"There She Is . . . For Afternoon Tea"

     When Marilyn Van Derbur was crowned Miss America in 1958, no one knew that she was hiding a dark, tragic secret. But that secret propelled her to become one of America’s most renowned and highly regarded motivational speakers. You see, that secret was incest.
     Ms. Van Derbur did not seek fame through beauty pageants. She was drafted into the Miss University of Colorado Pageant by her sorority sisters.  She prepared for the competition by perfecting a medley that she had memorized on the theater organ.  She entertained with "Tea for Two" and "Tenderly," and wound up taking the title. 
     That was the beginning of a journey that would catapult her through the winning ranks of the Miss Colorado Pageant all the way to her reign as Miss America. 
     As she walked down the runway beaming, head held high, no one could have imagined that she had survived thirteen years of sexual abuse by her wealthy, prominent father. But instead of succumbing to the torture and letting it defeat her will, she stood up and spoke out. Of course, it wasn’t an easy thing to do. And it took years of therapy and finally confronting her father. But she triumphed over unfathomable adversity and became one of America’s leading motivational speakers and advocates for raising national awareness and understanding sexual abuse and its long-term effects.
     Ms. Van Derbur has been named "Outstanding Woman Speaker in America." She received the "Exceptional Achievement in Public Service" from the Secretary of Health and Human Services. She is the first woman to be given the highest speaking award by the National Speakers Association. And, she has been inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame. She also became United Airlines "Youth Speaker" and addressed 50 youth conferences a year. Ms. Van Derbur has produced 24 films, two of which won national and international awards, and one being shown on prime-time PBS.
     Devoting much of her adult life to fighting sexual abuse of children, Ms. Van Derbur and her family funded an adult incest survivor program in Denver. She has also co-founded two national not-for-profit organizations dedicated to public education and strengthening laws protecting victims of sexual abuse. She continues to try to educate the community about the long-term effects of incest. She feels that, "until some of the long-term effects become general knowledge, we’re not going to turn the corner."
     A native of Denver, Ms. Van Derbur lives there with her husband, and they have one daughter who lives nearby with her husband and son. While she confesses that she is not a true tea devotee, one of her favorite sweet treats is Strawberry Mousse. Ms. Van Derbur has graciously provided the recipe below.
     We applaud Marilyn Van Derbur, Miss America 1958, and admire her inner strength that proves with strong-willed determination, you can triumph over any adversity. If you would like to read more about her story or contact her, go to www.missamericabyday.com.

     Our heartfelt appreciation goes to Marilyn Van Derbur for participating in this newsletter and providing this wonderful recipe to share with our readers.

Photos: © Marilyn Van Derbur
Sources: www.missamericabyday.com
               www.darkness2light.org
               www.pageantcenter.com


                         Strawberry Mousse