Miss America 1947 , the 21st Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 6, 1947.[ 1] Barbara Jo Walker was the last Miss America to be crowned in her swimsuit, as well as the last contestant to represent just a city, rather than her state.[ 2] Margaret Marshall, representing Canada , captured the swimsuit competition and placed third overall in the pageant.[ 3] The judges for the Miss America pagenat were Win Barron (Paramount's representative in Canada), Vincent Trotta (head of National Screen Service art department), Walter Thornton (head of the Walter Thornton Model Agency), and Arthur William Brown (noted illustrator).[ 4]
Results
Placements
Placement
Contestant
Miss America 1947
1st Runner-Up
2nd Runner-Up
3rd Runner-Up
4th Runner-Up
Top 15
Awards
Preliminary awards
Other awards
Contestants
Title
Name
Hometown
Age
Talent
Placement
Awards
Notes
Alabama
Peggy June Elder
Gadsden
Vocal, "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now "
3rd runner-up
Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
Peggy June Elder Butler died at age 93 on April 30, 2023 at home in Gadsden, Alabama.
Arizona
Wanda Law
Tempe
Top 15
Arkansas
Pam Camp
Little Rock
Sketching
Atlanta
Joy Elizabeth Smith
Atlanta
Vocal, "Eccentric Dance"
Brooklyn
Lynn Faune
Brooklyn
Vocal, "I Come from Brooklyn"
California
Laura Emery
Salinas
18
Vocal, "So Long for so Long"
4th Runner-up
Canada
Margaret Marshall
Toronto
2nd Runner-up
Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
Chattanooga
Dorothy Cunningham
Tap Dance
Chicago
Joan Hiatt
Chicago
Vocal, "Kiss in the Dark"
Colorado
Joyce Haycock
Pueblo
Vocal, "Chi-Baba "
Connecticut
Louise Bienvenu
Waterbury
Vocal, "On the Sunny Side of the Street "
Detroit
Jane Rose Foster
Detroit
Vocal, "My Dream Came True"
District of Columbia
Margaret Wilson
19
Dance, "Mexican Hat Dance"
Florida
Eula Ann McGehee
St. Petersburg
Magic Act
Georgia
Robbie Sauls
Cuthbert
Vocal, "Smilin' Through "
Greater Philadelphia
Kay McClane
Philadelphia
Vocal, "Sketching"
Idaho
Norma Briggs
Pocatello
Drama, Romeo & Juliet
Illinois
Marce Evans
Joliet
Dress Design & Art
Indiana
Beverly Trenary
Gary
Vocal, "I'll Close my Eyes "
Iowa
Ruth Janet Anderson
Oelwein
19
Vocal, "You Made Me Love You "
Kansas
Ruth Ellen Richmond
Fort Scott
Vocal, "Wonderful One"
Kentucky
Evelyn L. Murray
Louisville
Samba
Top 15
Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
Los Angeles County
Marilyn Davidson
Los Angeles
Vocal/Dress Design, "A Sunday Kind of Love "
Louisiana
Ruth Mary Blust
New Orleans
Vocal, "This Song is You"
Louisville
Margaret Allen Hill
Louisville
Vocal/Piano, "It Had to be You "
Maryland
Carolyn Jean Dixon
Cumberland
Vocal, "It Had to be You "
Memphis
Barbara Jo Walker
Memphis
21
Art Display & Vocal Medley, "One Kiss" & "Un Bel Di " from Madama Butterfly
Winner
Preliminary Talent Award
Miami Beach
Pepper Shore
Miami
Interpretive Dance of the South Seas
Top 15
Preliminary Talent Award
Michigan
Peggy Ellsworth
Reed City
Vocal, "She's Funny That Way "
Minnesota
Elaine Campbell
Minneapolis
Classical Vocal, "Je Veux Vivre" from Roméo et Juliette
1st Runner-up
Preliminary Talent Award
Mississippi
Kitty Bailey
Oxford
Painting
Missouri
Mary Jean Burke
Kansas City
Vocal, "I'm a Big Girl Now "
Montana
Carol Chaffen
Corvallis
Classical Vocal, "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix " from Samson and Delilah
New Hampshire
Bernice Loiselle
Manchester
Rumba Dance
New Jersey
Delores Mendes
Newark
Vocal & Guitar Medley, "I Close my Eyes" & "Siboney "
Top 15
New York
Carol Fredericks
Harrison
Tap Dance
New York City
Raven Malone
New York City
Vocal, "Put the Blame on Mame "
Top 15
Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
North Carolina
Alice White
Fayetteville
Vocal, "That's My Desire "
Ohio
Nancy Nesbitt
Cleveland
Vocal, "I Don't Know Enough About You"
Omaha
Madalyn Joyce King
Omaha
Tap Dance
Non-finalist Talent Award
Oregon
Jo Ann Amorde
Sutherlin
Vocal, "Alice Blue Gown " from Irene
Top 15
Mother of Miss Oregon 1974, Juli Ann Berg
Pennsylvania
Dorothy Gresh
Williamsport
Vocal, "Lover, Come to Me"
Pittsburg
Lillian Handford
Pittsburg
Painting Display
Top 15
Rhode Island
Ellen DiCenzo
Providence
Vocal
South Carolina
Margaret Griffin
Spartanburg
Classical Vocal
South Dakota
Roselyn Lea Anderson
Saint Onge
Piano, "'O Sole Mio "
Tennessee
Georgia Cunningham
Tap Dance
Top 15
Texas
Luna McClain
Lufkin
Vocal, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes " & "Cowboy Boogie"
Miss Congeniality
Utah
Donna Southwck
Cedar City
Drama, Piano, Vocal, & Dance
Vermont
Barbara Campbell
Montpelier
Vocal, "Blue Skies "
Virginia
Ruth Ellen Mears
Cape Charles
Speech
West Virginia
Joan Elizabeth Estep
Wheeling
Piano, "Rhapsody in Blue "
Top 15
Wisconsin
Gladys Elaine Berkley
Baraboo
19
Monologue
Gladys Elaine Berkley Stracy died of a brief illness in Madison, Wisconsin at age 38 on September 10, 1965.
Wyoming
Dorothy McKay
Cheyenne
Painting Exhibition
Top 15
References
^ United Press (1947-09-08). "New Miss America Planning Return To College". Toledo Blade. p. 3.
^ "1947 Barbara Walker" . Archived from the original on 2010-09-30. Retrieved 2010-08-21 .
^ Associated Press (1947-09-08). "Miss Canada Nearly Miss America Wins Third Place At Atlantic City". Montreal Gazette. p. 1.
^ Nichols, Dudley (Jul–Sep 1947). Boxoffice . Kansas City Associated Publications: 817.
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 .
External links