Miss World America 1978 Explained

Date:	September 30, 1978
Venue:	Von Barun Civic Center, Huntsville, Alabama
Entrants:	51
Placements:	8
Winner:	Debra Jean Freeze North Carolina
Before:	1977
Next:	1979

Miss World America 1978 was the 1st edition of the Miss World America pageant and it was held in Von Barun Civic Center in Huntsville, Alabama and was won by Debra Jean Freeze of North Carolina. She was crowned by outgoing titleholder, Cindy Darlene Miller of Virginia. Freeze went on to represent the United States at the Miss World 1978 Pageant in London later that year. She finished in the Top 15 at Miss World.^[1]

Results

Placements

Final results	Contestant
Miss World America 1978	North Carolina – Debra Jean Freeze
1st Runner-Up	Massachusetts – Debra Sue Maurice
2nd Runner-Up	Texas – Debbie Elaine Palmer
Top 8	California – Linda Howerton New Mexico – Kathy Killebrew New York – Kathleen Peartree Oklahoma – Robin Keene South Carolina - Cynthia Wynn

Special awards

Award	Contestant
Miss Personality	– Elberta McKnight
Miss Photogenic	– Debbie Elaine Palmer

Delegates

The Miss World America 1978 delegates were:

• Alabama - Cheryl Clements
• Alaska - Gay Nel Wilson
• Arizona - Karen Filipi
• Arkansas - Terry Williams
• California - Linda Howerton
• Colorado - Lynelle Gaye Lichtenheld
• Connecticut - Cynthia Lee Leddy
• Delaware - Annette Malgieri
• District of Columbia - Gloria Renfrow
• Florida - Lynn Hafter
• Georgia - Jane Carol Sapp
• Hawaii - Sharon Bush
• Idaho - Rozalynn Johnson
• Illinois - Barbara Figarola^[2]
• Indiana - Lee Ann Miller
• Iowa - Melinda McVey
• Kansas - Cathleen Reardon
• Kentucky - Janet Bishop
• Louisiana - Elberta McKnight
• Maine - Cynthia R. Towne
• Maryland - Celeste Woschke
• Massachusetts - Debra Sue Maurice
• Michigan - Denise Noffsinger
• Minnesota - Debra J. Peterson
• Mississippi - Judy Bickerstaff
• Missouri - Linda Camacho
• Montana - Mea Townsend
• Nebraska - Rebecca Kunz
• Nevada - Deborah Gabinetti
• New Hampshire - Theresa Tucker
• New Jersey - Dezra Atkinson
• New Mexico - Kathy Killebrew
• New York - Kathleen Peartree
• North Carolina - Debra Jean Freeze
• North Dakota - Cheryl Henry
• Ohio - Lesa Rummell
• Oklahoma - Robin Keene
• Oregon - Tena Montoya
• Pennsylvania - Bonnie Barney
• Rhode Island - Donna Delfino
• South Carolina - Cynthia Wynn
• South Dakota - Lu Ann Keehn
• Tennessee - Paulette Wheelock
• Texas - Debbie Elaine Palmer
• Utah - Heather Walker
• Vermont - Ann Kent
• Virginia - Debbie Walker
• Washington - Ivy Lynn Reed
• West Virginia - Beverly Michael
• Wisconsin - Elizabeth A. Ruyak
• Wyoming - Kim Lisco

Crossovers

Contestants who competed in other beauty pageants:

Miss USA

• 1977

: Lesa Rummell

• 1977

: Ann Kent

• 1977

: Ivy Lynn Reed

• 1980

: Debra Sue Maurice (as )

Miss World America

• 1980

: Gay Nel Wilson

External links

• Miss World Official Website
• Miss World America Official Website

Notes and References

1. Web site: World-America . https://web.archive.org/web/20130629035816/http://www.pageantopolis.com/nat_past/world-america.htm . West . Donald . pageantopolis.com . June 29, 2013 . usurped.
2. Web site: Swartz. Tracy. Barbara Figarola Weber, mom of ‘Bachelor’ star Peter Weber, was a Chicago pageant queen in the ’70s. 2020-09-04. chicagotribune.com.