3 , ▁ 1 9 0 4 ▁– ▁July ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 9 5 4 ) ▁and ▁Eth el ▁E ve ▁M ull igan ▁( M arch ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 9 0 3 ▁– ▁May ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁Los ▁Angeles ). ▁She ▁has ▁one ▁brother , ▁Don ▁Bre tt ▁Mer iw ether ▁( born ▁May ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 9 3 8 ). ▁She ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco ▁after ▁the ▁family ▁moved ▁there ▁from ▁Phoenix , ▁Arizona . ▁She ▁attended ▁George ▁Washington ▁High ▁School , ▁where ▁one ▁of ▁her ▁class m ates ▁was ▁Johnny ▁Math is . ▁She ▁later ▁attended ▁City ▁College ▁of ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁where ▁one ▁of ▁her ▁class m ates ▁was ▁fellow ▁actor ▁Bill ▁B ix by . ▁ ▁After ▁winning ▁Miss ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁Mer iw ether ▁won ▁Miss ▁California ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁then ▁was ▁crown ed ▁Miss ▁America ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁with ▁her ▁rec ital ▁of ▁a ▁John ▁Mill ington ▁Syn ge ▁mon olog ue . ▁She ▁then ▁appeared ▁that ▁Sunday ▁on ▁What ' s ▁My ▁Line ?, ▁hosted ▁by ▁John ▁Charles ▁Dal y ▁( who ▁also ▁em ceed ▁the ▁page ant ▁that ▁year ). ▁Following ▁her ▁reign ▁as ▁Miss ▁America , ▁she ▁joined ▁the ▁Today ▁show . ▁ ▁An ▁August ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁international ▁news ▁wire photo ▁of ▁Mer iw ether ▁and ▁Joe ▁Di M aggio ▁announced ▁their ▁eng agement