| Winner: | Terry Meeuwsen |
| Represented: | Wisconsin |
| Date: | September 9, 1972 |
| Presenters: | Bert Parks |
| Venue: | Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey |
| Broadcaster: | NBC |
| Before: | 1972 |
| Next: | 1974 |
Miss America 1973, the 46th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on September 9, 1972[1] and broadcast on NBC.
The winner was Terry Meeuwsen, the first woman representing Wisconsin to take the crown.[1] She would later become co-host of television's The 700 Club.
Among the finalists was Cindy Lee Sikes, entered as Miss Kansas, who became the actress Cynthia Sikes and co-star for three seasons in the 1980s on the NBC drama St. Elsewhere.
| Placement | Contestant | |
|---|---|---|
| Miss America 1973 | ||
| 1st Runner-Up |
| |
| 2nd Runner-Up |
| |
| 3rd Runner-Up |
| |
| 4th Runner-Up |
| |
| Top 10 |
|
| Awards | Contestant | |
|---|---|---|
| Lifestyle and Fitness |
| |
| Talent |
|
| Awards | Contestant | |
|---|---|---|
| Non-finalist Talent |
| |
| Miss Congeniality |
|
| Alabama | Freita Fuller | Opelika | 19 | Hula & Tahitian Dance | ||||
| Alaska | Linda Hogue | Kodiak | 18 | Modern Dance, "Charlie Chaplin Pantomime" | Neat as a Pin Award | |||
| Arizona | Linda Gail Sirrine | Mesa | 19 | Popular Vocal, "Happy Heart" | Non-finalist Talent Award | |||
| Arkansas | Debbye Hazelwood | Magnolia | 20 | Piano, Warsaw Concerto | ||||
| California | Diane Wagner | Daly City | 20 | Ballet, "Swan Lake" | ||||
| Colorado | Sally Anderson | Longmont | 19 | Classical Vocal, "Daydreams" | ||||
| Connecticut | Linda Kapral | East Lyme | 19 | Modern Jazz, African Dance, & Gymnastics | ||||
| Delaware | Catherine Lawton | Clayton | 20 | Banjo, "Banjo Memories" | Top 10 | Preliminary Talent Award | ||
| Florida | Suzanne Charles | Fort Lauderdale | 20 | Ballet, "Dance of the Painted Doll" | ||||
| Georgia | Lisa Lawalin | Rome | 20 | Vocal, "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady | ||||
| Hawaii | Marlene Diane Kehaulani Kalahiki | Kailua-Kona | 22 | Modern Jazz Dance, "Shotgun" | ||||
| Idaho | Vicki Hawkins | Boise | 20 | Piano, Theme from Summer of '42 | ||||
| Illinois | Carolyn Paulus | Elmhurst | 20 | Classical Vocal, "Glitter and be Gay" from Candide | ||||
| Indiana | Rebecca Graham | Indianapolis | 23 | Gymnastics Dance | 4th runner-up | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | ||
| Iowa | Renee Stuedemann | Clinton | 23 | Baton Twirling, "Can-Can" from Orpheus in the Underworld | Top 10 | |||
| Kansas | Cynthia Sikes | Coffeyville | 18 | Vocal, "Fame" | Top 10 | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | Starred as Dr. Annie Cavanero on St. Elsewhere from 1982 to 1985 | |
| Kentucky | Carolyn Walters | Louisville | 19 | Vocal, "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" | ||||
| Louisiana | Debby Robert | Baton Rouge | 21 | Classical Vocal, "The Art of Beguiling" | Top 10 | Preliminary Talent Award | ||
| Maine | Marilyn Lash | Friendship | 19 | Semi-classical Vocal, "Poor Wand'ring One" from The Pirates of Penzance | Non-finalist Talent Award | |||
| Maryland | Kathleen Louise Neff | Cumberland | 21 | Dramatic Soliloquy, "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You" from The King and I | Top 10 | |||
| Massachusetts | Marie Semas | Taunton | 18 | Piano & Vocal of an Original Composition | Non-finalist Talent Award | |||
