Miss America 1977

Last updated
Miss America 1977
DateSeptember 11, 1976
Presenters Bert Parks [1]
Venue Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Broadcaster NBC
Winner Dorothy Benham
Minnesota
  1976
1978  

Miss America 1977, the 50th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 11, 1976 [2] , on NBC Network. The winner was Miss Minnesota, Dorothy Benham. [3]

Contents

Before the finals, Benham and second runner up Carmen McCollum shared victories of the talent and swimsuit preliminary trophies. [1] Deborah Lipford, Miss Delaware, was the first black contestant to make it to the final 10, and only the sixth to win a state level Miss America contest. [3]

Benham became a singer, appearing often on the Crystal Cathedral religious-themed program Hour of Power .

Among the other contestants in 1977 was Miss Florida, actress Nancy Stafford, who would co-star with Andy Griffith 11 years later in the NBC TV series Matlock .

Results

Final resultsContestant
Miss America 1977
1st runner-up
2nd runner-up
3rd runner-up
4th runner-up
Top 10

Awards

Preliminary awards

AwardsContestant
Lifestyle and Fitness
Talent

Non-finalist awards

AwardsContestant
Talent

Judges

Contestants

StateNameHometownAgeTalentPlacementSpecial AwardsNotes
Flag of Alabama.svg Alabama Denise Davis Russellville 18Popular VocalToured with Miss America USO Troupe
Flag of Alaska.svg Alaska Kathy Tebow Anchorage 19Violin Solo, "Méditation"Non-finalist Talent Award
Flag of Arizona.svg Arizona Anne DeVarennes Tucson 22Vocal, "As Long as He Needs Me" from Oliver!
Flag of Arkansas.svg Arkansas Joyce McCormack Little Rock 21Ballet en Pointe, "Polonaise"Non-finalist Talent Award
Flag of California.svg California Linda Mouron Orange 19Tap Dance, "Puttin' on the Ritz"3rd runner-up
Flag of Colorado.svg Colorado Karen Land Littleton 22Vibraphone, "Bandstand Boogie"
Flag of Connecticut.svg Connecticut Debra LaRoche Cheshire 20Popular Vocal, "I Feel a Song Coming On"
Flag of Delaware.svg Delaware Deborah Rica Lipford Newark 21Dramatic Interpretation, "It Was a Good Time" from Ryan's Daughter Top 10First African-American contestant to reach the top 10 at Miss America
Flag of Florida.svg Florida Nancy Stafford Fort Lauderdale 22Piano, "Send in the Clowns"
Flag of Georgia (U.S. state).svg Georgia Sandy Adamson Atlanta 20Tap Dance, "I Can Do That"Dr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship
Flag of Hawaii.svg Hawaii Haunani Asing Kailua 18Guitar &Vocal, "Hawaiian Lullaby"
Flag of Idaho.svg Idaho RaNae Peterson Preston 19Organ Medley, "I Got Rhythm" & "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing"Non-finalist Talent Award
Flag of Illinois.svg Illinois Betsy Jamison Mundelein 24Popular Vocal, "Who Will Buy?" from Oliver!
Flag of Indiana.svg Indiana Tamara Trittschuh Plainfield 21Piano, "Rhapsodies, Op. 79" by Johannes Brahms
Flag of Iowa.svg Iowa Ronda Frogley Davenport 20Popular Vocal, "Tomorrow"
Flag of Kansas.svg Kansas Linda Hall Hill City 21Piano, Theme from The Apartment Wife of former U.S. Senator Tom Daschle
Flag of Kentucky.svg Kentucky Victoria Harned Leitchfield 21Popular Vocal, "Send in the Clowns"Non-finalist Talent Award
Flag of Louisiana.svg Louisiana Candy Sue Crocker Hammond 22Vocal/Tap Dance, "Swanee"
Flag of Maine.svg Maine Susan Wanbaugh Presque Isle 19Dramatic Monologue from As You Like It
Flag of Maryland.svg Maryland Barbara Jean Jennings Greenbelt 25Piano, "Morceaux de fantaisie" by Rachmaninoff Top 10Dr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship
Flag of Massachusetts.svg Massachusetts Deborah Guastella Methuen 22Vocal, "Your World and Mine"
Flag of Michigan.svg Michigan Diane Kay Hansen Berrien Center 23Piano Medley, "My Country, 'Tis of Thee", "Dixie", & "Yankee Doodle"
Flag of Minnesota.svg Minnesota Dorothy Benham Edina 20Classical Vocal, "Adele's Laughing Song" from Die Fledermaus WinnerPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award

