Buckaroo Rodeo for contestants ages 13 and under. Since 1985, Wilma has chaired the Pioneer Days Rodeo Queen Pageant.
In 1998, Wilma was honored as Clovis’ number one cowgirl. And then in 2003, Wilma was honored again with the Clovis Mayor’s “Citizen of Character” Award for being an exemplary role model of character for The Clovis Community.
For the Miss Rodeo America Pageant, Wilma has a special love and devotion. She has demonstrated her loyalty by representing the state of New Mexico as its National Director – more than 20 years. Wilma launched the Rodeo Royalty Resource Seminar several years ago at the Miss Rodeo America Pageant and it has grown to a very successful event for ladies-in-waiting and other current and future queens, helping them become better equipped to handle the titleholder duties.
Wilma has served as co-chair of the Media Relations committee for several years, and she has devotedly organized the annual Fellowship of Christian Cowboys breakfast for the contestants during pageant week. Wilma serves on the MRA booth committee, which maintains a presence at the Cowboy Christmas expo during rodeo week, and she works as a media relations committee representative after the pageant.
Today, Wilma still exhibits all the tremendous energy and passion for life that is her trademark. Her love of rodeo, community and young people is incomparable And, many young women have benefited from her dedication to the Miss Rodeo America Pageant over the years.
2007 INDUCTEE
WRANGLER
Wrangler Celebrated 60 years of producing quality western wear in 2007. The Miss Rodeo America Pageant Fashion Show was a birthday party to celebrate the Wrangler legacy and welcome them into the Miss Rodeo America Hall of Fame. Their loyal sponsorship of Miss Rodeo America began early in the pageant’s history and continues today. Wrangler provides an abundance of in-kind services to the reigning Miss Rodeo America and MRA Pageant contestants. They generosity extends beyond product. Wrangler was instrumental in establishing the MRA Scholarship foundation and financially contributes to both the foundation and Miss Rodeo America, Inc. annually.
1897 - 20-year old C.C. Hudson leaves Spring Hill Farm in Williamson County, Tennessee, seeking fortune in the emerging textile town of Greensboro, North Carolina. He finds work in an overall factory sewing on buttons for 25 cents a day.
1904 - Hudson's workplace closes. He and a few others buy several of the sewing machines, lease space over a grocery store downtown and incorporate Hudson Overall Company.
1919 - Sales of Hudson overalls are booming. The company moves to larger headquarters and changes its name to Blue Bell Overall Company.
1926 - Big Ben Manufacturing of Kentucky purchases Blue Bell for $585,000. The name of the merged companies remains Blue Bell; headquarters remain in Greensboro.
1936 - Blue Bell introduces Super Big Ben Overalls featuring 100% Sanforized fabric that reduced shrinkage to less than 1%, setting a new standard for the industry.
1943 - Blue Bell acquires Casey Jones work-clothes company and the rights to Casey Jones' rarely used brand name -- Wrangler.
1947 - Wrangler authentic western jeans, designed by celebrity tailor Rodeo Ben, are introduced to the American consumer.
1949 - Professional rodeo cowboys Jim Shoulders, Bill Linderman and Freckles Brown wear-test the 13MWZ and endorse the Wrangler name for durability, quality and authenticity.
1962 - Blue Bell opens a plant in Belgium and the Wrangler brand is successfully introduced to Europe.
1963 - Newsweek magazine coins the word "teenager" and features a Wrangler-clad girl on the cover.
1974 - The Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association officially endorses Wrangler jeans.
1980 - Blue Bell purchases Jantzen, the swimwear manufacturing company.
1986 - Blue Bell accepts a friendly merger with VF Corporation of Pennsylvania, making VF one of the two largest jeans makers in the world with 25% of the $6 billion market.
1996 - Don Laws becomes president of the Wrangler division of VF Corp. One out of every five pairs of jeans sold in America features a Wrangler label.
1997 - The 13MWZ celebrates its 50th birthday. The Wrangler spirit endures for its 100th year.
2000 - Wrangler endorsee Ty Murray, the "king of cowboys," is inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.