| Michigan | Terri Cousino | Erie | 19 | Vocal, "How Can I Wait?" | Non-finalist Talent Award | |||
| Minnesota | Linda Hagen | Hampton | 22 | Popular Vocal, "Who Will Buy?" from Oliver! | ||||
| Mississippi | Glenda Meadows | Richton | 23 | Vocal Medley, "Am I Blue?" & "I'd Rather Be Blue" | ||||
| Missouri | Anita Columbo | St. Louis | 21 | Vocal/Dance, "It's Today" from Mame | ||||
| Montana | Debra DeBiase | Billings | 21 | Ballet, "Summer of '42" | ||||
| Nebraska | Jeanine Giller | Omaha | 22 | Jazz Dance, "Bitter End" | ||||
| Nevada | Helen Bennett | Reno | 23 | Classical Ballet, "Dance of the Gypsy" | Non-finalist Talent Award | |||
| New Hampshire | Jane Badler | Manchester | 18 | Popular Vocal, "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" | Starred on NBC's V series from 1983 to 1985 & on ABC's V series in 2011 | |||
| New Jersey | Linda Gialanella | Maplewood | 22 | Sketching Presentation, "Teaching the World to Draw" | Non-finalist Talent Award | |||
| New Mexico | Wren Prather | Carlsbad | 19 | Upside Down Tap Dance, "Yankee Doodle Dandy" | ||||
| New York | Judith Keithley | Rochester | 19 | Piano, Rhapsody in Blue | ||||
| North Carolina | Constance Dorn | Kinston | 19 | Ballet, "The Grand Holiday" | 1st runner-up | Later Miss North Carolina USA 19752nd runner-up at Miss USA 1975 | ||
| North Dakota | Georgia Ann Becker | Napoleon | 18 | Country Western Vocal, "Rose Garden" | Non-finalist Talent Award | |||
| Ohio | Karen Sparka | Bowling Green | 21 | Vocal Medley, "My Man" & "My Man's Gone Now" | Non-finalist Talent Award | |||
| Oklahoma | Debbie Giannopoulos | Oklahoma City | 20 | Classical Vocal from Carmen | Contestant at Miss Teenage America 1968 | |||
| Oregon | Sandra Lynn Herring | Portland | 20 | Vocal Medley, "Who Will Buy?" & "As Long as He Needs Me" from Oliver! | Non-finalist Talent Award | |||
| Pennsylvania | Linda Olson | Corry | 20 | Piano, "Gershwin Medley" | 2nd runner-up | |||
| Rhode Island | Michele Passarelli | Pawtucket | 18 | Vocal, "Cabaret" | ||||
| South Carolina | Bonnie Corder | Columbia | 21 | Vocal Medley, "My Man's Gone Now", "Let Me Sing", & "I'm Happy" | ||||
| South Dakota | Janet Hunter | Madison | 20 | Classical Piano, "Scherzo No. 3" by Chopin | ||||
| Tennessee | Debbie Cathey | Nashville | 20 | Semi-classical Vocal, "Amazing Grace" | ||||
| Texas | Mae Beth Cormany | Wichita Falls | Vocal Medley, "Misty" & "Come Rain or Come Shine" | 3rd runner-up | ||||
| Utah | Sally Peterson | Salt Lake City | 21 | Classical Piano, "Piano Concerto No. 1" | Miss Congeniality Non-finalist Talent Award | |||
| Vermont | Kathy Hebert | Burlington | 21 | Vocal & Guitar with Display of Fashion Design, "I Don't Know How to Love Him" | ||||
| Virginia | Dona Marie Pillow | Lynchburg | 22 | Vocal, "Memories" | Cousin of country singer Ray Pillow | |||
| Washington | Rebecca Pozzi | Kent | 20 | Vocal Medley, "Consider Yourself" & "I'd Do Anything" | ||||
| West Virginia | Lynette Koper | Weirton | 21 | Presentation of Original Art Works | ||||
| Wisconsin | Terry Meeuwsen | De Pere | 23 | Vocal, "He Touched Me" from Drat! The Cat! | Winner | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award Preliminary Talent Award | Co-host of The 700 Club | |
| Wyoming | Annette Klipstein | Cheyenne | 22 | Classical Vocal, "Adele's Laughing Song" from Die Fledermaus | Previously Wyoming's Junior Miss 1968 |