Miss America 1941

Miss America 1941, the 15th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 6, 1941.[1] Shortly after the crowning of Miss California, Rosemary LaPlanche, who had been first runner-up in 1940, the pageant committee adopted this rule: "No contestant can compete in Atlantic City for the title of Miss America more than once",[2] thus eliminating future state winners with more than one attempt at the national title.

Miss America 1941
DateSeptember 6, 1941
PresentersBob Russell
VenueBoardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Entrants43
Placements15
WinnerRosemary LaPlanche
 California
← 1940
1942 →

LaPlanche became a film actress, as did her sister, Louise LaPlanche.

1941 was also the first year that the special award, “Miss Congeniality” was created. It went to Mifaunwy Shunatona, a member of the Otoe and Pawnee tribes — she was also the first American Indian contestant in the pageant's history.

Results

Placements

PlacementContestant
Miss America 1941
1st Runner-Up
2nd Runner-Up
3rd Runner-Up
4th Runner-Up
Top 15

Awards

Preliminary awards

AwardContestant
Lifestyle and Fitness
Talent

Other awards

AwardContestant
Miss Congeniality
  •  Oklahoma – Mifaunwy Dolores Shunatona

Contestants

TitleNameHometownAgeTalentPlacementAwardsNotes
ArkansasFerol Amelia DumasMagnolia
BirminghamVirginia McGrawBirminghamTap Dance with Rope JumpingTop 15Preliminary Talent Award
CaliforniaRosemary LaPlancheLos Angeles18DanceWinnerPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
CharlestonMiriam KingCharleston
ClevelandLois Jean BeckCleveland
ColoradoCharlene WoodsDenver
ConnecticutDaphne GladdingPlymouth
DelawareVerona SmithBridgeville
District of ColumbiaJean Cavanaugh18Soft Shoe Dance, "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody"2nd Runner-up
Eastern PennsylvaniaCatherine Jane AlbertCoatesville
FloridaMitzie StrotherMiamiTop 15
GeorgiaEsther ShepardGriffinTop 15
IndianaAlice UlleryEvansvilleModeling
IowaLorene SnoddyDes Moines20
KentuckyDorothy SlattenLexingtonTop 15
KnoxvilleKatherine GammonKnoxville
Lake MohopacCharlotte Winstanley
MarylandPenny MaloneBaltimore
MassachusettsBetsy Sears TaylorCambridge
MiamiAnna Louise BakerMiami
MichiganGerry MarcouxDetroitTop 15
MinnesotaPatricia TietsMinneapolis
MississippiMadeline SmithWinona
New JerseyMarjorie Eleanor JenningsDover
New MexicoBeverly BrookshierRoswell
New OrleansHelen Yvonne EnglertNew Orleans
New York CityGrace DeWittNew York CityTop 15
North CarolinaJoey Augusta PaxtonCharlotte19Swing Vocal4th Runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award

Preliminary Talent Award

Joey Augusta Paxton of Hallandale Beach, Florida died at 79 on September 17, 2002.
OhioJanice SulzmanWilloughbyTop 15
OklahomaMifaunwy Dolores ShunatonaTulsaTop 15Miss CongenialityFirst American Indian to compete at Miss America
PhiladelphiaCarrie de LudoPhiladelphia
SavannahGladys CollinsSavannah
South CarolinaGloria Frances MisselVocal, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy"
TennesseeMartha McKinneyNashvilleAcrobatic/Tap Dance
VirginiaJacquelyn McWinWaynesboroTop 15
West VirginiaJuanita Park WrightHuntington
Westchester CountyLillian O'DonnellYonkers3rd Runner-up
Western PennsylvaniaRoselle HannonPittsburghVocal, "Because of You"1st Runner-upPreliminary Talent Award
WisconsinBetty Ann MillerMilwaukee18Artistic Caricature of President Franklin D. RooseveltTop 15
WyomingPatricia Marie SnyderCheyenneVocal & Dance

References

Secondary sources

  • Saulino Osborne, Angela (1995). "Miss Americas and their Courts". Miss America The Dream Lives On. Taylor Publishing Company. ISBN 0-87833-110-7.