Miss America 1984

Last updated
Miss America 1984
Vanessa Williams, former Miss America 1984, cropped.jpg
Vanessa Williams in 1984
DateSeptember 17, 1983
Presenters Gary Collins

Susan Powell (Miss America 1981)

Deanna Fogarty
Venue Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Broadcaster NBC
Winner Vanessa Williams - September 17, 1983 – July 23, 1984 (resigned)

Suzette Charles - July 23, 1984 – September 15, 1984 (succeeded)
Flag of New York.svg New York (Williams)

Contents

Flag of New Jersey.svg New Jersey (Charles)
  1983
1985  

Miss America 1984, the 57th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 17, 1983, on NBC Network. Miss America 1983, Debra Maffett (Miss California 1982) crowned her successor, Miss New York 1983, Vanessa Williams of Millwood, New York at the end of the nationally televised event. In July 1984, Williams was forced to resign over the unauthorized publication of nude photographs and was succeeded by first runner-up, Miss New Jersey Suzette Charles, who served as Miss America until September 15, 1984. Among the contestants who did not place among the ten finalists, Miss New Mexico 1983 Mai Shanley, eventually went on to win the Miss USA 1984 pageant on May 17, 1984.

Overview

It began in the summer of 1982. I had finished my exams the first week of May at Syracuse University and came home to find a summer job. I saw an advertisement in a local newspaper reading "models wanted," so I called up and talked to Tom Chiapel, who was the photographer and part-owner of TEC studios. He said to come down for an interview ... When I returned later to pick up the proofs, Tom Chiapel indicated that he needed a makeup artist. He offered me an audition, so I came in and did a face. He decided to have me work for him as a makeup artist-receptionist ... I had worked there for a month and a half when Tom Chiapel mentioned several times that he'd like to shoot me in the nude. I had never posed nude and I was curious. I was 19 years old. I agreed. He assured me that none of the photographs would ever leave the studio. He assured me ... I trusted him not to do anything with the photographs. That was my error. I did not give my consent to him or Penthouse to ever have them published, used in any magazine or in any way. Nothing. I signed an application giving my height, weight, color of hair and my talents ... I never told anyone about the pictures, not even my parents. I did not think it was a concern. We had made an agreement they would never be published. I feel as if I were just a sacrificial lamb. The past just came up and kicked me. I felt betrayed and violated, like I had been raped.

Vanessa Williams in 1984 [1]

During the preliminaries for the Miss America 1984 pageant, Vanessa Williams won "Preliminary Swimsuit" and "Preliminary Talent" (with a vocal performance of "Happy Days Are Here Again"). [2] She was crowned Miss America 1984 on September 17, 1983 (becoming the first African American woman to win the title). [2] [3] Williams later commented that she was one of five minority contestants that year, noting that ballet dancer Deneen Graham "had already had a cross burned on her front yard because she was the first black Miss North Carolina [1983]." [4] She also pointed out that "Suzette Charles was the first runner-up, and she was biracial. But when the press started, when I would go out on the - on the tour and do my appearances, and people would come up and say they never thought they'd see the day that it would happen; when people would want to shake my hand, and you'd see tears in their eyes, and they'd say, I never thought I'd see it in my lifetime - that's when, you know, it was definitely a very special honor." [4] Williams' reign as Miss America was not without its challenges and controversies, however. For the first time in pageant history, a reigning Miss America was the target of death threats and hate mail. [4] [5] In addition, ten months into her reign as Miss America, Williams received an anonymous phone call stating nude photos of her (taken before her pageant days) would be published in Penthouse . The publication of these photos ultimately led to her resignation as Miss America.

Williams believed the photographs were private and had been destroyed; she claims she never signed a release permitting the photos to be used. [6] The black-and-white photos dated back to 1982 (the year before she won the Miss America Pageant), when she worked as an assistant and makeup artist for Mount Kisco, New York photographer Tom Chiapel. According to Williams, Chiapel said that "he had a concept of having two models pose nude for silhouettes. Basically to make different shapes and forms. The light would be behind the models. I was reluctant, but since he assured me that I would be the only one to see them and I would not be identifiable in the photographs, I agreed. He had also gotten another model to agree to this." [1] Hugh Hefner, the publisher of Playboy , was initially offered the photos, but turned them down, stating: "The single victim in all of this was the young woman herself, whose right to make this decision was taken away from her. If she wanted to make this kind of statement, that would be her business, but the statement wasn't made by her." [7] [8] Penthouse published the photos without her permission in 1984, however, in what the PBS documentary Miss America described as "the most successful issue of Penthouse magazine ever printed, netting publisher Bob Guccione a windfall profit of $14 million." [5]

