| Winner: | Jean Bartel |
| Represented: | |
| Date: | September 11, 1943 |
| Presenters: | Bob Russell |
| Entrants: | 33 |
| Placements: | 10 |
| Venue: | Warner Theater, Atlantic City, New Jersey |
| Before: | 1942 |
| Next: | 1944 |
Miss America 1943, the 17th Miss America pageant, was held at the Warner Theater in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 11, 1943. Miss California, Jean Bartel won the title after winning awards for her swimsuit and talent.[1]
| Placement | Contestant | |
|---|---|---|
| Miss America 1943 | ||
| 1st Runner-Up |
| |
| 2nd Runner-Up |
| |
| 3rd Runner-Up |
| |
| 4th Runner-Up |
| |
| Top 10 |
|
| Awards | Contestant | |
|---|---|---|
| Lifestyle and Fitness |
| |
| Talent |
|
| Arkansas | Dorris Love | Jonesboro | Dramatic Reading, "Letter to a Soldier" | Top 10 | ||||
| Baltimore | Shirlee O'Connell | Baltimore | ||||||
| Birmingham | Toula Hagestratou | Birmingham | Miss Congeniality | |||||
| Boston | Helena Frances Mack | Boston | Samba Dance, "Cae Cae" | 2nd Runner-up | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness AwardPreliminary Talent Award | |||
| California | Jean Bartel | Los Angeles | 19 | Vocal, "Night and Day" | Winner | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness AwardPreliminary Talent Award | ||
| Chicago | Marjorie Nelson | Chicago | Rhythmic Ballet | Top 10 | ||||
| Connecticut | Mary Rice | Hartford | ||||||
| Columbia | Sarah Nina Harvin | Columbia | ||||||
| Delaware | Mona Crawford | Wilmington | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Dixie Rafter | 18 | Vocal/Dance, "They're Either Too Young or Too Old" from Thank Your Lucky Stars | 4th Runner-up | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | |||
| Eastern Pennsylvania | Betty Marie Marcus | Kensington | ||||||
| Florida | Muriel Elizabeth Smith | Acrobatic Baton | 1st Runner-up | |||||
| Georgia | Barbara Britton | |||||||
| Illinois | Dorothy Belle Kohrt | Ottawa | ||||||
| Maine | Eleanor Fournier | Westbrook | ||||||
| Maryland | Lillian Marlene Huber | Baltimore | ||||||
| Massachusetts | Mary McAnulty | Roslindale | ||||||
| Miami | Dolly Bowles | |||||||
| Michigan | Ruby Jean Telfer | Detroit | ||||||
| Minnesota | Florence Hunton | Minneapolis | Dramatic Reading from "Désirée's Baby" | Top 10 | ||||
| Mississippi | Arminta Scott | Corinth | ||||||
| New Jersey | Kathleen Harris | Newark | Vocal, "Gianni Mio" | Top 10 | ||||
| New Orleans | Shirley Catherine Lange | New Orleans | ||||||
| New York | Marion Butler | |||||||
| New York City | Milena Miller | New York City | Vocal, "I Can't Get Started Without You" | 3rd Runner-up | ||||
| Ohio | Joan Hyldoft | Cincinnati | Ice Skating | Preliminary Talent Award | ||||
| Oklahoma | Joan Marceille Hawk | Oklahoma City | ||||||
| Philadelphia | June McAdams | Philadelphia | ||||||
| Richmond | Dorothy Taylor | Richmond | ||||||
| South Carolina | Jenelle Virginia Strange | Columbia | ||||||
| St. Louis | Emma Jean Adams | St. Louis | ||||||
| Tennessee | Frances Eakes | Chattanooga | ||||||
| Western Pennsylvania | Emma Hammermeister | Dance & Baton Twirling | Top 10 |