Early Life
Miles was born Vera June Ralston in Boise City, Oklahoma, the daughter of Thomas and Burnice (née Wyrick) Ralston. She grew up first in Pratt, Kansas, and then in Wichita, Kansas, where she worked nights as a Western Union operator-typist and graduated from Wichita North High School in 1947.
Miles was crowned Miss Kansas in 1948 and was the third runner-up in the Miss America contest. When she appeared as a contestant on the April 4, 1951, edition of the Groucho Marx quiz show You Bet Your Life described as "a beauty contest winner", Marx asked her about some of the titles she held. She replied, "I was first Miss Chamber of Commerce and then Miss Wichita and then Miss Kansas and Miss Texas Grapefruit and recently I've been chosen Miss New Maid Margarine and I had the honor to represent Kansas in the Miss America pageant."
Read more about this topic: Vera Miles
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