A beauty you can look up to

April 15, 1956: Fran Chadwick, 18, of Glendora was chosen annual beauty queen of the California Tip Toppers, whose club membership is limited to women at least 6 feet tall and men 6 feet 4 and up. The club was founded in 1938 by Kae Sumner, who had written a piece in The Times (under the name Kae Krysler) about all the inconveniences of being a 6-foot, 3-inch woman -- including shopping for clothes and finding dancing partners: “And do you suppose I very often have the pleasure of dancing with a man cheek to cheek? Oh, no! It’s chin to cheek! My chin ... his cheek.” When eight similarly tall people contacted her about her article, she invited them to her home and the club was born. It became known for its events and efforts to make life easier for tall people.