Miss America 1981

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Miss America 1981
Susan Powell in brown fur, cropped.jpg
Susan Powell, Miss America 1981
DateSeptember 6, 1980
Presenters Ron Ely [1]
Venue Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Broadcaster NBC
Winner Susan Powell
Flag of Oklahoma (1941-1988).svg Oklahoma
  1980
1982  

Miss America 1981, the 54th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 6, 1980 on NBC Network. It was the first time Ron Ely hosted, replacing Bert Parks who had hosted for 25 years. [1] It was also historic as two black women, Lencola Sullivan of Arkansas and Doris Hayes of Washington, made the finals for the first time. [1]

Contents

The winner, Susan Powell of Oklahoma, later became co-host of the series Home Matters on the Discovery Channel.

Results

Final resultsContestant
Miss America 1981
1st runner-up
2nd runner-up (tie)
2nd runner up (tie)
4th runner-up
Top 10

Order of announcements

Preliminary awards

AwardsContestant
Lifestyle and Fitness
Talent

Other awards

AwardsContestant
Non-finalist Talent

Delegates

StateNameHometownAgeTalentPlacementAwardsNotes
Flag of Alabama.svg Alabama Paige Phillips Leeds 17Vocal/Ventriloquism to "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" by Al Jolson1st runner-upPreliminary Talent
Flag of Alaska.svg Alaska Sandra Lashbrook Eagle River
Flag of Arizona.svg Arizona Brenda Strong Tempe Actress in Desperate Housewives
Flag of Arkansas (1924-2011).svg Arkansas Lencola Sullivan Morrilton 21Vocal, "St. Louis Blues", composed by W.C. Handy4th runner-upPreliminary SwimsuitFirst African-American contestant to place as a runner-up at Miss America [ citation needed ]
Flag of California.svg California Robin Brooks Elverta
Flag of Colorado.svg Colorado Kimberly Christiansen Arvada Non-finalist Talent
Flag of Connecticut.svg Connecticut Jeanne Caruso Trumbull 21Vocal/piano, Original song, "A Song for Tomorrow"Top 10divorced Joe Theismann
Flag of Delaware.svg Delaware Andra Lee Dickerson Newark
Flag of Florida (1900-1985).svg Florida Caroline Dungan Bradenton
Flag of the State of Georgia (1956-2001).svg Georgia Lynn Smith Savannah
Flag of Hawaii.svg Hawaii Kanoelehua Cook Aiea
Flag of Idaho.svg Idaho Leslie Taylor Burley
Flag of Illinois.svg Illinois Blythe Sawyer Naperville Non-finalist Talent
Flag of Indiana.svg Indiana Teri Kardatzke Anderson
Flag of Iowa.svg Iowa Jane Patton Council Bluffs
Flag of Kansas.svg Kansas K. Leann Folsom Wichita
Flag of Kentucky.svg Kentucky Daphne Cochran Louisville
Flag of Louisiana (1912-2006).svg Louisiana Martha "Missy" Crews Baton Rouge
Flag of Maine.svg Maine Valerie Crooker Brunswick Miss Maine USA 1979
Flag of Maryland.svg Maryland Lisa Marie Daskal Cumberland Non-finalist Talent
Flag of Massachusetts.svg Massachusetts Amy Linder Lowell Non-finalist Talent
Flag of Michigan.svg Michigan Heidi Hepler Livonia
Flag of Minnesota (1957-1983).svg Minnesota Debra Goodwin Austin Preliminary Swimsuit, Non-finalist Talent
Flag of Mississippi (1894-1996).png Mississippi Donna Pope McNeil 24Ballet on pointe to Overture from "Oklahoma!"2nd runner-up (tie)Preliminary Swimsuit
Flag of Missouri.svg Missouri Carla LaFevre Harrisonville
Flag of Montana (1905-1981).svg Montana Lilly Cruise Miles City Non-finalist Talent
Flag of Nebraska.svg Nebraska Paula Louise Mitchell Norfolk Non-finalist Talent
Flag of Nevada (1929-1991).svg Nevada Phyllis Hamlin Reno
Flag of New Hampshire.svg New Hampshire Diane McGarry Manchester
Flag of New Jersey.svg New Jersey Therese Hanley Jersey City "Starting Here, Starting Now" by Barbra Streisand2nd runner-up (tie)
Flag of New Mexico.svg New Mexico Teresa Elizabeth Anderson Hobbs
Flag of New York.svg New York Cheryl Flanagan Rochester 18Tap dance to Overture from "That's Entertainment, Part II"Top 10Preliminary Talent
Flag of North Carolina (1885-1991).svg North Carolina Janet Black Kannapolis Non-finalist TalentTop 5 at Maid of Cotton 1980
Flag of North Dakota.svg North Dakota Karen Moe Minot
Flag of Ohio.svg Ohio Kathy Vernon Youngstown 24Vocal, "I Have Dreamed" from The King and ITop 10
Flag of Oklahoma (1941-1988).svg Oklahoma Susan Powell Elk City 21Operatic vocal, "Lucy's Aria" from Gian Carlo Menotti's opera "The Telephone"Miss America 1981Preliminary Talent (tie)
Flag of Oregon.svg Oregon Teresa Richardson Forest Grove Non-finalist Talent
Flag of Pennsylvania.svg Pennsylvania Anita Ellen Patton Lebanon
Flag of Rhode Island.svg Rhode Island Dawn Potter Pascoag
Flag of South Carolina.svg South Carolina Donna Jewell Columbia
Flag of South Dakota (1963-1992).svg South Dakota Carol Barnett Sioux Falls
Flag of Tennessee.svg Tennessee Sarah Leonard Jonesborough
Flag of Texas.svg Texas Terri Eoff Lubbock 19Dramatic Monologue from "A Bad Play for an Old Lady" by Elizabeth LovettTop 10
Flag of Utah (1913-1922).png Utah Jean Bullard Provo
Flag of Vermont.svg Vermont Carole Spolar St. Albans Non-finalist Talent
Flag of Virginia.svg Virginia Holly Jereme Roanoke
Flag of Washington.svg Washington Doris Hayes Tacoma 20Vocal, "Our Love Is Here to Stay" by George GershwinTop 10Preliminary Talent (tie)First African-American preliminary winner[ citation needed ]
Flag of West Virginia.svg West Virginia Pamela Ellen Paugh Charleston Aunt of JonBenét Ramsey, Sister of Miss West Virginia 1977
Flag of Wisconsin (1913-1981).svg Wisconsin Dana Spychalla Appleton
Flag of Wyoming.svg Wyoming Susan Pennington Casper

Judges

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Miss Oklahoma is Miss America". The San Bernardino County Sun . Associated Press. 7 Sep 1980. p. 5. Retrieved 17 November 2023.