| Miss America 1985 | |
|---|---|
| Date | September 15, 1984 |
| Presenters | Gary Collins |
| Venue | Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey |
| Broadcaster | NBC |
| Winner | Sharlene Wells Hawkes Utah |
Miss America 1985, the 58th Miss America pageant, was broadcast from the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on September 15, 1984 on NBC Network. [1]
The winner, Paraguay native Sharlene Wells, [2] became the first foreign-born Miss America. She later became a horse-racing and football commentator for ESPN.
Another of the five finalists, Lauren Green, is currently a correspondent on the Fox News Channel.
| Placement | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss America 1985 | |
| 1st Runner-Up | |
| 2nd Runner-Up |
|
| 3rd Runner-Up | |
| 4th Runner-Up | |
| Top 10 |
Top 10
|
| Awards | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Lifestyle and Fitness |
|
| Talent |
|
| Awards | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Talent |
 |
| State | Name | Hometown | Age | Talent | Placement | Special Awards | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Alabama | Tammy Little | Section | 23 | Vocal, "Hit Me with a Hot Note" from Sophisticated Ladies | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 Alaska | Maryline Blackburn | Anchorage | 23 | Vocal, "I Am What I Am" | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 Arizona | Rhonda White | Central | 20 | Country Vocal Medley | |||
 Arkansas | Lisa Stevens | Arkadelphia | 22 | Flute, "Sabre Dance" | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 California | Donna Grace Cherry | Northridge | 21 | Vocal, "Quando me'n vo'" | |||
 Colorado | Lisa Frees | Thornton | 25 | Vocal, "I Got Rhythm" | |||
 Connecticut | Joanne Caruso | Trumbull | 23 | Clarinet, "Jazz Medley" | Sister of Miss Connecticut 1980, Jeanne Caruso | ||
 Delaware | Nancy Lynn Ball | Rehoboth Beach | 24 | Jazz Ballet en Pointe | |||
 District of Columbia | Desiree Keating | Silver Spring, MD | 22 | Interpretive Dance | Later Miss District of Columbia USA 1986 | ||
 Florida | Lisa Valdez | Bradenton | 21 | Vocal, "Through the Eyes of Love" | |||
 Georgia | Camille Bentley | Thomasville | 19 | Popular Vocal, "Until Now" | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 Hawaii | Debbie Nakanelua | Honolulu | 26 | Stylized Hula, "Hawaiian Hula Eyes" | Top 10 | ||
 Idaho | Patty Hoag | Burley | 19 | Popular Vocal, "Wind Beneath My Wings" | |||
 Illinois | Ruth Booker | Chicago | 21 | Vocal, "Kiss Me in the Rain" | |||
 Indiana | Cynthia Yantis | Fort Wayne | 23 | Popular Vocal, "City Lights" | |||
 Iowa | Debra Deitering | Missouri Valley | 23 | Vocal, "This is My Life" | |||
 Kansas | Nancy Lee Cobb | Wichita | 20 | Piano/Vocal, "I Love New Orleans Music" | |||
 Kentucky | Kelly Lin Brumagen | Lexington | 22 | Vocal, "Le Jazz Hot!" from Victor/Victoria | Top 10 | Dr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship | |
 Louisiana | Nita Whitaker | Shreveport | 24 | Popular Vocal, "Over the Rainbow" | First African American to win Miss Louisiana | ||
 Maine | Lisa Johnson | South Portland | 22 | Electric Violin | |||
 Maryland | Mary Elizabeth Haroth | Towson | 25 | Vocal, "Memory" from Cats | |||
 Massachusetts | Margaret O'Brien | Weymouth | 26 | Vocal Medley, "The Man that Got Away", "The Man I Love", & "My Man" | Top 10 | Preliminary Talent Award | Previously National Sweetheart 1983 |
 Michigan | Barbara Jean Crandall | Lawrence | 21 | Ventriloquism, "Auctioneer's Song" | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 Minnesota | Lauren Green | Minneapolis | 26 | Piano, "Étude Op. 10, No. 4 in C-Sharp Minor" by Frédéric Chopin | 3rd runner-up | Preliminary Talent Award | First African American Miss Minnesota |
 Mississippi | Kathy Manning | Drew | 22 | Country Vocal, "Crazy" | 2nd runner-up | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | Later Miss Mississippi USA 1987 Top 11 at Miss USA 1987 Katharine Clare Manning Loeb died at 59 on December 23, 2021 of COVID-19 related illness in Tennessee. |
 Missouri | Anna Schell | Kennett | 26 | Semi-classical Vocal, Medley from The Sound of Music | |||
 Montana | Michele Larson | Billings | 21 | Vocal, "My Tribute" by Andraé Crouch | |||
 Nebraska | Allison Boyd | Nebraska City | 21 | Acrobatic Dance | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 Nevada | LeAnna Grant | Las Vegas | 22 | Vocal, "I Love Paris" | Later Miss Nevada USA 1986 | ||
 New Hampshire | Corinne Lucier | Hooksett | 20 | Vocal, "The Simple Joys of Maidenhood" from Camelot | |||
 New Jersey | Patricia La Terra | West New York | 24 | Dramatic Monologue | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 New Mexico | Trina Collins | Hobbs | 22 | Acrobatic Dance | Mother of Miss Indiana 2015, Morgan Jackson | ||
 New York | Mary-Ann Farrell | New York City | 22 | Classical Piano, Danzas Argentinas | Top 10 | Preliminary Talent Award | Sister of Miss Florida 1985, Monica Farrell
|
 North Carolina | Francesca Adler | Fayetteville | 23 | Vocal, "Home" | Mother of Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2018, Jessica Baeder | ||
 North Dakota | Callie Northagen | Grand Forks | 21 | Piano | |||
