Norwood School Clerk Wins National Redbook Beauty Ideas Contest-This Day In Norwood History-July 23, 1975

Gwynne Jamieson, serving as secretary to the Norwood School Committee and school clerk, achieved national recognition by winning Redbook magazine’s competitive “Great Beauty Ideas” contest.

Outshining roughly 30,000 entries submitted from across the country, her innovative submission earned her a $1,000 cash prize and an exclusive, all-expenses-paid weekend trip to New York City. The August issue of Redbook showcased her victory with a dedicated feature spread, highlighting professional before-and-after photographs following a styling and makeup session with the magazine’s expert beauty editors and hairstylists.

Gwynne Jamieson’s winning concept stemmed from her passion for travel. She designed a portable, lightweight personal care kit dubbed “shake-up make-up,” featuring essential travel toiletries—such as shampoo, makeup, hand lotion, and deodorant—packaged in freeze-dried form to eliminate the risk of spills and reduce luggage weight. Originally hailing from Sudbury in northern Ontario, Gwynne Jamieson spent two years teaching school in Australia before relocating to the United States six years prior. A striking blonde and a divorced mother of two young children, John, six, and Eve, four, she shared that she was eagerly anticipating another major milestone: officially taking her oath to become a United States citizen on the upcoming Monday.

Her recent achievements extended far beyond the pages of national magazines. In June, she graduated with honors from Curry College in Milton, balancing her rigorous coursework with her demanding administrative duties as clerk for the school board. Looking toward the future, Gwynne Jamieson planned to spend the summer offering private tutoring while actively seeking a full-time teaching position for the fall semester. Demonstrating her characteristic ambition, she had also secured a scholarship from the Simmons College School of Library Science to begin graduate studies in September should her classroom teaching pursuits take time to materialize.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger