Miss America 1965 Explained

Winner:Vonda Kay Van Dyke
Represented: Arizona
Date:September 12, 1964
Presenters:Bert Parks
Bess Myerson
Venue:Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Broadcaster:CBS
Before:1964
Next:1966

Miss America 1965, the 38th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 12, 1964[1] on CBS Network.

Pageant winner Vonda Kay Van Dyke authored books in years to come. She was the first Miss America to use ventriloquism in the talent portion of the contest. Miss Arkansas, first runner-up Karen Carlson, later became an actress, seen in several films and many television series.

The pageant took place at Boardwalk Hall less than two weeks after it played host to the Democratic National Convention.

Results

Placements

PlacementContestant
Miss America 1965
1st Runner-Up
2nd Runner-Up
  • – Ella Kessel†
3rd Runner-Up
  • – Sharon McCauley
4th Runner-Up
  • – Barbara Hasselberg
Top 10
  • – Vicki Jane Powers
  • – Leinaala Ann Teruya
  • – Linda Lenora Sawyer
  • – Jane Nelson
  • – Lauren Elaine Waddelton

Awards

Preliminary awards

AwardsContestant
Lifestyle and Fitness
Talent

Other awards

AwardsContestant
Miss Congeniality
Non-finalist Talent

Contestants

!State!Name!Hometown!Age!Talent!Placement!Awards!Notes
AlabamaVickie PowersMobile19Classical Vocal, "Habanera"Top 10Preliminary Talent AwardFeatured performer at Miss America 1966
AlaskaKarol HommonAnchorage20Acrobatic & Modern Jazz DanceNon-finalist Talent AwardDied in 1965 after falling from Sugarloaf Mountain
ArizonaVonda Kay Van DykePhoenix22Ventriloquism, "Together (Wherever We Go)"WinnerMiss CongenialitySemi-finalist at America's Junior Miss 1961

Only Miss America to also be named Miss Congeniality

ArkansasKaren CarlsonFayetteville20Vocal, "As Long as He Needs Me" from Oliver!1st runner-upEx-wife of David Soul
CaliforniaSherri RaapFremont18Jazz Baton Dance & AcrobaticsPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
ColoradoKathleen KnightDenver19Semi-classical Vocal, "The Telephone"
ConnecticutHonora BukowskiWallingford18Jazz Dance, "Bossa Nova"
DelawareAnita Gail EubanWilmington20Popular Vocal & Dance
FloridaPriscilla SchnarrHollywood18Vocal/Dance, "Whatever Lola Wants"
GeorgiaVivian DavisAugusta19Skit & Vocal
HawaiiLeina'ala Ann TeruyaHonolulu18Interpretive Monologue, "Footprints" from Leaves of a Grass House by Don BlandingTop 10
IdahoJudith SteubbeMoscow21Piano, Fantaisie-ImpromptuNon-finalist Talent Award
IllinoisPatricia QuillenNorth Aurora21ClarinetFinalist at the National Press Photographers' Pageant 1962
IndianaSandra MillerBedford20Popular Vocal
IowaCarol JohnsonAmes21Folk Vocal & Guitar
KansasSharon Margene SavageFlorence20Vocal, "Johnny One Note" & "Ritorna Vincitor" from AidaDuring her reign she was killed in an automobile accident near Peabody, Kansas
KentuckyLinda SawyerLouisville21Vocal & Speech, "Stephen Foster Medley"Top 10Older sister of newscaster Diane Sawyer
LouisianaCherie MartinPineville19Toreador Dance & Baton TwirlingNon-finalist Talent Award
MaineEllen WarrenKennebunk18Vocal/Dance
MarylandDonna Marie McCauleyRockville19Interpretive Ballet
MassachusettsKathleen KenneallyWhitman21Dramatic Reading
MichiganSarah Jane NobleEast Lansing18Free Exercise RoutineNon-finalist Talent Award
MinnesotaBarbara HasselbergBloomington21Authentic Polynesian Dances, "Hawaiian War Chant"4th runner-upPreliminary Talent Award
MississippiJudy SimonoVicksburg20Classical Ballet, The Sleeping Beauty by Tchaikovsky
MissouriCarol BrowningLee's Summit20Marimba & Accordion Medley
MontanaMerilee MillerRadersburg20Dance
NebraskaSandra Lee RiceCozad20Dramatic Reading from After the Fall
NevadaEllen RosemanSparks21Comedy Skit
New HampshireElizabeth EmersonSomersworth22Comedy Reading
New JerseySusan KrasnomowitzFair Lawn19Jazz Dance
New MexicoJane NelsonTularosa19Original Vocal with Guitar & Tympani to the theme from ExodusTop 10Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness AwardLater Miss Arizona USA 19651st runner-up at Miss USA 1965

Later Miss New Mexico World 1966

Top 7 at Miss USA World 1966

New YorkJulie JustBuffalo20Popular Vocal, "Any Place I Hang My Hat is Home"Non-finalist Talent Award
North CarolinaSharon FinchThomasville20Vocal & Dance with Castanets
North DakotaKaren KopsengBismarck19Classical Vocal, "Un Bel Dì" from Madama ButterflyPreliminary Talent Award
OhioDiane CourtwrightColumbus19Popular Vocal & Modern Jazz Dance
OklahomaJane HitchGuymon18Dance
OregonCarol PedersenNewport18Dramatic Reading
PennsylvaniaMarilyn Cutaiar MarchHavertown19Toe Dance Ballet, "Dance of the Painted Doll"
Rhode IslandJudy AndersonWarwick20Vocal/Dance
South CarolinaSue SmithFlorence20Vocal Medley
South DakotaJune Ann DelbridgeSioux Falls19Piano
TennesseeRita MunseyNew Tazewell20Vocal Medley & Accordion, "You Don't Know Me" & "Walkin' After Midnight"
TexasSharon McCauleyAthens20Vocal, "Let Me Entertain You" from Gypsy: A Musical Fable3rd runner-up
UtahLois Anne BaileySalt Lake City18Piano, "Symphonie espagnole"
VermontJean ConnerRutland21Popular Vocal
VirginiaCarolyn EddyNorfolk21Dramatic ReadingNon-finalist Talent Award
WashingtonLauren WaddletonBurien19Vocal. "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair LadyTop 10
West VirginiaElla Dee KesselRipley21Piano, "Three Preludes" by Gershwin2nd runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness AwardLater First Lady of WV
WisconsinAngela BaldiGlendale18Piano, "On Wisconsin" in Three Variations
WyomingJoan SelmerCheyenne21Acro-Baton Routine

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Miss America's Victory Thrills All but One. 1964-09-14. Milwaukee Journal. 6.
  2. News: 1965 Miss America Title Won By 21‐Year‐Old Arizona Coed; Victor Was Chosen Earlier as Miss Congeniality by 49 Fellow Contestants . The New York Times . September 13, 1964.