Food Network Host Paula Deen is 2011 Rose Parade Grand Marshal

Paula Deen, celebrity cook and Food Network television personality, will preside as Grand Marshal for the 2011 Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year's Day. The Rose Parade, held in Pasadena, California, is part of the annual festivities surrounding the Rose Bowl collegiate football game.

As Grand Marshall, Paula Deen will headline the 122^nd Rose Parade, which is sponsored by Honda. In addition, Paula Deen will be tasked with tossing the coin to begin the 97^th Rose Bowl football game on New Year's Day, from which the start of play will be determined.

Who is Paula Deen?

Paula Deen (63) is a popular author, cook, restaurateur and television personality. Her cable television shows include the Daytime Emmy-winning "Paula's Home Cooking," as well as "Paula's Best Dishes" and "Paula's Party."

Paula Deen has written more than 20 books, including "Deen Family Cookbook," "It Ain't All About The Cookin'," "Paula Deen Christmas Cookbook," "Paula Deen's Kitchen Classics," "Paula Deen's Kitchen Wisdom," "Savannah Country Cookbook" and "The Lady and Sons Just Desserts."

She is also the publisher of the bimonthly magazine "Cooking with Paula Deen" and the marketer of her own signature line of cookware and gifts.

Who has served as Rose Bowl Parade Grand Marshall in the past?

The honor of serving as Grand Marshall of the Tournament of Roses Parade is generally offered to individuals who have demonstrated leadership, character and respectability during their careers. Some Grand Marshals have been heroes, popular figures or noted for personal or professional achievements.

Grand Marshals for the annual Tournament of Roses Parade have included celebrities from many walks of life. These dignitaries have represented such diverse professions as acting, aeronautics, animation, art, athletics, broadcasting, diplomacy, law, manufacturing, military, ministry, music, philanthropy, politics, science, space travel, writing and more.

Here's a list of Rose Bowl Parade Grand Marshals to date (in reverse chronological order):

2011 Paula Deen
2010 Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, III
2009 Cloris Leachman
2008 Emeril Lagasse
2007 George Lucas
2006 Sandra Day O'Connor
2005 Mickey Mouse
2004 John Williams
2003 Fred "Mister "Rogers" Rogers
2003 Bill Cosby
2003 Art Linkletter
2002 Regis Philbin
2001 Tom Brokaw
2000 Roy E. Disney
1999 Shirley Temple Black
1999 Jackie Robinson (posthumously)
1999 David L. Wolper
1999 Buzz Aldrin
1998 Carol Burnett
1997 Carl Lewis & Shannon Miller
1996 Kermit the Frog
1995 Juan "Chi Chi" Rodriguez
1994 William Shatner
1993 Angela Lansbury
1992 His Grace, Cristobol Colon
1992 Congressman Ben Nighthorse Campbell
1991 Bob Newhart
1990 Senator John Glenn
1989 Shirley Temple Black
1988 Gregory Peck
1987 Pele
1986 Erma Bombeck
1985 Lee A. Iacocca
1984 Danny Kaye
1983 Merlin Olsen
1982 Jimmy Stewart
1981 Lorne Greene
1980 Frank Sinatra
1979 Lathrop K. Leishman
1978 Gerald R. Ford
1977 Roy Rogers & Dale Evans
1976 Kate Smith
1975 Henry L. "Hank" Aaron
1974 Charles M. Schulz
1973 John "The Duke" Wayne
1972 Lawrence Welk
1971 Reverend Billy Graham
1970 Richard F. Gordon, Jr.
1970 Charles Conrad, Jr.
1970 Apollo 12 Astronauts
1970 Alan L. Bean
1969 Bob Hope
1968 Everett Dirksen
1967 Thanat Khoman
1966 Walt Disney
1965 Arnold Palmer
1964 Dwight D. Eisenhower
1963 Dr. William H. Pickering
1962 Albert D. Rosellini
1961 William F. Quinn
1960 Richard M. Nixon
1959 E.L. "Bob" Bartlett
1958 Robert Gordon Sproul
1957 Eddie Rickenbacker
1956 Charles E. Wilson
1955 Earl Warren
1954 Gen. William F. Dean
1953 Richard M. Nixon
1952 Sgt. Joseph Rodriguez
1952 Sgt. Ernest Kouma
1952 Medal of Honor Men
1952 Maj. Carl Sitter
1952 Lt. Thomas Hudner
1952 Lt. Stanley Adams
1952 Capt. Raymond Harvey
1952 Capt. Lewis Millet
1951 Cpl. Robert S. Gray
1950 Paul G. Hoffman
1949 Perry Brown
1948 Gen. Omar Bradley
1947 & 69 Bob Hope
1946 Adm. William Halsey
1945 Herbert Hoover
1944 Amos Alonzo Stagg
1943 & 55 Earl Warren
1942 Kay Kyser
1941 E.O. Nay
1940 Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy
1939, 89, 99 Shirley Temple
1938 Leo Carrillo
1937 Eugene Biscailuz
1936 James V. Allred
1935 Harold Lloyd
1934 Adm. William S. Sims
1933 Mary Pickford
1932 William May Garland
1931 Gen. C.S. Farnsworth
1930 James Rolph
1929 Marco Hellman
1928 John McDonald
1927 Dr. C.D. Lockwood
1926 Col. L.J. Mygatt
1925 Lewis H. Turner
1924 Col. George S. Parker
1923 H.L. Gianett
1922 Harold Landreth
1921 W.A. Boucher
1920 Frank G. Hogan
1919 Frank Hunter
1918 Dr. Z.T. Malaby
1917 Dr. C.D. Lockwood
1916 Dr. Francis F. Rowland
1915 M.S. Pashgian
1914 Charles Daggett
1913 Leigh Guyer
1912 E.H. Groenendyke
1911 Dr. Ralph Skillen
1910 Dr. Francis F. Rowland
1909 Walter S. Wright
1907 & 08 Dr. Ralph Skillen
1906 John B. Miller
1904 & 05 Dr. Francis F. Rowland
1902 & 03 C.C. Reynolds
1900 & 01 Charles Daggett
1898 & 99 Martin H. Weight
1896 & 97 Edwin Stearns
1895 Dr. H.H. Sherk
1894 Dr. Francis F. Rowland
1893 No Grand Marshal
1892 Dr. Francis F. Rowland
1891 No Grand Marshal
1890 Dr. Francis F. Rowland

What college football teams are playing in the 2011 Rose Bowl game?

On January 1, 2011, the University of Wisconsin - Madison Badgers will take on the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs in the 97^thTournament of Roses game, sponsored by VIZIO and held in Pasadena's Rose Bowl Stadium. The sold-out Rose Bowl football game will begin at 5:10 p.m. (ET) and will be broadcast on ESPN.