Heather French
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Heather Renee French (born 1974[1] in Augusta, Kentucky[2]) won the title of Miss America in 2000, continuing a tradition of dominance by Southern contestants in the Miss America pageant. She is a 1992 graduate of Mason County High School.
After becoming Miss America, French became an advocate for homeless veterans. She founded the Heather French Foundation for Veterans and remains its executive director. She won the Purple Heart Recognition Award for her efforts in 2002.
In 2000, she was named Kentuckian of the Year 1999 by Kentucky Monthly magazine for her Miss America win, the first by a Miss Kentucky and her support of veterans. She is the only person to appear on the cover of the magazine three times.
Three weeks into her reign as Miss America in her first visit to Washington, D.C., French was invited to a fundraising gala of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee as a guest of Senator John Kerry. Vice President Al Gore invited her to the podium to address the gathering, and she announced, to a cheering crowd, that she was changing her party affiliation and registering as a Democrat. The Washington Post reported her comments on October 20, 1999: "I'm for whomever stands for veterans' causes. I believe the Democratic Party stands for social programs, and I'm strong on that, so I'm switching my registration to Democrat."
She married Steve Henry, who was then serving as Lt. Governor of Kentucky, on October 27, 2000; they have two children.
During 2002 and 2003, French served as co-host for the Louisville morning show Fox In The Morning on WDRB.
In October 2003, French struck and subsequently killed a German bicyclist while driving on a Louisville street. French said that the accident deeply affected her, and she subsequently recounted her story on television shows such as The Oprah Winfrey Show.
The first Miss America of the 2000's, Heather's platform was raising awareness of the plight of homeless veterans. Her activities and outspoken year of service earned her the Woman of Achievement Award for the year 2000(left). Heather was the only Miss America to be so honored at the end of her year of service.
Heather has received numerous awards throughout her year of service and since, including the most recent, the prestigious Purple Heart Recognition Award. This award is given by the Military Order of the Purple Heart Organization four times a year to individuals that work on a national level to raise public awareness of veterans’ issues.
In June of 2001, Heather and her husband, Kentucky Lt. Governor Stephen Henry, were blessed with the birth of their first daughter, Harper Renee.
Check out Heather's web site at www.heathersveterans.org
What She's Doing Now
As executive director of the Heather French Foundation for Veterans, Inc., Heather travels, speaks and testifies on behalf of our nation’s veterans. The first in her series of children’s books was published this year. She and her husband, Stephen, have two daughters: Harper Rene’e, age two, and Taylor Augusta, born July 4, 2003.
French Henry appears in commercials for AAA Kentucky and Dean's Milk.
On December 13, 2006 a California book publishing company filed a lawsuit against Henry, claiming that she did not fulfill her contractual obligations regarding a children's book venture. The lawsuit seeks over $350,000 in damages.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Famous Kentuckians. Retrieved on 2006-12-20.
- ^ Heather French Bio. MissAmerica.org. Retrieved on 2006-12-15.
[edit] External links
- Heather French Foundation for Veterans website
- News article about lawsuit against Heather French Henry
| Preceded by Chera-Lyn Cook |
Miss Kentucky 1999 |
Succeeded by Shanna Kari Moore |
| Preceded by Nicole Johnson |
Miss America 2000 |
Succeeded by Angela Perez Baraquio |
