Miss America 1947

Date| September 6, 1947
Venue| Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Entrants| 54
Placements| 15
Winner| Barbara Jo Walker
Memphis

<- 1946

1948 ->

Miss America 1947, the 21st Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 6, 1947.[1] Barbara Jo Walker was the last Miss America to be crowned in her swimsuit, as well as the last contestant to represent just a city, rather than her state.[2] Margaret Marshall, representing Canada, captured the swimsuit competition and placed third overall in the pageant.[3] The judges for the Miss America pageant were Win Barron (Paramount's representative in Canada), Vincent Trotta (head of National Screen Service art department), Walter Thornton (head of the Walter Thornton Model Agency), and Arthur William Brown (noted illustrator).[4]

## Results

[edit]

### Placements

[edit]

Placement  | Contestant

|

Miss America 1947 |

* Memphis – Barbara Jo Walker

1st Runner-Up  |

* Minnesota – Elaine Mary Campbell

2nd Runner-Up  |

* Canada – Margaret Marshall

3rd Runner-Up  |

* Alabama – Peggy June Elder

4th Runner-Up  |

* California – Laura Jean Emery

Top 15  |

* Arizona – Wanda Jo Law
* Kentucky – Evelyn L. Murray
* Miami – Pepper Donna Shore
* New Jersey – Delores Mendes
* New York City – Raven Malone
* Oregon – Jo Ann Amorde
* Pittsburgh – Lillian Handford
* Tennessee – Georgia Jean Cunningham
* West Virginia – Joan Elizabeth Estep
* Wyoming – Dorothy June McKay

### Awards

[edit]

#### Preliminary awards

[edit]

Awards  | Contestant

|

Lifestyle and Fitness |

* Alabama \- Peggy June Elder (tie)
* Canada \- Margaret Marshall
* Kentucky \- Evelyn L. Murray
* New York City \- Raven Malone (tie)

Talent |

* Memphis \- Barbara Jo Walker
* Miami \- Pepper Donna Shore
* Minnesota \- Elaine Mary Campbell

### Other awards

[edit]

Awards  | Contestant

|

Miss Congeniality |

* Texas \- Luna Lynn McClain

## Contestants

[edit]

