Ladies and Gentleman, welcome back to The Buzz: Blog and our Alumnae Spotlights! Today we are highlighting Queen Jean Jones. Jean was the Daffodil Queen from Lakes High School in 1971. Their theme “Nature Our Greatest Heritage”, focused on the wonders of the natural world and how we must care for it as it is the most important part of our lives. Jean has led an incredible life alongside her parents in serving the community both small and large. The Fink family helped spark The Daffodil Scholarship Foundation which funds the scholarship that is given to every Daffodil Princess. Jean herself worked as an operating room nurse, joined the US Air Force, and retired as a 747 captain. Jean served on The Daffodil Scholarship Foundation during 2006-2013 and remains an integral resource in The Daffodil Festival, and The Daffodil Scholarship Foundation in her retirement. She has one hope that every participant will give back to the festival and bring it back to its former glory.
Q: What was your journey with the Daffodil Festival? Can you share your favorite story from your reign with us?
A:” My dad was an Air Force pilot, and my family moved to Tacoma in 1969. When Dad returned from the Vietnam war, we settled in Oakbrook and I attended Lakes High School my junior and senior year. In the fall of my senior year in 1970, an announcement was made that Lakes High would have their first Princess for the Daffodil Festival. I was nominated and later selected from a group of 7 senior girls. I was deeply honored to be chosen. There were 14 princesses that year. We learned songs and performed at nursing homes, ladies clubs, elks clubs, civic organizations, navy vessels, the state capital, even McNeil island penitentiary. We visited Madigan Army hospital to see soldiers who were injured in the Vietnam war. We even attended a dance at Western State hospital and danced with patients. My speech invited everyone to attend the most magnificent mutt show. By the time festival week came around we were exhausted.”
Q: What does the Daffodil Festival mean to you?
A:” The festival was a week-long event that started with the Queen’s coronation on Sunday night. It was held at PLU Olsen auditorium. There were 2000 people in attendance that night. We each gave a speech and answered an impromptu question. We met with the judges earlier in the day for interviews. We did not know who the judges were, and the judges were required to attend an event where we would appear so they could see us interacting with the public before the coronation. I was stunned when my name was called. There were no scholarships at the time. The first runner up was not announced, it was kept as a secret. The Lt. Governor of Washington state, Lt. Gov Cherbourg, put the crown on my head. The official Queen’s portrait was taken after the coronation. If you look at the portraits of the past Queen’s, they are black and white sitting in a princess chair. They are wearing princess gowns and not the Queen’s dress. These photos were taken by Bruce Bleckert photography.”
Queen Jean in her official Queen’s Portrait
Tacoma Public Library (General Photograph Collection G21.1-111) by Bruce Bleckert Photography
Q: Can you tell me about being a Daffodil Queen?
A: “After the coronation and the photography session I spent that night, and the rest of the week at the hotel with the Queen mother. There were so many appearances that she would not be able to drive back and forth to my house. The Queen mother that year was Mrs. Nadine Condon, wonderful lady. We got up early Monday morning and went to Nordstrom dept store where I got my Queens gown. That was the dress I wore the rest of the year. It was a white dress with a huge hoop skirt and pantaloons. The first time I sat down in this dress the hoop flew up over my head and then I knew why pantaloons were a necessity! I wore the beautiful yellow wool cape with the beaded daffodil on the back made by Aik Kawabata and carried the scepter everywhere I went. The travelling crown I wore was beautiful, made with topaz and brass. It was passed from one Queen to the next until the late 90’s when it was retired. It was made by Gunderson’s jeweler. Festival week was at the end of March. The Grand Floral parade was on Saturday and my float was sponsored by Tacoma City Light. It had 56,000 daffodils on it. 2 million daffodils were used in the parade that year. The Princesses were kept at the hotel with me Friday night before the parade. I was fortunate that weekend was sunny for all the parades. It was also sunny the next day, Sunday, for the marine parade.
After the festival, the out of town parades started. I was in 21 parades from April to September. The traveling float carried myself and 1 of the Princesses. They rotated so each could have a turn. The Daffodilians were the social part of the festival. They would attend these out of town festivals and they would walk beside the float. The Lilac festival in Spokane was first, then Wenatchee Apple Blossom festival, the Yakima SunFair, Vancouver BC PNE , Penticton BC, Portland Rose Festival, are just a few. My favorite was the Aloha Festival in Honolulu HI. I spent a week there and rode through the parade in a convertible. The Daffodil Festival was the 3rd largest floral festival in the US in those days.”
Q: What lessons have you learned through the Festival that has helped you?
“I gained much confidence and poise during my time as Princess and Queen. I spoke to many people. I encourage girls to take advantage of this free training. It is a safe place to learn how to handle many situations. Your speaking ability and maturity will improve.”
Q: Can you share the origins of The Daffodil Scholarship?
“You asked about the origin of the Daffodil Scholarship. I mentioned there were no scholarships in 1971. As a result of my involvement with the festival, my parents became involved the following year. Mom as a chaperone and Dad as a member of the Board of Directors. In 1974 the manager of the festival, Pip Martin, left the position. My Dad Garvie Fink, became the manager of the festival following his retirement from the Air Force. He held this position until his death in 1984. One of his goals was to start a scholarship foundation to provide scholarships for the Queen and the Princesses. This occurred in 1976 and Queen “Renee Hopp” received the first scholarship of 700$. The goal was for everyone to receive a scholarship. When my Dad died in 1984 my mother received money from many people involved in the Northwest festivals association. She gave this money to the Daffodil Scholarship Foundation to start an endowment. Around the year 2000 the goal of everyone receiving a scholarship was achieved. I joined the scholarship Foundation in 2006, I remained a part of it until 2013. My mother worked at the festival office every year from 1974 until 1997 as a secretary. She would put the parade together each year. She continued on with the Daffodil Scholarship Foundation until she retired in 2011.”
Q: What is your vocation and what job(s) do you do outside of the Festival?
A: “I graduated from UPS and Tacoma General School of Nursing. I worked as an operating room nurse for 4 years then joined the US Air Force. I went to pilot training and flew C141’s at McChord AFB. I was hired by Northwest Airlines as a pilot and retired as a 747 captain.”
Q: If you could give advice to someone wanting to become a Princess what would you say?
A: “My advice to each Princess is take many pictures. When I was royalty, the Tacoma News Tribune had a society page, and reporters and photographers were covering every event. Sadly that is not the case in today’s world. So the only way to preserve the memories is to take pictures and keep a diary. I hope that every participant will give back to the festival. It would be wonderful to build the festival back up to what it once was.”