 Ohio | Melissa Ann Bradley | Mansfield | 23 | Vocal, "A Piece of Sky" from Yentl | 1st runner-up | Mother of actor Chad Buchanan | |
 Oklahoma | Julie Sunday | Owasso | 21 | Piano | |||
 Oregon | Renee Bagley | Portland | 22 | Popular Vocal, "Don't Cry Out Loud" | |||
 Pennsylvania | Gina Major | Huntsville | 24 | Vocal, Judy Garland Medley | |||
 Rhode Island | Joanna Minisce | North Smithfield | 19 | Modern Jazz Dance | |||
 South Carolina | Vicki Harrell | Columbia | 22 | Piano | |||
 South Dakota | Debra Cleveland | Madison | 19 | Classical Piano | |||
 Tennessee | Shelly Mangrum | Nashville | 23 | Vocal, "And the World Goes 'Round" | Top 10 | ||
 Texas | Tamara Hext | Fort Worth | 21 | Vocal, "I've Got a Crush on You" | 4th runner-up | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | |
 Utah | Sharlene Wells | Salt Lake City | 20 | Spanish Vocal & Paraguayan Harp, "Mis Noches Sin Ti" | Winner | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | First foreign-born Miss America
|
 Vermont | Lorrie Glosick | Winooski | 21 | Vocal, "The Trolley Song" | |||
 Virginia | Susan Carter Parker | Covington | 23 | Classical Vocal, "My Man's Gone Now" | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 Washington | Rebecca Wood | Spokane | 21 | Vocal, "If I Ruled the World" | |||
 West Virginia | Melanne Pennington | Cross Lanes | 24 | Semi-classical Vocal, "One Kiss" from The New Moon | Died from Leukemia at the age of 28 in 1988 | ||
 Wisconsin | Barbara Marie Mullally | Onalaska | 22 | Vocal, "Here I Am" | |||
 Wyoming | Annie Easterbrook | Laramie | 21 | Gymnastics Jazz Dance |
Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
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 Alabama competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Alabama in the annual Miss America Competition.
The Miss Wisconsin competition is the pageant, held annually in Oshkosh, that selects the representative for the U.S. state of Wisconsin in the annual Miss America pageant.
The Miss Tennessee competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Tennessee in the Miss America Scholarship Competition.
The Miss Missouri competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the U.S. state of Missouri in the Miss America pageant.
The Miss Florida competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Florida in the Miss America pageant. Florida has twice won the Miss America crown.
The Miss New York scholarship competition selects the representative for the state of New York in the Miss America scholarship competition.
The Miss Colorado competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Colorado in the Miss America pageant. The Colorado representative has won the Miss America crown on four occasions.
The Miss Connecticut competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Connecticut in the Miss America pageant. Connecticut has won the Miss America crown once, and is the only New England state which has produced a Miss America.
The Miss Idaho scholarship program is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Idaho in the Miss America pageant. The current titleholder receives a $4,000 cash scholarship to any accredited institution of her choice. She also represents the state of Idaho for the live ABC broadcast of the Miss America pageant.
The Miss Nebraska competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Nebraska in the Miss America pageant.
The Miss New Hampshire is the scholarship program that selects the representative for the state of New Hampshire in the Miss America competition.
The Miss New Jersey competition is an annual pageant held to select the representative for the state of New Jersey in the 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.
Sky Atlantic is a British pay television channel owned by Sky Group Limited broadcast in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The channel is primarily dedicated to imported programmes from the United States, and holds the domestic rights to HBO programming until 2025. It also broadcasts many original British produced Sky dramas. It is exclusively available on the Sky satellite TV platform and Sky's Now TV platform. Unlike the other channels from Sky Group, Sky Atlantic is not on Virgin Media. On 15 January 2024, select programming begun being simulcast on Sky Showcase.
Miss America 1957, the 30th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 8, 1956, on ABC.
Ruth Augusta Malcomson was named Miss America in 1924, earning the title at the age of eighteen.
Miss'd America is an annual drag pageant held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. It was founded in the early 1990s as a spoof of the Miss America pageant. It ran through 2005, took a five-year hiatus, and resumed operation in 2010. Contestants compete in four categories: swimsuit, evening gown, interview and talent, with the winner receiving $5,000. Part of the proceeds from each edition of the pageant are donated to local LGBTQ charities and initiatives. The event is produced by Rich Helfant, directed by Mark Dahl, and hosted by Carson Kressley. The current reigning Miss'd America is Freeda Kulo, who was crowned on September 9, 2023.
