Jacque Mercer  Jacquelyn Joy Mercer (January 7, 1931 – February 2, 1982) was Miss America in 1949. Mercer was born in Thatcher, Arizona. In 1949, she won the title of Miss America. She is mentioned (usually by title, once by name) several times in the 1997 Philip Roth novel, "American Pastoral". She married and divorced her high school sweetheart, Douglas Cook, during her reign as Miss America. After this, a rule was enacted which requires Miss America contestants to sign a pledge vowing they have never been married or pregnant. On February 2, 1982, Mercer died in Los Angeles, California