2001 - Wrangler becomes the first title sponsor of the National Finals Rodeo, the world championship event of pro rodeo.
2002 - L. Kimsey Mann, CEO of Blue Bell from 1974-1983, passes away. He leaves a legacy of brand development. During his tenure, several brands were introduced, including Sedgefield, Wrangler Kids and Rustler.
2003 - VF Jeanswear adds two new brands to the Wrangler family -- RIGGS WORKWEAR™ by Wrangler®, a line of premium work clothes, and ProGear™ by Wrangler®, hunting apparel for the serious sportsman.
2004 – Wrangler Jeans Co. becomes the official jean of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and the No. 8 race team. It's a new generation of Wrangler.
2005 – After spending 7 days at the top of eBay's "Most Watched" list, a Wrangler-sponsored opportunity to ride shotgun with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. goes for $42,100 with 100% of the winning bid benefiting hurricane relief efforts.
2005 – Aura from the Women at Wrangler™ debuts, offering 120+ fits and revolutionizing the way women shop for jeans. Consumers are also treated to two new premium brands with the launch of Wrangler 47™ and Genuine Wrangler®.
2005 – Wrangler spearheads a year-long industry-wide fundraiser, Tough Enough To Wear Pink, to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research.
2006 INDUCTEES
BOB TALLMAN (1947- )
Born and raised on a ranch in Orovada, NV, Bob Tallman grew up to enjoy a successful career in professional rodeo spanning more than three decades.
At age 11, the Tallman family moved to Winnemucca, NV. There he lived for the weekends when he could spend time working on nearby ranches. One weekend, his parents took him to a rodeo in Elko, NV, to watch Hall of Fame cowboy Casey Tibbs.
Enamored by the sound, the sight and the glory, Bob decided that day his future would be in professional rodeo.
Bob attended California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo) and the University of Nevada (Reno) majoring in agri economics. While attending the University of Nevada in 1968, he met his wife Kristen. They were married in December 1969 and celebrated their 37th anniversary this year.
After attending many rodeos, Bob decided he wanted to try his hand at announcing. In 1970, Bob announced his first rodeo for which he was paid $100. Only five years later, Bob was announcing his first NFR. No one in the 46-year history of the NFR has announced the rodeo more times than Bob. The 2006 NFR marked the 19th time Bob has announced the NFR. During the year, he announced more than 180 rodeos.
In addition to his rodeo work, Bob also has participated in television broadcasts, including a career with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for over 25 years.
Often, Bob can be found in a sound booth recording commercial voice overs for Black Velvet, Dodge Trucks, Wrangler Jeans, Justin Boots and others. Plus, he’s recorded more than 200 projects for corporations like IBM, Con Agra and financial institutions.
Bob served on the Miss Rodeo America, Inc. Board of Directors in 1996, 97 & 98. He has graciously provided his time and talent to serve as Master of Ceremonies for the coronation performance for the past 16 years, taking time from his tremendously hectic schedule during the middle of PRCA convention week and the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo schedule.
Bob gives the Lord all the credit for his success. As a way to share his blessings with others, he established Bob Tallman’s Charities in 2000. The foundation raises money for the pediatric program at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund.
Bob serves on the Reno Rodeo Foundation Scholarship Committee; serves on Selection Committee for the PRCA Hall of Fame, Past Board Member of the PRCA; and has Bob Tallman’s Ranch Fixins Spices.
Bob was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2004, the St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2006. Bob has received the Lane Frost Memorial Award and has been honored by the State of Nevada for Achievements.
For Bob, family is an important part of his life. He is especially proud of his daughter Nicole who graduated from Montana State University with a degree in Exercise Physiology and has worked for nine years in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation.
Today, Bob and his wife Kristen live on a ranch in Weatherford, TX, where they raise rodeo stock and commercial cattle in partnership with their daughter and son-in-law Nicole and Daniel Pennell.
Bob admits that dirt and cattle are his real love, but he’s not ready to put down the microphone just yet.
