Miss America 1973

Date| September 9, 1972
Presenters| Bert Parks[1]
Venue| Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Broadcaster| NBC
Winner| Terry Meeuwsen
Wisconsin

<- 1972

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.

## Results[edit]

### Placements[edit]

Placement  | Contestant

|

Miss America 1973 |

* Wisconsin – Terry Meeuwsen

1st Runner-Up  |

* North Carolina – Constance Anne Dorn[1]

2nd Runner-Up  |

* Pennsylvania – Linda Kay Olsen[1]

3rd Runner-Up  |

* Texas – Mae Beth Cormany[1]

4th Runner-Up  |

* Indiana – Rebecca Sue Graham[1]

Top 10  |

* Delaware – Catherine Lawton
* Iowa – Renee Stuedemann
* Kansas – Cindy Lee Sikes
* Louisiana – Debby Robert
* Maryland – Kathleen Neff

### Order of announcements[edit]

### Top 10[edit]

1. Delaware
2. Texas
3. Pennsylvania
4. Kansas
5. Indiana
6. Louisiana
7. North Carolina
8. Maryland
9. Wisconsin
10. Iowa

|

### Awards[edit]

#### Preliminary awards[edit]

Awards  | Contestant

|

Lifestyle and Fitness |

* Indiana – Rebecca Sue Graham
* Kansas – Cindy Lee Sikes
* Wisconsin – Terry Meeuwsen

Talent |

* Delaware – Catherine Lawton
* Louisiana – Debby Robert
* Wisconsin – Terry Meeuwsen

#### Other awards[edit]

Awards  | Contestant

|

Non-finalist Talent |

* Arizona – Linda Gail Sirrine
* Maine – Marilyn E. Lash
* Massachusetts – Marie June Semas
* Michigan – Terri Ann Cousino
* Nevada – Helen Marie Bennett
* New Jersey – Linda Carol Gialanella
* Ohio – Karen Sue Sparka
* Oregon – Sandra Lynn Herring
* Utah – Sally Peterson

Miss Congeniality |

* Utah – Sally Peterson

## Judges[edit]

* Vivianne Della Chiesa
* Dr. Edward A. Shellhous
* Art Fleming
* Trudy Haynes
* Dr. Wellington B. Gray
* Eileen Farrell
* Robert F. Lewine
* Mary Healy
* Peter Lind Hayes

## Contestants[edit]

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

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

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 1975

2nd 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

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g Cremer, Nancy (10 Sep 1972). "Wisconsin Coed Wins Miss America Crown". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 1. Retrieved 18 October 2023.

## External links[edit]

* Miss America official website

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