Miss America 1955

Date| September 11, 1954
Presenters| Bob Russell
Venue| Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Broadcaster| ABC
Entrants| 50
Placements| 10
Winner| Lee Ann Meriwether
California

<- 1954

1956 ->

Miss America 1955, the 28th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 11, 1954, and marked the first live nationally televised broadcast of the competition on ABC.[1][2]

Crowned the winner was Lee Meriwether, who later came to fame as co-star of the television series Barnaby Jones and as the character Catwoman in the 1966 film version of Batman, and later, Lily Munster on the television series The Munsters Today.

## Results[edit]

Final results  | Contestant

|

Miss America 1955 |

* California \- Lee Ann Meriwether

1st runner-up |

* Florida \- Ann Gloria Daniel

2nd runner-up |

* South Carolina \- Polly Rankin Suber

3rd runner-up |

* Pennsylvania \- Barbara Sue Nager

4th runner-up |

* Michigan \- Janice Hutton Somers

Top 10 |

* Alabama \- Marilyn Jean Tate
* Chicago \- Regina Janine Dombeck
* District of Columbia \- Linda Maud Weisbrod
* Ohio \- Barbara Maxine Quinlan
* Tennessee \- Gerry Johnson

### Awards[edit]

#### Preliminary awards[edit]

Awards  | Contestant

|

Lifestyle and Fitness |

* California \- Lee Ann Meriwether
* Florida \- Ann Gloria Daniel
* South Carolina \- Polly Rankin Suber

Talent |

* District of Columbia \- Linda Maud Weisbrod
* Ohio \- Barbara Maxine Quinlan
* Michigan \- Janice Hutton Somers (tie)
* New York City \- Heather Taferner (tie)