WENDELL HAMILTON (1942- )
Wendell Hamilton, born in Norman, OK, began his business career at age 11 with a paper route. He went on to build a strong work ethic, serving as a car hop, shoe salesman and insurance salesman.
He began working in the manufacturing business at age 19 with his employment at John Roberts, Inc. There he gained his first experience with the “lost wax” process in the manufacturing of rings. He worked in the factory and eventually advanced to personnel director when the business moved to Austin in 1972. At that point, Wendell began building his own business known as Award Design Medals, Inc., in Noble, OK.
In 1973, Wendell married his wife Pat and they had four sons. That same year, their production expanded into the design and marketing of belt buckles. He enjoyed great success in the western and rodeo industries, even though a massive fire destroyed the Award Design Medals factory in 1976.
Wendell’s affiliation with the Miss Rodeo America Pageant dates back to the mid seventies when the pageant, as well as the National Finals Rodeo, was staged in Oklahoma City.
In 1981, Award Design Medals, Inc. of Noble, OK, painstakingly created a brass buckle commemorating the Miss Rodeo America Pageant. The die was then destroyed, rending the buckle a limited edition.
Wendell’s company designed and manufactured the Miss Rodeo America buckle as well as buckles for the runners up and other dignitaries affiliated with the pageant. Award Design Medals also made the first state delegate and National Advisory Council pins.
Award Design Medals offered a state buckle program in which a portion of the sales benefited the state programs, and a portion of the proceeds from sales of the Miss Rodeo America buckle benefited the establishment of the MRA scholarship fund.
Award Design Medals, Inc. was the only Platinum Sponsor of the Miss Rodeo America Pageant. At a time when the pageant was in extreme financial distress, Wendell Hamilton gave the organization $10,000, which was the saving grace for Miss Rodeo America, Inc.
Wendell and his company Award Design Medals remained an active and integral part of the Miss Rodeo America organization until the company sold to Montana Silversmith in 2000.
2005 INDUCTEES
VALENA WEICK DENNIS (1940- )
Longtime Miss Rodeo America Pageant chaperone Mrs. Valena "Kay" Weick Dennis of Caldwell, ID, is the newest inductee into the Miss Rodeo America Pageant Hall of Fame.
Surprise, smiles and tears marked the emotional ceremony, which took place last night during a portion of the 51st annual pageant, held at The Orleans in Las Vegas, NV.
Fellow volunteers surprised Dennis with a video tribute, a crystal trophy and kind words from several friends. Plus her family secretly flew to Las Vegas to be part of the celebration. They were ushered into the convention hall from the back door and made their presence known at the moment Dennis received her trophy and flowers before an audience of 700 people.
The very humble recipient was moved to tears by the announcement, but the tears were no match for her dazzling smile and gracious manner. Dennis competed in the Miss Rodeo America Pageant in 1957 as Miss Rodeo Idaho and returned to the pageant in 1977 to serve in a volunteer capacity as a contestant chaperone.
Over the years, she has become a much beloved team player among the 150 volunteers that produce the pageant annually. She was recognized two years ago for 25 years of service to the Miss Rodeo America Pageant.
Dennis, a lifetime Caldwell resident, graduated from Boise State University with a Master’s degree in business administration. In 2000, she retired from the Boise Independent School district, where she taught 3rd grade for 36 years. In her retirement, Dennis still works with the school district administering testing modules for the students and filling in as a substitute teacher.
Dennis has been married to Vernon Dennis for 45 years. They have one son, Stuart Dennis, a daughter-in-law Darla Dennis and grandsons Caelen, 6, and Gabriel, 3.
She has been a member of the First Christian Church in Caldwell for over 50 years, where she plays the piano and also is a member of the handbell choir.
2004 INDUCTEES
BILL HERVEY (1924- )
Many of us would not recognize the person by the name his mom called him "Billie Henry" we would know him as Mr. Wrangler himself or Mr. Bill Hervey. William Henry Hervey was born in Greenville, Texas in 1924. He attended college prior to being sent by the Army to the European Theater in World War II where he was part of Patton's Rainbow Division. Upon his honorable discharge he completed his college studies in Textile Engineering at Texas Tech in Lubbock where he graduated in 1949. It was at Texas Tech where he met his future wife Vera Harber or, as we know her—Hoppe. They were married in 1947 in Vernon, Texas.
