The First Baby Contest of 1972

Ad from the December 20, 1971 Transylvania Times describing prizes for the first baby born in 1972.

In 1972 a partnership of local businesses including the Transylvania Times sponsored a “First Baby Contest”. An ad ran in late December 1971 describing an array of prizes for the first baby born in the new year. 

Photo from the January 6, 1972 Transylvania Times featuring the first baby of the year,
Walter Kimsey with his mother and doctor.

A subsequent issue shows the winner of the “contest” – Walter Franklin Kimsey – along with his mother and the attending physician. The contest gives us a glimpse of which businesses were operating in 1972, the cost of things, and perceived notions of what was useful to new parents, in addition to being a charming piece of nostalgia.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library. This article was written by Local History Librarian Laura Gardner. For more information, comments, or suggestions, contact NC Room staff at ncroom@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.