Miss America 1940

Last updated
Miss America 1940
DateSeptember 7, 1940
Presenters Bob Russell
Venue Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
Entrants44
Placements15
Winner Frances Marie Burke
Flag of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.svg  Philadelphia
  1939
1941  

Miss America 1940, the 14th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey for the first time since 1933. The finals were held on September 7, 1940. [1] Aside from the winner, Frances Burke, Miss Philadelphia, two other contestants from Pennsylvania placed among the Top 15, one representing Eastern Pennsylvania and the other from Western Pennsylvania.

Contents

The runner-up, Rosemary LaPlanche, would become Miss America 1941, before the pageant instituted rules preventing contestants from competing more than once.

Results

Placements

PlacementContestant
Miss America 1940
1st Runner-Up
2nd Runner-Up
3rd Runner-Up
4th Runner-Up
Top 15

Awards

Preliminary awards

AwardContestant
Lifestyle and Fitness
Talent

Contestants

TitleNameHometownAgeTalentPlacementAwardsNotes
Flag of Arizona.svg Arizona Anna Marie Barnett Bisbee
Flag of Arkansas (1924-2011).svg Arkansas Betty Benson Forrest City
Birmingham Evelyn Motlow Birmingham Vocal
Flag of California.svg California Rosemary LaPlanche Los Angeles 17Dance1st Runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness
Central Ohio Bette Jane Hart
Flag of Colorado (1911-1964).svg Colorado Eileen Hoskins Denver
Flag of Connecticut.svg Connecticut Dorothy Pickard New Haven
Flag of Delaware.svg Delaware Peggy Insolo Wilmington PianoTop 15
Delaware County Dorothy A. Wall Lansdowne
Flag of Washington, D.C.svg District of Columbia Catherine Howe22Dance, "The Yam"Top 15Preliminary Talent Award
Eastern New York Geraldine Anne Racine
Eastern Pennsylvania Mildred Saha Secane Top 15
Huntington Juanita Park Wright Huntington Top 15
Flag of Indiana.svg Indiana Carolyn Akin Evansville Tap Dance
Kansas City Gloria Kathleen Gipson Kansas City
Flag of Kentucky (1918-1962).png Kentucky Dorothy Slatten Lexington 4th Runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness
Knoxville Thelma McGhee Knoxville
Flag of Maine.svg Maine Shirley Edith Houston Augusta
Flag of Maryland.svg Maryland Marie Beiser Baltimore
Flag of Massachusetts.svg Massachusetts Polly Connors Bedford 3rd Runner-up
Flag of Miami, Florida.svg Miami Mitzie Strother Miami Top 15
Flag of Michigan.svg Michigan Monnie Drake Detroit Vocal, "Bill"2nd Runner-upPreliminary Talent Award
Flag of Minnesota (1893-1957).svg Minnesota Virginia Kepler Minneapolis
Flag of Mississippi (1894-1996).png Mississippi Carolyn Simon Greenville
Flag of Missouri.svg Missouri Virginia Morrison St. Louis Top 15
Flag of Montana (1905-1981).svg Montana Kay Kittendorf Missoula Classical Vocal, "Un bel dì, vedremo" from Madama Butterfly Top 15Preliminary Talent Award
Montgomery Carolyn Foreman Montgomery
Myrtle Beach LaBruce Sherill Myrtle Beach Tap Dance, "Cocktails for Two"Top 15Preliminary Talent Award
Flag of New Jersey (1896-1965).png New Jersey Mildred Marie Selko Kearny
Flag of New Orleans, Louisiana.svg New Orleans Pauline Powell New Orleans
Flag of North Carolina (1885-1991).svg North Carolina Jeanne Wofford Forest City
Flag of Ohio.svg Ohio Violet Berze Steubenville
Flag of Oklahoma (1925-1941).svg Oklahoma Ada Martyne Wood Oklahoma City Top 15
Flag of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.svg Philadelphia Frances Marie Burke Philadelphia Vocal/Dance, "I Can't Love You Anymore"Winner
Flag of South Carolina.svg South Carolina Vanadora Baker Dillon Recitation
Flag of St. Louis, Missouri.svg St. Louis LeFern Mueller St. Louis
Flag of Tennessee.svg Tennessee Christine Webb Centerville Dramatic Monologue, "The Waltz"
Flag of Texas.svg Texas Gloria Ann Byrns Port Arthur Tap Dance & Baton Twirling
Flag of Virginia.svg Virginia Virginia Campbell Charlottesville
Flag of Washington (1923-1967).png Washington Peggy Mason Tacoma
Flag of West Virginia.svg West Virginia Mary Schlarmann Bowles Montgomery
Westchester County Constantine Gray Yonkers
Western Kentucky Violet Owen
Western New York Gloria Elizabeth Sheehan Buffalo
Western Pennsylvania Alberta Louise Carts Pittsburgh Top 15

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss America</span> Annual competition in the United States

Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 18 and 28. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is judged on competition segments with scoring percentages: Private Interview (30%) – a 10-minute press conference-style interview with a panel of judges, On Stage Question (10%) – answering a judge's question onstage, Talent or HER Story (20%) – a performance talent or 90 second speech, Health and Fitness (20%) – demonstrated physical fitness onstage dressed in athletic wear, and Evening Gown (20%) – modeling evening-wear onstage.