According to Essence magazine, Williams "was forced to resign from her title as she faced public shaming and bullying from the public at large." [9] Williams herself later described these events as "the betrayal, and the humiliation, that happened to me on a grand scale." [4] She also noted that her parents experienced "an incredible amount of shame and humiliation" and were equally the subject of harassment at the time. [10] After being given 72 hours to make a decision, [10] Williams formally announced her decision to resign in a press conference on July 23, 1984 [8] [10] [11] and the title subsequently went to the first runner-up, Miss New Jersey Suzette Charles (who served out the final seven weeks of Williams' reign). [8] [10] [11] On September 7, 1984, Williams filed a $500 million lawsuit against Chiapel and Guccione. She eventually dropped the suit a year later, explaining that she wanted to put the scandal behind her and move on. [12] [13]

Williams returned to the Miss America stage on September 13, 2015, for the Miss America 2016 pageant, when she served as head judge and performed "Oh How the Years Go By." [10] [14] The pageant began with then-Miss America CEO Sam Haskell issuing an apology to Williams, telling her that although "none of us currently in the organization were involved then, on behalf of today's organization, I want to apologize to you and to your mother, Miss Helen Williams. I want to apologize for anything that was said or done that made you feel any less the Miss America you are and the Miss America you always will be." [15] [16] [17]

Suzette Charles (Williams' replacement) said in an interview with Inside Edition that she was perplexed over the apology and suggested that it was given for the purpose of ratings. [18] Williams also commented on the events surrounding her return, stating in an interview with ABC News reporter Robin Roberts that "there's a lot of people who feel I should return, so the people who harbor the resentment I understand it but realize that all of those people that were part of the old guard are no longer there." [10]

Results

Placements

PlacementContestant
Miss America 1984
1st Runner-Up
2nd Runner-Up
3rd Runner-Up
4th Runner-Up
  • Flag of Ohio.svg  Ohio – Pamela Rigas
Top 10

Order of announcements

Preliminary awards

AwardsContestant
Lifestyle and Fitness
Talent

Non-finalist awards

AwardsContestant
Talent

Judges

Contestants

StateNameHometownAgeTalentPlacementSpecial AwardsNotes
Flag of Alabama.svg Alabama Pam Battles Muscle Shoals 21Piano, Medley of George Gershwin 2nd runner-up
Flag of Alaska.svg Alaska Jennifer Smith Soldotna 19Vocal, "Le Jazz Hot!" from Victor/Victoria
Flag of Arizona.svg Arizona Jennifer Nichols Tempe 22Classical Vocal, "Glitter and Be Gay"
Flag of Arkansas.svg Arkansas Regina Hopper Springdale 24Popular Vocal, "You're Gonna Hear from Me"Non-finalist Talent AwardFormerly on the Miss America Board of Directors
Flag of California.svg California Shari Moskau Mission Viejo 19Popular Vocal, "Greatest Love of All"
Flag of Colorado.svg Colorado Melanie Scott Littleton 21Jazz Acrobatic Dance, "Junkaroo Holiday"
Flag of Connecticut.svg Connecticut Dakeita Vanderburg Westport 25Popular Vocal, "I Can See It"
Flag of Delaware.svg Delaware Tammy Renee Copeland Newark 21Vocal, "Cry Me a River"
Flag of Florida.svg Florida Kim Boyce Bradenton 22Popular Vocal, "Rainbow Connection" & "Over the Rainbow"Top 10
Flag of Georgia (U.S. state).svg Georgia Tammy Fulwider Columbus 24Tap Dance/Vocal, "42nd Street"
Flag of Hawaii.svg Hawaii Wendy Sue Nelson Kihei 21Vocal, "Hit Me with a Hot Note" from Sophisticated Ladies
Flag of Idaho.svg Idaho Elaine Pack Rexburg 20Harp, "Spanish Fantasy"Non-finalist Talent Award
Flag of Illinois.svg Illinois Rebecca Bush Chicago 24Vocal, "It's My Turn"Played Detective Katie Grant on Jake and the Fatman
Flag of Indiana.svg Indiana Teri Schultz Bloomington 21Ballet, "Sylvia"
Flag of Iowa.svg Iowa Karri Nussle Des Moines 19Vocal, "Minute Waltz"
Flag of Kansas.svg Kansas Laura Lynn Watters Colby 22Trumpet Medley, "Sugar Blues" & "Woodchopper's Ball"Non-finalist Talent Award
Flag of Kentucky.svg Kentucky Lynn Whitney Thompson Lexington 24Popular Vocal, "Yesterday When I Was Young"Top 10
Flag of Louisiana.svg Louisiana Miriam Gauthier Shreveport 19Piano, "Toccata" by Antonio TaurielloNon-finalist Talent Award
Flag of Maine.svg Maine Brenda Theriault Presque Isle 22Vocal, "Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey"
Flag of Maryland.svg Maryland Amy Elizabeth Keys Lanham 26Popular Vocal, "I'll Never Love This Way Again"
Flag of Massachusetts.svg Massachusetts Holly Mayer Brookline 26Dance/Baton Twirling, Music from Gypsy: A Musical Fable Non-finalist Talent AwardPreviously National Sweetheart 1982

