Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 19, 1951, actress Randi Oakes was born in Sumner. A fashion model and actress, Oakes gained national fame while playing Officer Bonnie Clark on the television series CHiPs.
Oakes grew up in Randalia. During high school, she traveled to Des Moines twice a week to attend modeling school. After winning Miss Iowa Model of the Year as a 17-year-old, Oakes moved to New York City. Oakes quickly rose to the top of the modeling world and also caught the eye of football star Joe Namath, whom she went on to date for seven years.
Across the late 1970s and early 1980s, Oakes started to appear frequently as a guest star on various television programs, including McCloud, Delvecchio, Switch, B.J. and the Bear, Barnaby Jones, The Love Boat, and Fantasy Island. Soon, a guest appearance on CHiPs led to a featured role as Officer Bonnie Clark.
In 1985, Oakes officially retired from acting following the birth of her first child. In 2015, Oakes returned to television, with other notable CHiPs stars, for a series of introductions and interviews for MeTV's weekly CHiPs reruns. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
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