23rd event of Miss America in 1949
Miss America 1949 , the 23rd Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 10, 1949. The 1949 pageant marked the first time that a public official, New Jersey Governor Alfred E. Driscoll , had taken part in the coronation, placing the jeweled crown on the new queen's head.[ 1]
The winner, Jacque Mercer , was the first Miss Arizona to take the crown, as well as the last previously married woman before the Miss America pageant adopted new rules.
Among the finalists was Betty Jane Crowley, Miss New Jersey , who became an actress and guest-starred in dozens of television series, billed professionally as Kathleen Crowley . Another future actress, Allison Hayes , competed in the pageant as Miss District of Columbia .
In Philip Roth 's 1997 novel, American Pastoral Jacque Mercer , as well as several of the judges.
Results
Placements
Placement
Contestant
Miss America 1949
1st Runner-Up
2nd Runner-Up
3rd Runner-Up
4th Runner-Up
Top 15
Awards
Preliminary awards
Other awards
Contestants
Title
Name
Hometown
Age
Talent
Placement
Awards
Notes
Alabama Freida Roser
Birmingham
Classical Vocal
Arizona Jacque Mercer
Litchfield
18
Dramatic Reading from Romeo and Juliet
Winner
Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
Preliminary Talent Award
Arkansas Barbara Brothers
Little Rock
Painting Display & Poetry Recitation, "Old Black Joe " & "I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy "
Top 15
California Jone Pedersen
Santa Rosa
Dramatic Monologue, "You Will Come Back"
4th Runner-up
Preliminary Talent Award
Canada Margaret Lynn Munn
Vancouver
Classical Vocal
Top 15
Preliminary Talent Award
Chicago Teresa Giorgian
Chicago
Vocal, "Jealousy"
Top 15
Colorado Sylvia Canaday
Denver
Monologue from Dinner at Eight
3rd Runner-up
Preliminary Lifestyle and Fitness Award
Connecticut Barbara Smetana
Bridgeport
Vocal & Monologue, "Maybe" & "Jackie, Son of a Hardboiled Cop"
District of Columbia Mary Hayes
19
Classical Vocal
Florida Shirley Ann Rhodes
Tampa
Vocal, "Put Your Shoes on, Lacy"
Georgia Dorothy Johnston
LaGrange
Vocal from H.M.S. Pinafore
Greater Philadelphia Miriam Lopayowker
Philadelphia
Electric Guitar, "I'm in the Mood for Love "
Hawaii Bee Jay Johnston
Honolulu
Top 15
Illinois Trudi Germi
Chicago
Classical Vocal, "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix "
2nd Runner-up
Preliminary Lifestyle and Fitness Award
Indiana Patricia Cunningham
Peru
Water Ballet
Iowa Barbara Juel
Council Bluffs
20
Classical Vocal, "Strie la Vampa" from Il trovatore
Kansas Shirley Hargiss
Topeka
Vocal, "Cecilia on a See-saw"
Top 15
Kentucky Betty Haverstock
Louisville
Louisiana Annie Hollingsworth
Baton Rouge
Maine Connie Gingrass
Augusta
Fencing
Maryland Jean Crow
Baltimore
Fashion Design
Massachusetts Gloria Curelli
Roslindale
Dance
Minnesota Gloria Burkhart
Minneapolis
Violin, "Zigeunerweisen "
Top 15
Preliminary Talent Award
Mississippi Katherine Wright
Pascagoula
Dramatic Sketch, "Hagar"
1st Runner-up
Missouri Mary Stone
Jefferson City
Montana Carol Fraser
Billings
Equestrian Display
Miss Congeniality
After her horse nearly fell into the Orchestra Pit, the use of live animals was banned from the talent competition
Nebraska Vanita Mae Brown
Omaha
Nevada Carol Lampe
Reno
Speech, "4-H"
New Hampshire Flora Sleeper
Laconia
New Jersey Betty Jane Crowley
Green Bank
Poetry Recitation & Vocal, "Might Like a Rose"
Top 15
Miss Congeniality
New Mexico Shirley Hughes
Carlsbad
18
Charcoal & Chalk Drawing, "Cruising Down the River"
Non-finalist Talent Award
New York Wanda Nalepa
New York City
Speech, "Nursing"
New York City Loreen Osgood
New York City
Piano, "The Blue Danube "
Top 15
North Carolina Nancy Lee Yelverton
Rocky Mount
Monologue, "A Delightful Dilemma"
North Dakota Kitty Page
Bismarck
Tap Dance & Baton Twirling
Ohio Florence Bondi
Cleveland
Oklahoma Georgine R. Leeka
Tulsa
Vocal
Oregon Beverly Kruger
The Dalles
Monologue, "The Waltz" by Dorothy Parker
Pennsylvania Marlene Carozzo
Kennett Square
Piano, Clair de Lune
Puerto Rico Avelina Medrallo
South Carolina Barrie Wingard
Columbia
South Dakota Carol Quinn
Sioux Falls
Dramatic Monologue from Pygmalion
Tennessee Adelyn Sumner
Knoxville
Modeling/Speech
Texas Ysleta Leissner
Fort Worth
Ballet en Pointe
Utah June Barlow
Bountiful
Vocal/Dress Design, "Villanelle" & "The Wren"
Vermont Annalou Johnston
Enosburg Falls
Virginia Betty Lewis
Norfolk
Vocal
Washington Libby Aldrich
Kelso
Vocal, "Stormy Weather "
West Virginia Georganne Steiss
Barrackville
Piano
Wisconsin Phyllis Ann Kessler
Green Bay
18
Baton Twirling
Top 15
Phyllis Ann Kessler Lynn Sacho died at age 90 on March 7, 2022, in DePere, Wisconsin.
Wyoming Esther McLeod
Sheridan
References
^ Associated Press (1949-09-12). "Jacque Mercer Miss America". Morning Herald. p. 1.
Secondary sources
Saulino Osborne, Angela (1995). "Miss Americas and their Courts". Miss America The Dream Lives On . Taylor Publishing Company. ISBN 0-87833-110-7
Lillian Ross, "Symbol of all we possess (October 22, 1949 (On the Miss America pageant))" from "The 40s: The story of a decade: The New Yorker"
Edited by Henry Finder with Giles Harvey
Modern Library, New York
Copyright 2014 by The New Yorker Magazine
External links