Mother of Miss New York's Outstanding Teen 2011 and Miss New York 2019, Lauren Molella

Sister-in-law of Miss New York 1989, Lisa Molella

Flag of Michigan.svg Michigan Denise Gehman Waterford 20Vocal Medley, "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing" & "Show Me" from My Fair Lady
Flag of Minnesota.svg Minnesota Vicki Plaster St. Paul 23Vocal Medley, "Just You Wait" & "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady Mother of Miss Minnesota 2019, Kathryn Kueppers
Flag of Mississippi.svg Mississippi Wanda Gayle Geddie Hattiesburg 24Vocal, "More Than You Know"3rd runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
Flag of Missouri.svg Missouri Barbara Ann Webster Jefferson City 21Violin Medley, "Listen to the Mocking Bird" & "Orange Blossom Special"Top 10Preliminary Talent AwardLater Miss Missouri USA 1986
Flag of Montana.svg Montana Laurie Nelson Billings 19Classical Piano, L'isle joyeuse by Claude Debussy
Flag of Nebraska.svg Nebraska Kristin Leigh Lowenburg Kearney 20Jazz Dance, "What a Feeling"Top 10
Flag of Nevada.svg Nevada Kim Pacini Incline Village 24Vocal, "You're the Top"
Flag of New Hampshire.svg New Hampshire Monica Jean Rastallis Newport 22Ballet, Theme from Summer of '42
Flag of New Jersey.svg New Jersey Suzette Charles Mays Landing 20Popular Vocal, "Kiss Me in the Rain"1st runner-upPreliminary Talent AwardNamed Miss America in July 1984 when Vanessa Williams relinquished title
Flag of New Mexico.svg New Mexico Mai Shanley Alamogordo 20Vocal, "I Feel Pretty" from West Side Story Later Miss New Mexico USA 1984

Crowned Miss USA 1984

Top 10 at Miss Universe 1984

Flag of New York.svg New York Vanessa Williams Millwood 20Popular Vocal, "Happy Days are Here Again"WinnerPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award

Preliminary Talent Award

First African American Miss America

Resigned on July 23, 1984, after Penthouse was to publish nude photos of Williams without her consent

Flag of North Carolina.svg North Carolina Deneen Graham North Wilkesboro 19Jazz Dance, "Sing, Sing, Sing"First African American Miss North Carolina
Flag of North Dakota.svg North Dakota Phyllis Hankey Park River 22Vocal, "If You Believe" from The Wiz
Flag of Ohio.svg Ohio Pamela Helean Rigas Canfield 22Vocal/Dance, "Shine it On"4th runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness AwardPreviously Ohio's Junior Miss 1978

Previously Miss Alabama USA 1980

3rd runner-up at Miss USA 1980

Flag of Oklahoma.svg Oklahoma Trelynda Kerr Moore 21Country Vocal Medley, "Stand by Your Man"
Flag of Oregon.svg Oregon Stephanie "Jill" Wymer Sutherlin 22Popular Vocal, "Out Here on My Own" from Fame Non-finalist Talent Award
Flag of Pennsylvania.svg Pennsylvania Jennifer Eshelman Hegins 23Classical Vocal, "Adele's Laughing Song" from Die Fledermaus
Flag of Rhode Island.svg Rhode Island Pamela Hoff Providence 21Vocal, "For Once in My Life"
Flag of South Carolina.svg South Carolina Dalia Mercedes Garcia Columbia 21Vocal, "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"
Flag of South Dakota.svg South Dakota LaRonda Lundin Revillo 20Classical Piano, "Polichinelle" by Sergei Rachmaninoff
Flag of Tennessee.svg Tennessee Moira Alice Kaye Oak Ridge 23Vocal, "Memory" from Cats Non-finalist Talent Award
Flag of Texas.svg Texas Dana Rogers Boerne 22Vocal, "An American Trilogy"Top 10Mother of Miss Nevada's Outstanding Teen 2019, Molly Martin
Flag of Utah.svg Utah Lynn Lambert Provo 21Classical Piano, "Concerto No. 2, 3rd Movement" by Rachmaninoff Non-finalist Talent Award
Flag of Vermont.svg Vermont Juliet Lambert Middlebury 19Vocal, "Don't Rain on My Parade"
Flag of Virginia.svg Virginia Lisa Aliff Roanoke 23Vocal & Dance, "Manhattan" & "Broadway Rhythm"
Flag of Washington.svg Washington Jennifer Havlin Bellingham 25Character Ballet, "On Golden Pond"
Flag of West Virginia.svg West Virginia Andrea Lynn Patrick Morgantown 23Tap Dance, "Malagueña" & "España cañí"Previously Miss Pennsylvania USA 1980
Flag of Wisconsin.svg Wisconsin Wendy Lynn Wagner Menomonie / Des Plaines Illinois22Vocal, "Mira" from Carnival!
Flag of Wyoming.svg Wyoming Heather Wallace Cheyenne 21Vocal, "New York, New York"

See also

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References

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