THE
ROAD TO THE FINALS:
LuLong's climb to the
top of the pageant world
 That basketball-inspired phrasing is
appropriate, for you could say it all started
with her athletic stardom at Smithfield High
School, where she set a Johnston County record
by scoring nearly 2,000 points over her four
years of varsity play.
She was also an accomplished pianist, invited
to play with the North Carolina Little
Symphony during one of its annual visits.
Her photo appeared numerous times in The
Smithfield Herald as she also performed
in high-school theatrical shows and was
recognized for academic achievement including
salutatorian of the SHS graduating class of
1950.
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 Her first major pageant title was
"Miss Bright Leaf of North Carolina,"
presented in June 1950 by Governor Bob
Scott....
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 Then
came her crowning as "Miss Smithfield" a year
later, followed by her winning the "Miss North
Carolina" title
in July 1951....
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 Here's a Herald photo of LuLong
riding a float in Smithfield's
Farmers Day Parade following her winning the
Miss N.C. crown.
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Now it's off to Atlantic City
for "The Big One":
the MISS AMERICA pageant....
The Herald published a full page
of "preparation" photos, including
these:
 LuLong
confers with Connie Glenn, her Smithfield High
School literature teacher (and wife of
legendary principal A.G. Glenn).
 Here
she's being coached by Flora Canaday, the
school's legendary piano teacher. LuLong's
pageant talent was performing classical piano
music.
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Well, she didn't "win it all,"
yet Smithfield treated her like the
champion she truly was....
From the front page of the
Herald of September 11, 1951:
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RETURN TO
THE SMITHFIELD WEEKLY SUN FRONT
PAGE
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