Folk Figure. Born Norma Des Cygne Smallwood, she was a full blood Cherokee Indian from Tulsa, Oklahoma. While as a student at Oklahoma State University, she entered the Miss America Pageant in 1926 and was crowned the first Native American to win the title. During the year of her reign, she had an acute business sense demanding a fee for appearances. She reportedly made over $100,000, more than either Babe Ruth or the President of the United States. She was later married to George H. Bruce, President of the Aladdin Petroleum Corporation.