Miss America 1959

Miss America 1959
Mary Ann Mobley, Miss America 1959
Date	September 6, 1958
Presenters	Bert Parks
Venue	Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Broadcaster	CBS
Entrants	52
Placements	10
Winner	Mary Ann Mobley Mississippi
←  1958 1960  →

Miss America 1959, the 32nd Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 6, 1958 on CBS. ^[1]

Mary Ann Mobley, the first winner from Mississippi, became an actress, featured in two Elvis Presley films and many television series. Second runner-up Anita Bryant later gained fame as a singer, television spokesperson, and Christian activist against gay rights in the United States.

Results

Placements

Placement	Contestant
Miss America 1959	Mississippi – Mary Ann Mobley [1]
1st Runner-Up	Iowa – Joanne Lucille MacDonald [1]
2nd Runner-Up	Oklahoma – Anita Bryant [1]
3rd Runner-Up	California – Sandra Lee Jennings [1]
4th Runner-Up	North Carolina – Betty Lane Evans [1]
Top 10	Alabama – Lee Thornberry   Arkansas – Sally Miller   Connecticut – Billie June Turner   Texas – Mary Neil Hendricks   Utah – Janet Carolyn Secor [1]

Awards

Preliminary awards

Awards	Contestant
Lifestyle and Fitness	California - Sandra Lee Jennings Indiana - Anita Marie Hursh North Carolina - Betty Lane Evans
Talent	Alabama - Lee Thornberry Connecticut - Billie June Turner Mississippi - Mary Ann Mobley

Other awards

Awards	Contestant
Miss Congeniality	Rhode Island - Ann Louise Willis [1]
Non Finalist Classical/Semi Classical Vocalist Talent	South Carolina - Gene Lenoir Wilson [1]
Non Finalist Instrumental Talent	Idaho - Bonnie Leila Baird
Non Finalist Dancer	Chicago - Audra Deckmann
Non Finalist Popular Vocal Talent	New Jersey - Marilyn Beryl Rockafellow
Overall Non Finalist Talent	Nebraska - Sherry Johnson New Hampshire - Mary Morin

Contestants

State	Name	Hometown	Age	Talent	Placement	Awards	Notes
Alabama	Lee Thornberry	Birmingham		Vocal/Dance, "Honey Bun" from South Pacific	Top 10	Preliminary Talent Award
Alaska	Stuart Johnson	Douglas City		Piano, "Alaska's Flag"
Arizona	Donna Riggs	Phoenix		Vocal/Dance, "Teacher's Pet"		Unspecified Special Scholarship
Arkansas	Sally Miller	Pine Bluff		Classical Vocal, "Caro Nome" from Rigoletto	Top 10
California	Sandra Jennings	Riverside		Piano, "Clair de Lune"	3rd runner-up	Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
Canada	Danica d'Hondt	Vancouver	19
Chicago	Audra Deckmann	Chicago		Dance		Non-finalist Talent Award
Colorado	Cynthia Cullen	Boulder		Drama, "Queen on Being Sentenced to Death"
Connecticut	Billie June Turner	New Canaan	20	Ballet en Pointe from Les Sylphides	Top 10	Preliminary Talent Award
Delaware	Nancy M. Williams	Wilmington		Dance to musical selections from Gone with the Wind
District of Columbia	Lee Berkow	Washington, D.C.	21	Vocal, "Come Rain or Come Shine"
Florida	Dianne Tauscher	Orlando		Ballet, "Canadian Sunset"
Georgia	Jeanette Ardell	Marietta	18	Archery
Hawaii	Georgietta Kahalelaukoa Parker	Honolulu		Hula
Idaho	Bonnie Leila Baird	Heyburn		Clarinet		Non-finalist Talent Award
Illinois	Anita Ruth Olson	River Forest		Piano, "Rhapsody in G Minor" by Johannes Brahms
Indiana	Anita Hursh	Goshen		Piano, "Polonaise" by Frédéric Chopin		Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
Iowa	Joanne MacDonald	Ames	20	Dramatic Recitation from The White Cliffs of Dover	1st runner-up
Kansas	Sharon Whitacre	Mission	18	Accordion, "3rd Movement of Concerto in A" by Pietro Deiro
Kentucky	Sandra Sue Smith	Harlan		Pantomime/Dance, "Tweedle Dee"
Louisiana	Alberta Louise Futch	Hammond		Fire Baton Twirling
Maine	Terry Suzanne Tripp	Lewiston		Ballet
Maryland	Mary Roberta Page	Bethesda		Chalk Sketch
Massachusetts	Patricia Nordling	Lexington		Vocal/Piano, "Exactly Like You"
Michigan	Patience Pierce	Detroit		Drama, "Meet Christobel"
Minnesota	Diane Albers	St. Paul		Piano, "Allegro de Concierto" by Enrique Granados
Mississippi	Mary Ann Mobley	Brandon	21	Vocal Medley & Dance, "Un Bel Di" & "There'll be Some Changes Made"	Winner	Preliminary Talent Award
Missouri	Marjorie Critten	Kansas City		Tap Dance, "Opus No. 1"
Nebraska	Sherry Johnson	Omaha		Monologue		Non-finalist Talent Award
Nevada	Judy Wadsworth	Sparks		Dramatic Monologue from The Lark
New Hampshire	Mary Morin	Manchester		Pantomime Routine		Non-finalist Talent Award
New Jersey	Marilyn Beryl Rockafellow	New Monmouth		Vocal		Non-finalist Talent Award
New Mexico	Lois Wilson	Hobbs	18	Vocal
New York	Miriam Sanderson	Rensselaer		French Vocal, "Serenade" by Sigmund Romberg
New York City	Bette June Piller	New York City		Speech on Art
North Carolina	Betty Evans	Greenville		Vocal, Piano, Skit, & Dance, "Wait 'til You See Her"	4th runner-up	Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
North Dakota	Helen Korfhage	Grand Forks		Classical Vocal, "If Thou Lov'st Me"
Ohio	Margaret Putman	Ada		Dramatic Sketch, "Student Nurse"
Oklahoma	Anita Bryant	Tulsa	18	Vocal, "When the Boys Talk About the Girls"	2nd runner-up	Popular singing star
Oregon	Mary Ellen Vinton	McMinnville		Piano & Tap Dance, "I Won't Dance"
Pennsylvania	Rosalie Samley	Bethlehem		Ballet, "I Won't Dance"
Rhode Island	Ann Willis	Cranston				Miss Congeniality
South Carolina	Gene Wilson	Charleston	18	Vocal, "If I Loved You"		Non-finalist Talent Award
South Dakota	Carolee Nelson	Irene		Drama
Tennessee	Patricia Eaves	Cookeville		Dramatic Monologue, "Viola's Ring Scene" from Twelfth Night
Texas	Mary Nell Hendricks	Arlington		Vocal, "Getting to Know You"	Top 10
Utah	Janet Carolyn Secor	Salt Lake City		Classical Ballet, "The Waltz" from The Sleeping Beauty	Top 10
Vermont	Sandra Sinclair	South Burlington		Vocal & Dance, "Getting to Know You"
Virginia	Barbara Guthrie	Martinsville		Drama
Washington	Anne Henderson	Spokane		Pantomime & Charleston Dance
West Virginia	Sandra Boyd	Fairmont		Vocal, "Money Honey"
Wisconsin	Kay Ross	West Allis	24	Art Presentation with Vocal & Dance

References

1. "Mississippi Miss Wins Title of Miss America". The Brownsville Herald. UPI. 7 September 1958. p. 1. Retrieved 16 November 2023.

External links

• Miss America official website