Born outside of Dallas, Texas, Georgia took to singing early, appearing on radio shows by the age of seven. At 12, she had added acting and dancing to her regimen.
When sculptor Raoul Josset graciously sat in as a judge for a local Miss Bluebonnet Contest, little did he know that the decision would lead him to his muse. At 17, she agreed to model for the French artist for the "Spirit of the Centennial" statue that today welcomes visitors to The Women's Museum: An Institute for the Future. The statue stands as a symbol of the Museum and its mission. Cathy Bonner, founder of The Women's Museum, attributes her decision to have the nation's first American women's history museum in Dallas to first seeing the "woman rising from the cactus" during a site visit with Friends of Fair Park.
A year after posing, Georgia left for New York to follow her dreams and became a nationally recognized model. Her image graced the cover of Redbook, Vogue and Ladies Home Journal. She quickly became one of the most photographed women in America and is known as America's first supermodel.
Her career evolved back into signing and acting in Hollywood where she met Kay Kyser, the man she later married. The two made their home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and raised three daughters. She is survived by two daughters, Kimberly and Amanda, and five grandchildren.
Click here to learn more about Georgia Carroll Kyser.