Preliminary Talent Award

Flag of Mississippi.svg Mississippi Bobbye Wood Hattiesburg 19Vocal, "Starting Here, Starting Now"
Flag of Missouri.svg Missouri Marcia Kolich Sugar Creek 22Jazz Dance, "Everything's Coming up Roses", "On Broadway", & "That's Entertainment!"
Flag of Montana.svg Montana Janice Frankino Helena 19Gymnastics/Jazz Dance, "The Yankee Doodle Boy"Dr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship
Flag of Nebraska.svg Nebraska Marion Catherine Watson Omaha 22Vocal, "Over the Rainbow"
Flag of Nevada.svg Nevada Sandra Kastel Las Vegas 21Vocal, "My Man"Non-finalist Talent Award
Flag of New Hampshire.svg New Hampshire Margaret Spellacy Hampton 21Comedy Dance, "The Yankee Doodle Boy"
Flag of New Jersey.svg New Jersey Lori Johnson Medford 19Acrobatic Dance, "Love is the Answer"
Flag of New Mexico.svg New Mexico Melody Griffin Hobbs 21Vocal, "The Music and the Mirror" from A Chorus Line
Flag of New York.svg New York Sonja Anderson New York City 25Vocal, "And This is My Beloved"4th runner-upPreliminary Talent AwardPreviously Miss New York USA 1975
Flag of North Carolina.svg North Carolina Susie Proffitt Black Mountain 22Tap Dance from Baby Face
Flag of North Dakota.svg North Dakota Donna Grotberg Valley City 18Piano, "The Cat and the Mouse"Top 10
Flag of Ohio.svg Ohio Janice Cooley Portsmouth 20Piano, "Mephisto Waltz"Non-finalist Talent Award
Flag of Oklahoma.svg Oklahoma Lucia Miller Buffalo 21Trumpet, "Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey"
Flag of Oregon.svg Oregon Shan Moss Nyssa 21Flute, "Concertino"Non-finalist Talent Award
Flag of Pennsylvania.svg Pennsylvania Marie McLaughlin Levittown 23Ventriloquism, "Together (Wherever We Go)"Top 10
Flag of Rhode Island.svg Rhode Island Debra Cerroni Esmond 20Vocal, "Much More" from The FantasticksPreviously Miss Rhode Island USA 1974
Flag of South Carolina.svg South Carolina Lavinia Cox Latta 23Piano Medley, "The Man I Love" & "Sunny"1st runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
Flag of South Dakota.svg South Dakota Beth Guthmiller Tripp 21Vocal, "My Tribute"Younger sister of Miss South Dakota 1974, Barbara Guthmiller
Flag of Tennessee.svg Tennessee Terry Alden Memphis 21Classical Piano, "Toccata"
Flag of Texas.svg Texas Carmen McCollum Odessa 19Saxophone Medley, "Wabash Cannonball", "Yakety Sax", & "If He Walked Into My Life" from Mame 2nd runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award

Preliminary Talent Award

Flag of Utah.svg Utah Suzanne McKay Salt Lake City 22Organ Medley, "Yankee Doodle Dandy" & "God Bless America"
Flag of Vermont.svg Vermont Suzanne Wind Saxtons River 18Acrobatic Jazz Dance, "Wisdom"
Flag of Virginia.svg Virginia Pamela Polk Richmond 22Classical Vocal, "Mi Chiamano Mimi" from La bohème Top 10Preliminary Talent Award
Flag of Washington.svg Washington Theresa Adams Wenatchee 19Classical Piano, "Prelude in G minor" by Rachmaninoff
Flag of West Virginia.svg West Virginia Teresa Lucas Elkins 22Gymnastics Routine
Flag of Wisconsin.svg Wisconsin Julie Nowak Greendale 19Popular Vocal, "Do You Know Where You're Going To?"
Flag of Wyoming.svg Wyoming Carol June Wallace Jackson 24Piano Medley, "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing", "Love Story", "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head", & "Strangers in the Night"Non-finalist Talent AwardPreviously Miss Kentucky USA 1975

Semi-finalist at Miss USA 1975

Mother of Miss Kentucky 2002, Mary Catherine Correll

References

  1. 1 2 3 Seider, Gale; Kille, Susan; Stecklow, Steven (12 Sep 1976). "Miss Minnesota Wins". Press of Atlantic City . p. 1. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  2. "Miss America 1977 - Miss Contestants - Pageant Planet". www.pageantplanet.com. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Seider, Gale; Kille, Susan; Stecklow, Steven (12 Sep 1976). "Minnesota Takes Crown". Press of Atlantic City . p. 6. Retrieved 31 January 2024.