New emblem omits the cotton
The Chattanooga Cotton Ball has dropped the cotton part.
It is now just the Chattanooga Ball.
Officials said, "With the event continuing to thrive, in 2019, the board voted to change the name to reflect more on the city Chattanooga has become, rather than the city’s past.
"Today, The Chattanooga Ball is held each summer to raise money, build volunteer opportunities and bring awareness to charities benefitting women and children in the Chattanooga area.
"While the event is steeped in tradition, the mission of The Chattanooga Ball Association is focused on helping young women make a difference in the Chattanooga community, as well as instilling an appreciation for volunteerism in each of them that they will carry into adulthood."
Historian and genealogist Zella Armstrong started the Cotton Ball in 1933.
Following the 1976 Bicentennial Ball, the board of directors "voted to reduce the size of the event from a spectacular pageant to a dinner-dance that would more closely involve family participation during such an important night in the Belles’ lives."