Miss Alabama USA explained

Miss Alabama USA
Formation:	1952
Type:	Beauty pageant
Headquarters:	Birmingham
Location:	Alabama
Membership:	Miss USA
Language:	English
Key People:	Janice McDonald Paula Miles

Miss Alabama USA, previously known as Miss Alabama Universe,^[1] is the beauty pageant that selects the representative for the state of Alabama in the Miss USA pageant, and the name of the title held by its winner. The pageant is directed by RPM Productions.

Alabama's most successful placement was in 1967, when Sylvia Hitchcock was crowned Miss USA. She later went on to be crowned Miss Universe 1967 as well. Alabama's most recent placement was in 2023, when Sophie Burzynski placed Top 20.

The current Miss Alabama USA is Diane Westhoven of Vestavia, who was crowned on June 1, 2024 at Jay & Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center in Auburn. Westhoven will represent Alabama at Miss USA 2024.

Results summary

Placements in Miss USA

• Miss USA: Sylvia Hitchcock (Miss Universe 1967)^[2]
• 1st Runners-Up: Pamela Flowers (1975), Candace Michelle Brown (1992), Michelle Arnette (2003), Mary-Margaret McCord (2013)
• 2nd Runners-Up: Doris Edwards (1953), Judith Carlson (1958), Margaret Gordon (1960), Jina Mitchell (2000), Madeline Mitchell (2011)
• 3rd Runner-Up: Pamela Rigas (1980)
• 4th Runner-Up: Suellen Robinson (1961), Kelly Hutchinson (2020)
• Top 5: Peyton Brown (2016)
• Top 10/11/12: JoAnne Henderson (1981), Candy Carley (1991), Autumn Smith (1997), Tara Tucker (2002), Tara Darby (2004), Haleigh Stidham (2006), Audrey Moore (2010), Katherine Webb (2012), Madison Guthrie (2015)
• Top 15/20: Pat Sullivan (1959), Dinah Irene Armstrong (1963), Pamela Jean Borgfeldt (1964), Leigh Sanford (1965), Claudia Robinson (1968), Hitsy Parnell (1969), Jesica Ahlberg (2014), Sophie Burzynski (2023)

Alabama has a record of 31 placements at Miss USA.

Awards

• Miss Congeniality: Peyton Brown (2016)
• Miss Photogenic: Pamela Flowers (1975), Rebecca Moore (2007), Audrey Moore (2010)