Mrs. Hervey told me that they met when she and some other girls were playing cards in their room and were told that some guys were there to play bridge with them. Mrs. Hervey saw right through that and told me she believed that he was just there to meet girls.
Mr. and Mrs. Hervey have 4 sons, 7 grandchildren, and 1 great grandson with another due in January 2005.
Mr. Hervey began working for Wrangler as a sales rep in Texas in 1957. In 1962 they relocated to Greensboro, North Carolina where he eventually become President of Wrangler Mens wear. In 1989 Mr. Hervey retired from Wrangler although to this day he maintains an office at Wrangler and still functions as a consultant to the company.
Mr. Hervey recognized that while the support and the patronage of the cowboys was important to Wrangler it was equally important to have the first lady of professional rodeo outfitted in Wranglers. Beginning with Vicki Vest Woodard, and Suzy Gillard Trahan, Miss Rodeo America's 1986 and 1987 Wrangler became a larger partner with the organization and featured Kelli Dilka Brandon in print ads the following year. This partnership was a win win for both as it increased Miss Rodeo America's exposure but also gave Wrangler young women wearing the women's line.
Mr. Hervey loves beautiful young women but he also wanted to make sure they were able to attain their educational dreams. Towards this goal he prompted Wrangler to give $30,000 to the Pageant in 1993. During this pageant these educational dollars were awarded to all contestants. By doing this the Pageant was able to begin building money that we now call the Scholarship Foundation.
Mr. Hervey is a very valued and trusted member of this Foundation. In their spare time Mr. and Mrs. Hervey enjoy spending time at their cabin in Roaring Gap. He is an avid reader of mysteries and war history. He plays tennis and I am told is very good at solving crossword puzzles. He is a long time member of the Greensboro Kiwanis club. Mr. Hervey played in the band during his school years and every year still goes to Sun Valley, Idaho to enjoy a Dixieland Jazz fest.
ARLENE KENSINGER (1930- )
Arlene gives new meaning to the word GENEROUS—as she has shared not only her time, her talent and her health but also her financial donations with the MRA Pageant. She is a very special person who has made a difference to the organization and every individual who has known her.
Arlene is just plain fun! She has been involved in trick riding and a Wild West Show in Europe. As a cosmetologist she operated her own salon and she has been "MOM" to hundreds of young girls through the Cheyenne Dandies Drill Team, a program that she founded.
For many years Arlene has been an integral part of the Pageant holding the office of President in 1997-98, leading by example and being an inspiration to every volunteer who has worked with her. Arlene is "level headed", gives the best advice and is a great listener. Since 1984 she has held the position of Chaperone and Schedule Coordinator for each Miss Rodeo America during the Pageant and the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
In 1994 Arlene was the victim of a tragic water skiing accident and we almost lost her. But like a true, courageous cowgirl she was soon back in Las Vegas for that years MRA Pageant, back on a horse at the Cheyenne Frontier Day's Parade, and back to water skiing!! She and her husband, Don, helped sponsor and build the Blood Center that carries her name in Cheyenne, WY.
Then in 1997 Arlene lost Don, her best friend, supporter, and love of her life. But she was again equal to the challenge with an inner strength to remain an active and integral part of the many organizations, committees and business ventures she and Don once shared.
Arlene has dedicated years to gathering information and then organizing the six priceless scrapbooks that preserve 50 years of Miss Rodeo America Pageant history. These books are on display this week and they exemplify her relentless effort to support the Pageant. Like a "true servant" Arlene's passion is giving to, helping with and promoting the "girls", the participants, of the Pageant.
Arlene has been inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame and the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame. How fitting for her to be our FIRST LADY INDUCTEE to the Miss Rodeo America Hall of Fame.