Title  | Name  | Hometown  | Age  | Talent  | Placement  | Awards  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Alabama | Peggy June Elder  | Gadsden |  | Vocal, "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now"  | 3rd runner-up  | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award  | Peggy June Elder Butler died at age 93 on April 30, 2023 at home in Gadsden, Alabama.
Arizona | Wanda Law  | Tempe |  |  | Top 15  |  |
Arkansas | Pam Camp  | Little Rock |  | Sketching  |  |  |
Atlanta | Joy Elizabeth Smith  | Atlanta |  | Vocal, "Eccentric Dance"  |  |  |
Brooklyn | Lynn Faune  | Brooklyn |  | Vocal, "I Come from Brooklyn"  |  |  |
California | Laura Emery  | Salinas | 18  | Vocal, "So Long for so Long"  | 4th Runner-up  |  |
Canada | Margaret Marshall  | Toronto |  |  | 2nd Runner-up  | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award  |
Chattanooga | Dorothy Cunningham  |  |  | Tap Dance  |  |  |
Chicago | Joan Hiatt  | Chicago |  | Vocal, "Kiss in the Dark"  |  |  |
Colorado | Joyce Haycock  | Pueblo |  | Vocal, "Chi-Baba"  |  |  |
Connecticut | Louise Bienvenu  | Waterbury |  | Vocal, "On the Sunny Side of the Street"  |  |  |
Detroit | Jane Rose Foster  | Detroit |  | Vocal, "My Dream Came True"  |  |  |
District of Columbia | Margaret Wilson  |  | 19  | Dance, "Mexican Hat Dance"  |  |  |
Florida | Eula Ann McGehee  | St. Petersburg |  | Magic Act  |  |  |
Georgia | Robbie Sauls  | Cuthbert |  | Vocal, "Smilin' Through"  |  |  |
Greater Philadelphia | Kay McClane  | Philadelphia |  | Vocal, "Sketching"  |  |  |
Idaho | Norma Briggs  | Pocatello |  | Drama, Romeo & Juliet |  |  |
Illinois | Marce Evans  | Joliet |  | Dress Design & Art  |  |  |
Indiana | Beverly Trenary  | Gary |  | Vocal, "I'll Close my Eyes"  |  |  |
Iowa | Ruth Janet Anderson  | Oelwein | 19  | Vocal, "You Made Me Love You"  |  |  |
Kansas | Ruth Ellen Richmond  | Fort Scott |  | Vocal, "Wonderful One"  |  |  |
Kentucky | Evelyn L. Murray  | Louisville |  | Samba  | Top 15  | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award  |
Los Angeles County | Marilyn Davidson  | Los Angeles |  | Vocal/Dress Design, "A Sunday Kind of Love"  |  |  |
Louisiana | Ruth Mary Blust  | New Orleans |  | Vocal, "This Song is You"  |  |  |
Louisville | Margaret Allen Hill  | Louisville |  | Vocal/Piano, "It Had to be You"  |  |  |
Maryland | Carolyn Jean Dixon  | Cumberland |  | Vocal, "It Had to be You"  |  |  |
Memphis | Barbara Jo Walker | Memphis | 21  | Art Display & Vocal Medley, "One Kiss" & "Un Bel Di" from Madama Butterfly | Winner | Preliminary Talent Award  |
Miami Beach | Pepper Shore  | Miami |  | Interpretive Dance of the South Seas  | Top 15  | Preliminary Talent Award  |
Michigan | Peggy Ellsworth  | Reed City |  | Vocal, "She's Funny That Way"  |  |  |
Minnesota | Elaine Campbell  | Minneapolis |  | Classical Vocal, "Je Veux Vivre" from Roméo et Juliette | 1st Runner-up  | Preliminary Talent Award  |
Mississippi | Kitty Bailey  | Oxford |  | Painting  |  |  |
Missouri | Mary Jean Burke  | Kansas City |  | Vocal, "I'm a Big Girl Now"  |  |  |
Montana | Carol Chaffen  | Corvallis |  | Classical Vocal, "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" from Samson and Delilah |  |  |
New Hampshire | Bernice Loiselle  | Manchester |  | Rumba Dance  |  |  |
New Jersey | Delores Mendes  | Newark |  | Vocal & Guitar Medley, "I Close my Eyes" & "Siboney"  | Top 15  |  |
New York | Carol Fredericks  | Harrison |  | Tap Dance  |  |  |
New York City | Raven Malone  | New York City |  | Vocal, "Put the Blame on Mame"  | Top 15  | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award  |
North Carolina | Alice White  | Fayetteville |  | Vocal, "That's My Desire"  |  |  |
Ohio | Nancy Nesbitt  | Cleveland |  | Vocal, "I Don't Know Enough About You"  |  |  |
Omaha | Madalyn Joyce King  | Omaha |  | Tap Dance  |  | Non-finalist Talent Award  |
Oregon | Jo Ann Amorde  | Sutherlin |  | Vocal, "Alice Blue Gown" from Irene | Top 15  |  | Mother of Miss Oregon 1974, Juli Ann Berg
Pennsylvania | Dorothy Gresh  | Williamsport |  | Vocal, "Lover, Come to Me"  |  |  |
Pittsburg | Lillian Handford  | Pittsburg |  | Painting Display  | Top 15  |  |
Rhode Island | Ellen DiCenzo  | Providence |  | Vocal  |  |  |
South Carolina | Margaret Griffin  | Spartanburg |  | Classical Vocal  |  |  |
South Dakota | Roselyn Lea Anderson  | Saint Onge |  | Piano, "'O Sole Mio"  |  |  |
Tennessee | Georgia Cunningham  |  |  | Tap Dance  | Top 15  |  |
Texas | Luna McClain  | Lufkin |  | Vocal, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" & "Cowboy Boogie"  |  | Miss Congeniality  |
Utah | Donna Southwck  | Cedar City |  | Drama, Piano, Vocal, & Dance  |  |  |
Vermont | Barbara Campbell  | Montpelier |  | Vocal, "Blue Skies"  |  |  |
Virginia | Ruth Ellen Mears  | Cape Charles |  | Speech  |  |  |
West Virginia | Joan Elizabeth Estep  | Wheeling |  | Piano, "Rhapsody in Blue"  | Top 15  |  |
Wisconsin | Gladys Elaine Berkley  | Baraboo | 19  | Monologue  |  |  | Gladys Elaine Berkley Stracy died of a brief illness in Madison, Wisconsin at age 38 on September 10, 1965.
Wyoming | Dorothy McKay  | Cheyenne |  | Painting Exhibition  | Top 15  |  |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ United Press (1947-09-08). "New Miss America Planning Return To College". Toledo Blade. p. 3.
2. ^ "1947 Barbara Walker". Archived from the original on 2010-09-30. Retrieved 2010-08-21.
3. ^ Associated Press (1947-09-08). "Miss Canada Nearly Miss America Wins Third Place At Atlantic City". Montreal Gazette. p. 1.
4. ^ Nichols, Dudley (Jul–Sep 1947). Boxoffice. Kansas City Associated Publications: 817. `{{cite journal}}`: Missing or empty `|title=` (help)

### Secondary sources

[edit]

* Saulino Osborne, Angela (1995). "Miss Americas and their Courts". Miss America The Dream Lives On. Taylor Publishing Company. ISBN 0-87833-110-7.

## External links

[edit]

* Miss America official website

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