Titleholders

Color key

• Winner
• Runner-up
• Semi-finalist

Year	Name	Hometown	Age	Local title	Placement at Miss USA	Special awards at Miss USA	Notes
2024	Diane Westhoven^[3]	Vestavia	21	Miss Southern Plains
2023	Sophie Burzynski^[4]	Auburn	21	Miss Auburn-Opelika	Top 20
2022	Katelyn Vinson^[5]	Dothan	21	Miss Dothan
2021	Alexandria Flanigan^[6]	Cullman	24	Miss Cullman
2020	Kelly Hutchinson^[7]	Auburn	22	Miss Auburn-Opelika	4th runner-up		Previously Miss Georgia's Outstanding Teen 2013^[8]
2019	Hannah McMurphy^[9]	Tuscaloosa	20	Miss Indian Hills
2018	Hannah Brown^[10]	Northport	23	Miss West Alabama			Contestant on season 23 of The Bachelor Star of season 15 of The Bachelorette Winner of season 28 of Dancing with the Stars
2017	Baylee Smith^[11]	Tuscaloosa	19	Miss Pike County
2016	Peyton Brown^[12]	Eufaula	21	Miss Eufaula	Top 5	Miss Congeniality	Previously Miss Alabama Teen USA 2012^[13]
2015	Madison Guthrie^[14]	Hoover	20	Miss Hoover	Top 11
2014	Jesica Ahlberg^[15]	Birmingham	23	Miss Central Alabama	Top 20
2013	Mary-Margaret McCord^[16]	Gadsden	23	Miss Gadsden	1st runner-up
2012	Katherine Elizabeth Webb^[17]	Phenix City	22	Miss East Alabama	Top 10
2011	Madeline Grace Mitchell^[18]	Russellville	21	Miss Tuscaloosa	2nd runner-up		Later Mrs. America 2015
2010	Audrey Moore^[19]	Hoover	20		Top 10	Miss Photogenic^[20]
2009	Rachel Philippona^[21]	Dothan	19
2008	Keisha Walding^[22]	Dothan	24
2007	Rebecca Moore	Vestavia Hills	19			Miss Photogenic
2006	Haleigh Stidham	Birmingham	23		Top 10
2005	Jessica Tinney	Birmingham	21
2004	Tara Darby	Birmingham	22		Top 10
2003	Michelle Arnette	Dothan	25		1st runner-up
2002	Tara Tucker	Birmingham	23		Top 12		Previously Miss Alabama Teen USA 1997
2001	Laura Hoffman	Birmingham	20
2000	Jina Mitchell	Trussville	22		2nd runner-up
1999	Doree Walker	Gardendale	24
1998	Paige Brooks	Mobile	26
1997	Autumn Smith^[23]	Chelsea	22		Top 10		Previously Miss Alabama Teen USA 1993
1996	Benita Brooks^[24]	Huntsville	25
1995	Anna Mingus	Enterprise	-				Previously Miss Alabama Teen USA 1988
1994	Malaea Nelms^[25]	Alexandria	-
1993	Toni Johnson	Montgomery	22				First African-American Miss Alabama USA
1992	Candace Michelle Brown	Auburn	23		1st runner-up
1991	Candy Carley	Mobile	25		Top 11
1990	Natalie Moore	Hoover
1989	Sheri Mooney	Pelham	20
1988	Rhonda Mooney	Pelham	21
1987	Rhonda Garrett	Birmingham	21
1986	Heather Howard^[26]	Huntsville	20
1985	Allison Sawyer	Birmingham	-
1984	Kelly Flowers	Hueytown	20
1983	Terri Lane	Birmingham	20
1982	Lisa Wheeler^[27]	Birmingham	19
1981	JoAnne Henderson^[28]	Tuscaloosa	21		Top 12
1980	Pamela Rigas	Troy	19		3rd runner-up		Later Miss Ohio 1983^[29]
1979	Rose Burch	Mobile	20
1978	Eva Stancil	Gadsden	22
1977	Cheryl Burgess	Alexandria	18
1976	Kyle Ellis	Decatur	22
1975	Pamela Flowers	Headland	19		1st runner-up	Miss Photogenic
1974	Iva Wyna Lavis	Birmingham	19
1973	Diane Fouilhe	Enterprise	19
1972	Elaine Barnhill	Robertsdale	21
1971	Renee Smith	Mobile	18
1970	Kathy Bryant	Bay Minette	19
1969	Hitsy Parnell^[30]	Thomasville	20		Top 15
1968	Claudia Robinson	Mobile	18		Top 15
1967	Sylvia Louise Hitchcock^[31]	Tuscaloosa	21		Miss USA 1967		Miss Universe 1967
1966	Susan Scott	Clanton	19
1965	Leigh Stanford	Montgomery	18		Top 15
1964	Pamela Jean Borgfeldt^[32]	Anniston	21		Top 15
1963	Dinah Irene Armstrong	Montgomery	19		Top 15
1962	Jerolyn Ridgeway	Fort Payne	20
1961	Suellen Robinson^[33]	Fairfax	19		4th runner-up
1960	Margaret Gordon	Homewood	21		2nd runner-up
1959	Pat Sullivan^[34]	Birmingham	21		Top 15
1958	Judith Lucille Carlson^[35]	Birmingham	18		2nd runner-up
colspan=7
1953	Doris Edwards^[36]	Birmingham	25		2nd runner-up
1952		Gadsden	24

