PEEKING INTO THE PAST: The connections between Andy Griffith, Paul Newman and Albemarle

Published 12:06 pm Thursday, February 8, 2024

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During the 1964-65 school year at North Stanly High School, yearbook advisor Geraldine Crisco (shown in today’s photo) helped the students put together a contest for “class beauty” in each of the four grades at the school. Each class nominated three young ladies, pictures were made and the photos were sent to actor Andy Griffith in California. Griffith responded with his top choices. The images of the girls, along with a picture of Griffith and a letter he sent with his top choices, were included in the 1965 school yearbook. Crisco later became a teacher at Albemarle High School, where she again became the yearbook advisor. During the 1966-67 school year, she helped arrange another school beauty contest similar to what she had done at North Stanly. This time she arranged for actor Paul Newman to judge the Albemarle contest. He, too, responded with his top choices. The winners and a picture of Newman were included in the 1967 Albemarle High School yearbook. {Lewis Bramlett – Stanly County Historical Society}