Joan Gail Bradshaw, daughter of John Powers Bradshaw and Mary Elizabeth Merkle, was born in 1936 in Oklahoma. The family later settled in Houston, Texas, where her father owned an ice cream company and acquired horses, sparking Joan's early interest in riding, which she began at age 3.
Joan's academic journey was cut short when she quit school at age 15. She then pursued a career in beauty pageants, winning her first contest at 16. In 1953, she was crowned Miss Texas USA and went on to compete in the Miss USA pageant, where she finished as a semi-finalist. She also participated in the Miss Universe pageant, although she later admitted to being underage at the time.
Joan's physical description during this period was 5 feet 4 inches tall, 113-15 pounds, with brunette hair, brown eyes, and measurements of 36-23-36. Her talents included singing, sports, and ice skating.
After her pageant days, Joan returned to Houston and worked as a receptionist for the Texas Company, which later became Texaco. She eventually moved to New York, where she appeared on the Arthur Murray Party television show, dancing the mystery dance. Actress Jean Simmons encouraged her to pursue a movie career, and Joan headed to Hollywood, where she quickly landed ten acting roles within her first 14 months.
Joan's social calendar was filled with celebrity events, including a notable appearance with Elvis Presley at Sy Devore's Halloween party in 1957. At age 25, she married movie producer Frank Ross, who was 56 years old at the time, and she vowed to give up her acting career. She did, and the couple remained together until his death in 1990.
Joan later returned to her home state of Texas, where she operated a tiki bar and motel for several years. She still splits her time between South Padre Island, Texas, and Los Angeles, California.
