Miss America 1949

Last updated
Miss America 1949
DateSeptember 10, 1949
PresentersGovernor Alfred E. Driscoll, Bob Russell
Venue Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Entrants52
Placements15
Winner Jacque Mercer
Arizona
  1948
1951  

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]

Contents

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 , Mary Dawn Dwyer (the future wife of main protagonist Seymour "Swede" Levov) was Miss New Jersey in the 1949 pageant, and did not make it to the top ten, despite the contest being held in her home state. Roth recreates the pageant in the novel, and mentions real-life winner Jacque Mercer, as well as several of the judges.

Results

Placements

PlacementContestant
Miss America 1949
1st Runner-Up
2nd Runner-Up
3rd Runner-Up
4th Runner-Up
Top 15

Awards

Preliminary awards

AwardsContestant
Lifestyle and Fitness
Talent

Other awards

AwardsContestant
Miss Congeniality

Contestants

TitleNameHometownAgeTalentPlacementAwardsNotes
Flag of Alabama.svg Alabama Freida Roser Birmingham Classical Vocal
Flag of Arizona.svg Arizona Jacque Mercer Litchfield 18Dramatic Reading from Romeo and Juliet WinnerPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award

Preliminary Talent Award

Flag of Arkansas.svg Arkansas Barbara Brothers Little Rock Painting Display & Poetry Recitation, "Old Black Joe" & "I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy"Top 15
Flag of California.svg California Jone Pedersen Santa Rosa Dramatic Monologue, "You Will Come Back"4th Runner-upPreliminary Talent Award
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada Margaret Lynn Munn Vancouver Classical VocalTop 15Preliminary Talent Award
Flag of Chicago, Illinois.svg Chicago Teresa Giorgian Chicago Vocal, "Jealousy"Top 15
Flag of Colorado.svg Colorado Sylvia Canaday Denver Monologue from Dinner at Eight 3rd Runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle and Fitness Award
Flag of Connecticut.svg Connecticut Barbara Smetana Bridgeport Vocal & Monologue, "Maybe" & "Jackie, Son of a Hardboiled Cop"
Flag of Washington, D.C.svg District of Columbia Mary Hayes19Classical Vocal
Flag of Florida.svg Florida Shirley Ann Rhodes Tampa Vocal, "Put Your Shoes on, Lacy"
Flag of Georgia (U.S. state).svg Georgia Dorothy Johnston LaGrange Vocal from H.M.S. Pinafore
Greater Philadelphia Miriam Lopayowker Philadelphia Electric Guitar, "I'm in the Mood for Love"
Flag of Hawaii.svg Hawaii Bee Jay Johnston Honolulu Top 15
Flag of Illinois.svg Illinois Trudi Germi Chicago Classical Vocal, "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix"2nd Runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle and Fitness Award
Flag of Indiana.svg Indiana Patricia Cunningham Peru Water Ballet
Flag of Iowa.svg Iowa Barbara Juel Council Bluffs 20Classical Vocal, "Strie la Vampa" from Il trovatore
Flag of Kansas.svg Kansas Shirley Hargiss Topeka Vocal, "Cecilia on a See-saw"Top 15
Flag of Kentucky.svg Kentucky Betty Haverstock Louisville
Flag of Louisiana.svg Louisiana Annie Hollingsworth Baton Rouge
Flag of Maine.svg Maine Connie Gingrass Augusta Fencing
Flag of Maryland.svg Maryland Jean Crow Baltimore Fashion Design
Flag of Massachusetts.svg Massachusetts Gloria Curelli Roslindale Dance
Flag of Minnesota.svg Minnesota Gloria Burkhart Minneapolis Violin, "Zigeunerweisen"Top 15Preliminary Talent Award
Flag of Mississippi.svg Mississippi Katherine Wright Pascagoula Dramatic Sketch, "Hagar"1st Runner-up
Flag of Missouri.svg Missouri Mary Stone Jefferson City
Flag of Montana.svg Montana Carol Fraser Billings Equestrian DisplayMiss CongenialityAfter her horse nearly fell into the Orchestra Pit, the use of live animals was banned from the talent competition
Flag of Nebraska.svg Nebraska Vanita Mae Brown Omaha
Flag of Nevada.svg Nevada Carol Lampe Reno Speech, "4-H"
Flag of New Hampshire.svg New Hampshire Flora Sleeper Laconia
Flag of New Jersey.svg New Jersey Betty Jane Crowley Green Bank Poetry Recitation & Vocal, "Might Like a Rose"Top 15Miss Congeniality
Flag of New Mexico.svg New Mexico Shirley Hughes Carlsbad 18Charcoal & Chalk Drawing, "Cruising Down the River"Non-finalist Talent Award
Flag of New York.svg New York Wanda Nalepa New York City Speech, "Nursing"
Flag of New York City.svg New York City Loreen Osgood New York City Piano, "The Blue Danube"Top 15
Flag of North Carolina.svg North Carolina Nancy Lee Yelverton Rocky Mount Monologue, "A Delightful Dilemma"
Flag of North Dakota.svg North Dakota Kitty Page Bismarck Tap Dance & Baton Twirling
Flag of Ohio.svg Ohio Florence Bondi Cleveland
Flag of Oklahoma.svg Oklahoma Georgine R. Leeka Tulsa Vocal
Flag of Oregon.svg Oregon Beverly Kruger The Dalles Monologue, "The Waltz" by Dorothy Parker
Flag of Pennsylvania.svg Pennsylvania Marlene Carozzo Kennett Square Piano, Clair de Lune
Flag of Puerto Rico.svg Puerto Rico Avelina Medrallo
Flag of South Carolina.svg South Carolina Barrie Wingard Columbia
Flag of South Dakota.svg South Dakota Carol Quinn Sioux Falls Dramatic Monologue from Pygmalion
Flag of Tennessee.svg Tennessee Adelyn Sumner Knoxville Modeling/Speech
Flag of Texas.svg Texas Ysleta Leissner Fort Worth Ballet en Pointe
Flag of Utah.svg Utah June Barlow Bountiful Vocal/Dress Design, "Villanelle" & "The Wren"
Flag of Vermont.svg Vermont Annalou Johnston Enosburg Falls
Flag of Virginia.svg Virginia Betty Lewis Norfolk Vocal
Flag of Washington.svg Washington Libby Aldrich Kelso Vocal, "Stormy Weather"
Flag of West Virginia.svg West Virginia Georganne Steiss Barrackville Piano
Flag of Wisconsin.svg Wisconsin Phyllis Ann Kessler Green Bay 18Baton TwirlingTop 15Phyllis Ann Kessler Lynn Sacho died at age 90 on March 7, 2022, in DePere, Wisconsin.
Flag of Wyoming.svg Wyoming Esther McLeod Sheridan

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References

  1. 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