The Miss Pennsylvania USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Pennsylvania in the Miss USA pageant. It has been previously known as Miss Pennsylvania Universe. This pageant is independently conducted and produced by Proctor Productions based in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was produced by Sanders & Associates, Inc., dba- Pageant Associates based in Buckhannon, West Virginia from 2001 to 2020. Since 2020 the pageant based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Miss Tennessee competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Tennessee in the Miss America Scholarship Competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss Massachusetts</span> Beauty pageant competition

The Miss Massachusetts competition is a scholarship pageant put on annually by the Miss Massachusetts Scholarship Foundation, Inc. The winner of the pageant receives the title of Miss Massachusetts and represents the state of Massachusetts at the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Frances Marie Kenney was an American beauty pageant contestant who was the winner of Miss America in 1940.

The Miss Pennsylvania competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Pennsylvania in the Miss America pageant. Pennsylvania, including early years' city representatives, has won the Miss America crown on five occasions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mrs. America (contest)</span> American beauty pageant

Mrs. America Pageant is a beauty competition that was established to honor married women throughout the United States of America. Each of the contestants representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia ranges in age from their 20s to 50s and earns the right to participate in the national event by winning her state competition. These state events are under the direction of Mrs. America state directors. The winner goes on to compete in the Mrs. World pageant.

Miss America 2002, the 75th Miss America pageant, was televised live from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday, September 22, 2001, on the ABC Network. The pageant was won by Katie Harman of Oregon, the first woman representing that state to take the crown.

The most frequently presented Miss America awards are for preliminary talent and swimsuit. The talent award was introduced in 1936, and the swimsuit award in 1940. In the 2000s, preliminary awards for evening gown and interview were briefly introduced but were discontinued after two years as it was felt that they made the semi-finalists too predictable.

The United States has continuously sent a representative to Miss World since its inception in 1951. The United States has won the Miss World crown three times in 1973, 1990 and 2010. Currently, Miss World America is the official national pageant that selects the contestant from the United States to Miss World.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss America 2009</span> 82nd edition of the Miss America competition

Miss America 2009, the 82nd Miss America pageant, was held on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada on Saturday, January 24, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss USA 2011</span> 60th Miss USA pageant

Miss USA 2011 was the 60th Anniversary of the Miss USA pageant, held at the Planet Hollywood Theatre for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 19, 2011. Rima Fakih of Michigan crowned her successor, Alyssa Campanella of California, at the end of this event. This was California's sixth Miss USA title and the first title since 1992. Campanella represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2011 pageant in São Paulo, Brazil on September 12, 2011.

Candace Otto is a pageant titleholder from Murrysville, Pennsylvania who held the Miss Pennsylvania 2003 title and competed in the Miss America pageant.

Miss America 1936, the tenth Miss America pageant, was held at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday, September 12, 1936. Despite winning three of the pageant's contests, Miss Cook County was awarded 3rd runner-up. Miss Connecticut, the 2nd runner-up, won the "Miss Personality" prize, while Miss Philadelphia, Rose Veronica Coyle, sang and tap danced her way to the "Talent Award", as well as winning the coveted crown. Entrants from Pennsylvania took the top honor as well as capturing three other positions in the Top 15.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss America 1922</span> 2nd Miss America pageant

Miss America 1922 was the second annual Miss America pageant, held at the Million Dollar Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey from September 7–9, 1922.

Miss America 1954, the 27th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 12, 1953. Though four women from Pennsylvania had previously held the title, Evelyn Margaret Ay was the first Miss Pennsylvania to be crowned Miss America, as the others represented cities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss America 1923</span> 3rd Miss America pageant

Miss America 1923, was the third Miss America pageant, held at the Million Dollar Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Friday, September 7, 1923.

Miss America 1935, the ninth Miss America pageant, was held at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday, September 7, 1935, following a one-year hiatus. Upon arrival in Atlantic City, contestants were strongly encouraged to exhibit some form of talent during the pageant, which was a first for the pageant. Aside from Henrietta Leaver, Miss Pittsburgh winning the Miss America crown, entrants from Pennsylvania placed as three of the nine semi-finalists.

Miss America 1941, the 15th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 6, 1941. Shortly after the crowning of Miss California, Rosemary LaPlanche, who had been first runner-up in 1940, the pageant committee adopted this rule: "No contestant can compete in Atlantic City for the title of Miss America more than once", thus eliminating future state winners with more than one attempt at the national title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss USA 2013</span> 62nd Miss USA pageant

Miss USA 2013 was the 62nd Miss USA pageant, held on June 16, 2013 at The AXIS in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 50 states and the District of Columbia competed for the title and the pageant was televised live on NBC. Outgoing titleholder Nana Meriwether of Maryland crowned her successor Erin Brady of Connecticut at the end of the event. This was Connecticut's first ever Miss USA crown.

References

  1. Associated Press (1940-09-09). "Miss America 1940 Says Two Sisters Are Prettier". Oshkosh Daily Northwestern. p. 7.

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.