Mountain Laurel

The Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival was first held in 1931 in Bell County. In 1933 the festival was moved to Pine Mountain State Park where it has been held annually except for World War II years 1942 to 1947. Queen candidates are chosen from Kentucky colleges and universities. WKU has sent a representative to most of the festivals and some of our candidates have brought home the Mountain Laurel crown:

1934 Mary Walton
1937 Marjorie Galloway, Bowling Green Business University student
1953 Sue Lynch
1957 JoAnn Faulkner
1959 Alice Chumbley
1960 Lana Jones, Bowling Green Business University student
1978 Mona Wortham
1984 Melodye Hughes
2002 Lisa Chestnut
2015 Lindsay Tate Ratliff

See also:

Baggarly to Represent Western, Park City Daily News, March 6, 1991, Melissa Baggarly
Bowling Green Student to Represent Western at Mountain Festival, Louisville Defender, March 12, 1987, Monica Williams
Bristow Senior Receives Mountain Laurel Honors, Glasgow Daily Times, Feb. 27, 1981, Donna Bristow
Candidate for Laurel Queen Chosen, College Heights Herald, Feb. 28, 1975
Cherry Chosen for Festival, Park City Daily News, May 9, 1993, Eleln Cherry
Cherry to Represent WKU, Park City Daily News, March 21, 1993, Ellen Cherry
Deborah Lynn Pardue to Represent Western in May in Pineville, College Heights Herald, Feb. 15, 1977
Dickey, Bob. Western Coed Leaves Today for Pineville to Bestow Mountain Laurel Crown on Successor, Park City Daily News, May 26, 1960.
Dunlop, R.G. Mountain Laurel Festival Makes Splash, Louisville Courier-Journal, May 27, 1984, Melodye Hughes
Festival Contestant, Greenville Leader News, Feb. 29, 1984, Melodye Hughes
Festival Nominations Open, College Heights Herald, Feb. 18, 1975.
Jane Goodin, Representative Discusses Pageant, College Heights Herald, May 3, 1979
Lisa Dawn Tindle, Hardinsburg Herald-News, February 29, 1984
Local Girl to Represent WKU at Pageant, Edmonson News Feb. 26, 1987, Kathy Meredith
Mona Wortham, Western Candidate, Wins at Pineville, College Heights Herald, June 27, 1978
Nominations for Candidate Underway, College Heights Herald, March 19, 1976
Mountain Laurel Festival, College Heights Herald, March 23, 1978
Spalding Among WKU Pageant Finalists, Bardstown Kentucky Standard, Feb. 23, 1987, Amy Spalding
To Represent Western in 1957 Festival, College Heights Herald, Jan. 18, 1957, Phyllis Robinson
Western Grad Crowned Queen at Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival, Park City Daily News, June 3, 2002, Lisa Chestnut
Western's Queen Candidate Busy Preparing for Trip, Park City Daily News, April 30, 1964, Sandra Stuart
WKU Laurel Lovely, Park City Daily News, Feb. 26, 1967, Marcia Wooldridge
WKU Student Crowned Park City Daily News, May 28, 1984, Melodye Hughes
Williams in Mountain Laurel Festival, Park City Daily News, March 13, 1988, Elizabeth Williams