External links

• Official website

Notes and References

1. News: Alexandria Girl Will Compete for Miss USA Title. 16 February 1977. The Anniston Star. 1D. Newspapers.com.
2. News: 21 May 1967 . Miss Alabama is Miss USA . 1 . The Independent Record . Newspapers.com.
3. Web site: Colurso . Mary . 1 June 2024 . Miss Alabama USA 2024: Miss Southern Plains wins the crown . 2 June 2024 . AL.com.
4. Web site: 29 January 2023 . Miss Auburn-Opelika crowned Miss Alabama USA 2023 . 29 January 2023 . AL.com.
5. Web site: 15 January 2022 . Miss Dothan USA wins the crown . 15 January 2022 . AL.com.
6. Web site: 11 January 2021 . Cullman's Alexandria Flanigan crowned Miss Alabama USA . 11 January 2021 . The Cullman Tribune.
7. Web site: Colurso . Mary . 6 October 2019 . Miss Alabama USA 2020: Miss Auburn-Opelika takes the crown . AL.com.
8. News: Thrash . Rodney . 24 June 2013 . Cobb Contestants Shine at Miss Georgia Pageant . Marietta Patch .
9. Web site: Sison . Bree . 18 November 2018 . University of Alabama students win Miss Alabama USA, Miss Teen Alabama USA . 8 May 2019 . WBRC.
10. Web site: Sison . Bree . 8 November 2017 . New Miss Alabama USA wants to talk about mental health . 14 May 2019 . Fox 6 News.
11. News: Baylee Smith, of Pike County, crowned Miss Alabama USA 2017. Moore. Tamika. 5 November 2016. AL.com. 8 February 2017.
12. News: Sutton . Amber . 7 November 2015 . Peyton Brown, of Eufaula, crowned Miss Alabama USA 2016 . . . . 11 November 2015.
13. Web site: . Alabama - Peyton Brown . 2012 . November 11, 2015 . December 25, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151225065413/http://www.missuniverse.com/missteenusa/members/profile/651671/year:2012 . dead .
14. Web site: Walden . Rebecca . 19 December 2014 . Get to know Miss Alabama USA, Miss Hoover's own Madison Guthrie . 19 December 2019 . Hoover Sun.
15. Web site: Watkins . Mia . 26 November 2013 . Miss Alabama USA 2014 Jesica Ahlberg on Katherine Webb, her movie cameos and her new title (gallery, video) . 21 October 2023 . AL.com . en.
16. Web site: Shapiro . Dmitriy . 10 December 2012 . Gadsden native crowned Miss Alabama USA 2013 in Montgomery aims to help young women with self-confidence . AL.com.
17. Web site: Watkins . Mia . 10 January 2013 . Miss Alabama, Miss Alabama USA: What's the big difference? (gallery and video) . 21 October 2023 . AL.com . en.
18. Web site: 16 June 2011 . Miss Alabama USA Madeline Mitchell Overcomes Horrific Injuries, Heads to Miss USA Beauty Pageant . 21 October 2023 . . en.
19. Web site: Seale . Kathy . 16 May 2010 . Miss Alabama USA Audrey Moore sets sights on winning Miss USA crown . 21 October 2023 . AL.com . en.
20. News: Garcia . Oskar . 17 May 2010 . Arab-American Crowned Miss USA . 4 . The Call-Leader . Newspapers.com.
21. Web site: 26 January 2009 . Wiregrass Newsroom: Dothan native competes for Miss USA . 21 October 2023 . . en.
22. Web site: Lee . Carla . 23 November 2007 . Dothan woman head to Miss USA pageant . subscription . 21 October 2023 . Dothan Eagle . en.
23. News: Racer's Daughter Named Miss Alabama USA. Associated Press. 7 May 1996. The Anniston Star. 2A. Newspapers.com.
24. News: Beauty Pageants Announce Victors. Associated Press. 10 May 1996. The Anniston Star. 13A. Newspapers.com.
25. News: Alabama-USA crown goes to Malaea Nelms. 19 December 1993. The Anniston Star. 12A. Newspapers.com.
26. News: Jones . Jimmy . 25 April 1986 . Miss Alabama USA ready to represent state at pageant . 10 . Birmingham Post-Herald . 21 October 2023 . Newspapers.com.
27. News: 10 May 1982 . People . 24 . Birmingham Post-Herald . 21 October 2023 . Newspapers.com.
28. News: 3 March 1981 . Miss Alabama-U.S.A. . 16 . Alabama Journal . 21 October 2023 . Newspapers.com.
29. News: UC Law Student Named Miss Ohio. 13 June 1983. The Cincinnati Enquirer. B-2. Newspapers.com.
30. News: Alabama Queen. 2 May 1969. Panama City News-Herald. 1. Newspapers.com.
31. News: Miss Alabama is Miss USA. 21 May 1967. The Independent Record. 1. Newspapers.com.
32. News: Pam has been there, done that. Smith. George. 2 August 2012. 2A. Newspapers.com.
33. News: 14 July 1961 . Alabama girl runner-up in Miami Beach contest . 2 . . 22 July 2023 . Google News Archive.
34. News: 27 June 1959 . FBI beauty state 'Miss Universe' . 1 . The Birmingham News . Birmingham, Alabama . 20 July 2023 . Newspapers.com.
35. News: 16 July 1958 . Miss Universe . 1; 26 . . Los Angeles, California . 20 July 2023 . Newspapers.com.
36. News: 27 June 1952 . Miss Universe Contest near final event . en . 31 . Arizona Republic . 16 January 2023 . Newspapers.com.