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Margaret Gorman, the first Miss America, 1921
Elizabeth Ward Gracen 2010: Elizabeth Ward won in 1982.
Vanessa Williams in 2010. Vanessa won in 1984.
Heather French , 2000 winner
Nina Davuluri , Miss America 2014
Miss America is an American beauty contest . It is an annual competition open to women from the United States between the ages of 18 and 28. Contestants are judged on talent and interviews in addition to their physical attractiveness . It is run by the Miss America Organization , a non-profit organization based in Linwood, New Jersey . The corporation has developed the "Miss America Scholarship Program", which awards educational scholarships to successful competitors.[ 1]
The contest began in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1921. It was an idea of newspaper reporter, Harry Finley, to increase newspaper sales and to promote Atlantic City.[ 2] : 12 The first competition had eight entrants.[ 2] : 14 The entrants were selected by their local city newspapers and their prize was a holiday in Atlantic City, and to take part in the "Intercity Beauty Contest". This was held as part of the second annual Atlantic City Pageant. Margaret Gorman, "Miss Washington D.C.", a school girl from Washington D.C was selected by the Washington Herald.[ 3] She won the "Inter-City Beauty, Amateur" and "The Most Beautiful Bathing Girl in America" contests. She was given the Golden Mermaid Trophy. Because these were awkward titles, in 1922 Gorman was renamed as "Miss America".[ 3]
Year
Miss America
From
1921
Margaret Gorman
Washington, D.C.
1922
Mary Campbell
Columbus , Ohio
1923
Mary Campbell
Columbus , Ohio
1924
Ruth Malcomson
Philadelphia , Pennsylvania
1925
Fay Lanphier
Oakland , California
1926
Norma Smallwood
Tulsa , Oklahoma
1927
Lois Delander
Joliet , Illinois
1932
Dorothy Hann
Camden , New Jersey
1933
Marian Bergeron
West Haven , Connecticut
1935
Henrietta Leaver
Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania
1936
Rose Coyle
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1937
Bette Cooper
Bertrand Island , New Jersey
1938
Marilyn Meseke
Marion , Ohio
1939
Patricia Donnelly
Detroit , Michigan
1940
Frances Marie Burke
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1941
Rosemary LaPlanche
Los Angeles , California
1942
Jo-Carroll Dennison
Tyler , Texas
1943
Jean Bartel
Los Angeles, California
1944
Venus Ramey
Washington, D.C.
1945
Bess Myerson
New York , New York
1946
Marilyn Buferd
Los Angeles, California
1947
Barbara Jo Walker
Memphis , Tennessee
1948
BeBe Shopp
Hopkins , Minnesota
1949
Jacque Mercer
Litchfield Park , Arizona
1951
Yolande Betbeze
Mobile , Alabama
1952
Colleen Kay Hutchins
Salt Lake City , Utah
1953
Neva Jane Langley
Macon , Georgia
1954
Evelyn Margaret Ay
Ephrata , Pennsylvania
1955
Lee Meriwether
San Francisco , California
1956
Sharon Ritchie
Denver , Colorado
1957
Marian McKnight
Manning , South Carolina
1958
Marilyn Van Derbur
Denver, Colorado
1959
Mary Ann Mobley
Brandon , Mississippi
1960
Lynda Lee Mead
Natchez , Mississippi
1961
Nancy Fleming
Montague , Michigan
1962
Maria Fletcher
Asheville , North Carolina
1963
Jacquelyn Mayer
Sandusky , Ohio
1964
Donna Axum
El Dorado , Arkansas
1965
Vonda Kay Van Dyke
Phoenix , Arizona
1966
Deborah Irene Bryant
Overland Park , Kansas
1967
Jane Anne Jayroe
Laverne , Oklahoma
1968
Debra Dene Barnes
Moran , Kansas
1969
Judith Anne Ford
Belvidere , Illinois
1970
Pamela Anne Eldred
Birmingham , Michigan
1971
Phyllis Ann George
Denton , Texas
1972
Laurie Lea Schaefer
Columbus, Ohio
1973
Terry Anne Meeuwsen
De Pere , Wisconsin
1974
Rebecca Ann King
Denver, Colorado
1975
Shirley Cothran
Fort Worth , Texas
1976
Tawny Elaine Godin
Yonkers , New York
1977
Dorothy Kathleen Benham
Edina , Minnesota
1978
Susan Perkins
Columbus, Ohio
1979
Kylene Barker
Galax , Virginia
1980
Cheryl Prewitt
Ackerman , Mississippi
1981
Susan Powell
Elk City , Oklahoma
1982
Elizabeth Ward
Russellville , Arkansas
1983
Debra Maffett
Anaheim , California
1984
Vanessa L. Williams
Millwood , New York
Suzette Charles
Mays Landing , New Jersey
1985
Sharlene Wells
Salt Lake City, Utah
1986
Susan Akin
Meridian , Mississippi
1987
Kellye Cash
Memphis, Tennessee
1988
Kaye Lani Rae Rafko
Monroe , Michigan
1989
Gretchen Carlson
Anoka , Minnesota
1990
Debbye Turner
Mexico , Missouri
1991
Marjorie Judith Vincent
Oak Park , Illinois
1992
Carolyn Suzanne Sapp
Kona , Hawaii
1993
Leanza Cornett
Jacksonville , Florida
1994
Kimberly Clarice Aiken
Columbia , South Carolina
1995
Heather Whitestone
Birmingham , Alabama
1996
Shawntel Smith
Muldrow , Oklahoma
1997
Tara Dawn Holland
Overland Park, Kansas
1998
Katherine Shindle
Evanston , Illinois
1999
Nicole Johnson
Roanoke , Virginia
2000
Heather French
Augusta , Kentucky
2001
Angela Perez Baraquio
Honolulu , Hawaii
2002
Katie Harman
Gresham , Oregon
2003
Erika Harold
Urbana , Illinois
2004
Ericka Dunlap
Orlando , Florida
2005
Deidre Downs
Birmingham, Alabama
2006
Jennifer Berry
Tulsa , Oklahoma
2007
Lauren Nelson
Lawton , Oklahoma
2008
Kirsten Haglund
Farmington Hills, Michigan
2009
Katie Stam
Seymour, Indiana
2010
Caressa Cameron
Fredericksburg, Virginia
2011
Teresa Scanlan
Gering, Nebraska
2012
Laura Kaeppeler
Kenosha, Wisconsin
2013
Mallory Hagan
Brooklyn, New York
2014
Nina Davuluri
Fayetteville, New York
2015
Kira Kazantsev
Bronx, New York
2016
Betty Cantrel
Warner Robins, Georgia
2017
Savvy Shields
Fayetteville, Arkansas
2018
Cara Mund
Bismarck, North Dakota
2019
Nia Franklin
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
2020
Camille Schrier
Newtown, Pennsylvania
2021
No pageant was held due to COVID-19 pandemic
2022
Emma Broyles
Anchorage, Alaska