### Other awards[edit]

Awards  | Contestant

|

Miss Congeniality |

* Illinois \- Patsy Bruce

Non-finalist Talent |

* Hawaii \- Gertrude Kapi'olani Miller

## Judges[edit]

* Grace Kelly

## Contestants[edit]

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

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Alabama | Marilyn Tate  | Haleyville | 21  | Ventriloquism/Classical Vocal  | Top 10  |  |
Arizona | Marjorie Nylund  | Phoenix |  | Dramatic Reading, "A Marine's Conversation"  |  |  |
Arkansas | Sarah Martin  | Little Rock |  | Classical Vocal  |  |  |
California | Lee Merriwether | San Francisco | 19  | Dramatic Monologue from Riders to the Sea | Winner | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award  | Actress best known as Betty Jones in the 1970's TV series Barnaby Jones
Canada | Barbara Joan Markham  | Cornwall |  |  |  |  |
Chicago | Regina Dombeck  | Chicago |  | Dramatic Monologue from Mary of Scotland by Maxwell Anderson | Top 10  |  |
Colorado | Barbara Busey  | Denver |  | Vocal/Dance  |  |  |
Connecticut | Dorothy Hopkins  | Storrs |  | Piano  |  |  |
Delaware | Barbara Woodall  | Claymont |  | Piano  |  |  |
District of Columbia | Linda Weisbrod  | Washington, D.C. | 21  | Classical Vocal, "O Mio Fernando" from La favorite | Top 10  | Preliminary Talent Award  |
Florida | Ann Gloria Daniel | Dade City | 18  | Accordion, "Lady of Spain"  | 1st runner-up  | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award  |
Georgia | Mary Jane Doar  | Macon | 19  | Vocal Medley of songs by George Gershwin |  |  |
Hawaii | Gertrude Kapi'olani Miller  | Honolulu |  | Hula  |  | Non-finalist Talent Award  |
Idaho | LaVonne Skalsky  | Nampa |  | Dramatic Monologue, "Children of God"  |  |  |
Illinois | Patsy Bruce  | Carbondale |  | Dramatic Reading  |  | Miss Congeniality  |
Indiana | Sue Eaton  | Monticello |  | Art/Photo Display & Hula  |  |  |
Iowa | Carol Morris | Ottumwa | 18  | Violin  |  |  | Later Miss Iowa USA 1956, Miss USA 1956, & Miss Universe 1956
Kansas | Phyllis Danielson  | Wichita |  | Vocal  |  |  |
Kentucky | Margaret Diane Hunt  | Lexington |  | Dance  |  |  |
Louisiana | Gail Gleason  | Shreveport |  | Piano & Art  |  |  |
Maine | Mary Ellen St. John  | Old Town |  | Drama  |  |  |
Maryland | Phyllis Yvonne Leftwich  | Dundalk |  | Vocal  |  |  |
Massachusetts | Judith Drake  | Fairhaven |  |  |  |  |
Michigan | Janice Hutton Somers  | Lansing |  | Vocal, "You Made Me Love You"  | 4th runner-up  | Preliminary Talent Award  |
Minnesota | Jeanne Reince  | Winona |  | Classical Vocal  |  |  |
Mississippi | Celeste Luckett  | Clarksdale |  | Drama  |  |  |
Missouri | Carole Wilkinson  | Maplewood |  | Vocal  |  |  |
Nebraska | Sue Welch Fisher  | Kearney |  | Classical Vocal, "Un bel dì vedremo" from Madama Butterfly |  |  |
Nevada | Janice Babcock  | Reno |  | Ballet, "Blues"  |  |  |
New Hampshire | Mae Allen  | Epping |  | Drama  |  |  |
New Jersey | Joan Waller  | West Orange |  | Vocal/Dance, "Singin' in the Rain"  |  |  |
New York City | Heather Taferner  | New York City |  | Classical Vocal, "L'Air des clochettes" from Lakmé |  | Preliminary Talent Award  |
North Carolina | Betty Ring  | Lexington |  | Dramatic Monologue, "The Sleepwalking Scene" from Macbeth |  |  |
North Dakota | Delores Paulson  | Bismarck |  | Violin, "Méditation" from Thaïs |  |  |
Ohio | Barbara Quinlin  | Alliance |  | Classical Vocal, "Habanera"  | Top 10  | Preliminary Talent Award  |
Oklahoma | Charlavan Baker  | Oklahoma City |  | Dress Design  |  |  |
Oregon | Diane Carman  | Milwaukie |  | Drama, "This is America"  |  |  |
Pennsylvania | Barbara Sue Nager  | Philadelphia |  | Egyptian Ballet Dance, "Egyptian Suite"  | 3rd runner-up  |  |
Puerto Rico | María del Carmen Mejías  |  |  |  |  |  |
Rhode Island | Virginia Gregory  | Pawtucket |  | Speech  |  |  |
South Carolina | Polly Suber  | Greenville |  | Monologue, "Air Corps"  | 2nd runner-up  | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award  |
South Dakota | Cleo Ann Harrington  | Colman |  | Classical Vocal  |  |  |
Tennessee | Gerry Johnson  | Nashville |  | Vocal/Character Pantomime, "The Deadwood Stage"  | Top 10  |  |
Texas | Yvonne Erwin  | Dallas |  | Piano & Art  |  |  |
Utah | Maurine Parker  | Ogden |  | Drama, "Anne of the Thousand Days"  |  |  |
Vermont | Annabelle Pinkham  | Brattleboro |  | Drama  |  |  |
Virginia | Julie Ann Bruening  | Swoope |  | Charcoal Sketch of "The Statue of Liberty"  |  |  |
Washington | Frances Graham  | Spokane |  | Vocal  |  |  |
West Virginia | Miriam Reep  | Clarksburg |  | Dance  |  |  |
Wisconsin | Dixie Sarchet  | Stevens Point | 19  | Modern Dance, "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue"  |  |  |

## References[edit]

1. ^ Associated Press and United Press (1954-09-12). "'I Hope My Daddy Knows'". Ogden Standard-Examiner. p. 1.
2. ^ United Press (1954-09-13). "Bay City Plans Welcome For Miss America". Bakersfield Californian. p. 1, 2.

## External links[edit]

* Miss America official website

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