Former Miss Subways reunite to honor New York women past and present

From 1941 to 1976, New Yorkers riding the subway might have seen Maureen Walsh, Ellen Hart, or Heide Hafner smiling back at them on their commute as part of the Miss Subways campaign.

Created by the John Robert Powers talent agency, Miss Subways was a citywide contest that highlighted everyday women doing amazing things, like Hafner, Miss Subways 1976, who overcame obstacles like sexism to earn her pilot's license.

Every few years, the former Miss Subways reunite at Ellen's Stardust Diner, which is owned by Hart, Miss Subways 1959. The diner has now become a popular tourist destination, with live musical performances by waitstaff. On Tuesday, it received a proclamation from Manhattan Borough President Bray Hoylman-Sigal. 

Hart's success is an example of the wide range of accomplishments held by the Miss Subways. From businesswomen and lawyers to pilots and mothers, the Miss Subways defied the odds stacked against women of their time and hope that young women today do the same.

 "Today, women have much more opportunities than they had years gone by. Many women went back to college after they had children or they got older," Hart said. "We are free now. We really have freedom to be who we want to be and pursue what we want to do."

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