In celebration of her 85th birthday, Ellen Hart, owner of Ellen’s Stardust Diner on Broadway in the Theater District will host a Miss Subways reunion on June 30 at 11 a.m. The reunion will also mark the beginning of celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary.
Ellen’s Stardust Diner, originally opened in Times Square in 1987, is best known for its singing waitstaff, the Stardusters. Many of the diner’s alumni have gone on to Broadway, Off-Broadway, movies and television. Hart earned the title Miss Subways 1959 while attending Jamaica High School in Queens. She will reunite with 11 former titleholders to celebrate the legacy of the campaign and the women it honored.
“America is celebrating a milestone birthday and so am I,” said Hart. “Every birthday is special, but I’m excited to spend this one with other Miss Subways, and reminisce on what was such a fun time for us that changed our lives.”
Launched by the John Robert Powers agency, Miss Subways ran from 1941 to 1976. It featured its winners on subway posters seen by millions of commuters. Spotlighting more than just beauty, Miss Subways highlighted ambition and possibility.
More than that, Miss Subways was notably ahead of its time by honoring a diverse group of women. It was one of the first integrated beauty pageants in the U.S., crowning the first African-American Miss Subways in 1948 and the first Asian-American in 1949.
The Reunion
Alongside Hart, the 12 returning Miss Subways include Kathleen McLean Holmes (1953), Mary Gardiner Timoney (1953), Shirley Martin (1960), Dolores Mitchell Byrne (1961), Roz Cinclini Catena (1965), Maureen Walsh Roaldsen (1968), Eileen Ryan Keating (1969), Sonia Dominguez (1974), Josephine Lazzaro O’Halloran (1975), Ayana Scott Lawson (1975), and Heide Hafner (1976).
The reunion will serve as a living tribute to the women who have helped shape New York and inspired generations of young women to dream big.
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