Miss America 1966, the 39th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 11, 1965[1] on CBS Network.

Miss America 1966
Deborah Bryant, Miss America 1966
DateSeptember 11, 1965
PresentersBert Parks
Bess Myerson
VenueBoardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
BroadcasterCBS
WinnerDeborah Bryant
Kansas
← 1965
1967 →

Deborah Bryant became the first Miss Kansas to win the crown. The judges for this year's pageant included actress Joan Crawford.

Results

edit

Placements

edit
Placement Contestant
Miss America 1966
1st Runner-Up
2nd Runner-Up
3rd Runner-Up
4th Runner-Up
Top 10

Order of announcements

edit

Awards

edit

Preliminary awards

edit
Award Contestant
Lifestyle and Fitness
Talent

Other awards

edit
Awards Contestant
Miss Congeniality
  •   Iowa – Marie Mushro
Non-finalist Talent

Contestants

edit
State Name Hometown Age Talent Placement Awards Notes
  Alabama Linda Folsom New Brockton 20 Classical Vocal, "Caro Nome" from Rigoletto Top 10 Preliminary Talent Award
  Alaska Mary Ruth Nidiffer Anchorage 21 Popular Vocal, "Typically English"
  Arizona Sandra Montgomery Yuma 18 Vocal, "Once in a Lifetime" & "I Love Being Here With You"
  Arkansas Rhonda Oglesby Pine Bluff 19 Popular Vocal
  California Sandra Lynne Becker Covina 18 Semi-classical Vocal, "Make Believe" Non-finalist Talent Award
  Colorado Kristina Holm Denver 19 Piano, "More" from Gigi
  Connecticut Donna Scott Stratford 18 Vocal, "Someone to Watch Over Me"
  Delaware Kathleen Grandell Wilmington 18 Multilingual Monologue
  Florida Carol Lynn Blum Miami Beach 21 Classical Vocal, "Il Bacio" by Luigi Arditi 3rd runner-up
  Georgia Mary Jane Yates Savannah 20 Semi-classical Vocal, "With a Song in My Heart"
  Hawaii Roberta Rosaria Conlan Honolulu 18 Monologue, "Hawaiian History"
  Idaho Rhonda Hammond Boise 19 Speech on Fashion Design with Modeling Non-finalist Talent Award
  Illinois Kathleen Oros Granite City 20 Popular Vocal, "Just You Wait" from My Fair Lady
  Indiana Eileen Smith Indianapolis 18 Vocal Medley, "The Sound of Music" & "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" 2nd runner-up Preliminary Talent Award
  Iowa Marie Mushro Sioux City 19 Ballet en Pointe, The Dying Swan Miss Congeniality


Non-finalist Talent Award

  Kansas Deborah Irene Bryant Overland Park 19 Dramatic Interpretation, "The Miserable Miserliness of Midas Moneybags" Winner Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award Previously Miss Kansas World 1963

Top 7 finalist at Miss USA World 1963

  Kentucky Rebecca Snyder Owensboro 20 Dramatic Monologue, "Portrayal of the Sphinx"
  Louisiana Lynda Ferguson Shreveport 20 Semi-classical Vocal, "Italian Street Song" from Naughty Marietta Top 10
  Maine Ellen Margaret Fowler Old Orchard Beach 19 Vocal/Dance, "Some People"
  Maryland Barbara Lynn Hamilton College Park 19 Vocal, "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man"
  Massachusetts Mabel Bendiksen New Bedford 18 Dramatic Reading & Folk Singing, "The Hazards of Nuclear Fallout" & "What Have They Done to the Rain"
  Michigan Esther Lynne Smith Portage 19 Classical Vocal Non-finalist Talent Award Born in Vlaardingen, Netherlands
  Minnesota Jeanne Ruth St. Paul 18 Interpretive Jazz Dance to selections from West Side Story
  Mississippi Patricia Puckett Columbus 20 Vocal, "I Ain't Down Yet" from The Unsinkable Molly Brown 1st runner-up Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award Featured performer at Miss America 1967
  Missouri Lesley Fleenor Springfield 20 Vocal, "Hard Hearted Hannah"
  Montana Dianne Feller Helena 21 Classical Vocal, "Un bel dì vedremo" from Madama Butterfly Non-finalist Talent Award
  Nebraska Karen Hansmeire Ogallala 20 Semi-classical Vocal, "Love is Where You Find It"
  Nevada Kathryn Blaikie Carson City 18 Musical Comedy, "I'm Late" Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
  New Hampshire Cheryl-Leigh Buffum Manchester 21 Musical Comedy Sketch, "I Ain't Down Yet" from The Unsinkable Molly Brown
  New Jersey Kathleen Holmes Toms River 19 Vocal/Tap Dance, "Steppin' Out With My Baby"
  New Mexico Ellen Growden University Park 21 Dramatic Sketch, "Relationship of a Mother and Daughter"
  New York Marlene Butcher Hamburg 19 Vocal/Dance, "I Ain't Down Yet" from The Unsinkable Molly Brown
  North Carolina Penelope Clark Sanford 19 Classical Ballet, "Robina"
  North Dakota Onalee Olson Fargo 19 Original Interpretive Dance, "Charleston"
  Ohio Valerie Lavin Canton 20 Vocal/Dance, "I Ought to Dance"
  Oklahoma Sandra Curtis Tulsa 20 Dramatic Reading, "Sorry Wrong Number"
  Oregon Sue Pack Eugene 18 Vocal, "The Lonely Goatherd" from The Sound of Music Top 10 Joined The New Christy Minstrels in 1966


Wife of Mickey Newbury

  Pennsylvania Judith Lynn McConnell Pittsburgh 21 Dramatic Reading from Saint Joan Non-finalist Talent Award Best known for her role in the soap opera, Santa Barbara
  Rhode Island Maureen Manton Warwick 21 Dramatic Reading from The Diary of Anne Frank
  South Carolina Nancy Moore Aiken 18 Piano, Variations on "There She Is" Top 10 Preliminary Talent Award Later married US Senator Strom Thurmond, who was 44 years her senior, in 1968
  South Dakota Nancy Sandwick Sioux Falls 19 Vocal Medley, "Wouldn't it be Loverly" & "I Could've Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady
  Tennessee Marcia Murray Paris 19 Popular Vocal, "Spellbound"
  Texas Mary Lou Butler Irving 19 Vocal
  Utah Frances Yvonne Vernon Salt Lake City 22 Original Modern Dance, "The American Pioneer Woman" Top 10
  Vermont Lois Dodge Grand Isle 20 Vocal, "Climb Ev'ry Mountain"
  Virginia Jean Inge Norfolk 22 Speech about Politics & Government entitled "Democracy"
  Washington Kippy Lou Brinkman Richland 21 Harp & Tap Dance, "Night and Day" Non-finalist Talent Award
  West Virginia Lois Gay Ratcliff Bluefield 19 Dramatic Reading, "Lonesome Train" Non-finalist Talent Award
  Wisconsin Sharon Singstock Oshkosh 20 Vocal, "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Medley" 4th runner-up
  Wyoming Trudy Bower Freedom 19 Vocal, "From This Moment On"

References

edit
  1. ^ Associated Press (1965-09-13). "From Freckles to Miss America". Miami News. p. 12B.
edit