Mary Ann White won the title as "Miss Georgia Association of the Deaf" (Miss GAD) during GAD converntion in Jekyll Island in the summer of 1973. However, she didn't receive a tiara, only a sash and an award that was titled "Miss 1973 GAD" from the informal contest. From right there, the plan to have a state contest leading into the national contest was conceived by Walter and Joyce Brown.
They saw the first Miss Deaf America pageant in Miami, Florida during the 1972 National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Convention. Walter was the President of GAD at the time. He and his wife were the ones who made the decision to send Mary Ann to NAD in Seattle, Washington in summer of 1974 sponsored by GAD, along with GAD delegate, Bill Peace.
Mary Ann was the first person from Georgia who entered the Miss Deaf America pageant. She was doing pantomime as a butterfly for her talent competition. There were 11 contestants at the Miss Deaf America Pageant that year.
