Miss America 1953, the 26th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 6, 1952.[1]
Neva Jane Langley became the first Miss Georgia to win the crown.
Results
Placements
| Placement | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss America 1953 | |
| 1st Runner-Up |
|
| 2nd Runner-Up |
|
| 3rd Runner-Up |
|
| 4th Runner-Up |
|
| Top 10 |
|
Awards
Preliminary awards
| Awards | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Lifestyle and Fitness |
|
| Talent |
|
Other awards
| Awards | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss Congeniality |
|
| Non-finalist Talent |
|
Contestants
| State | Name | Hometown | Age | Talent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Gwen Harmon | Birmingham | 19 | Vocal, "A Heart That's Free" | |
| Arkansas | Bonnie Nicksic | Hot Springs | Vocal/Dance, "Life Upon the Wicked Stage" from Show Boat | ||
| California | Jeanne Shores | Azusa | Dramatic Monologue | ||
| Canada | Marilyn "Thelma" Delores Reddick | Agincourt | |||
| Chicago | Jo Hoppe | Chicago | Tap Dance | ||
| Colorado | Chardelle Hayward | Fort Collins | Piano | ||
| Connecticut | Joyce Yeske | West Hartford | Ballroom Dance | ||
| Delaware | Helen Blackwell | Wilmington | Classical Vocal | ||
| District of Columbia | Iris Fitch | Washington D.C. | 19 | Vocal, "With a Song in my Heart" | |
| Florida | Marcia Crane | Orlando | Piano, "Gershwin Prelude" | ||
| Georgia | Neva Jane Langley | Macon | 19 | Classical Piano, "Toccata" | |
| Greater Philadelphia | Patricia Hunt | Philadelphia | Drama | ||
| Hawaii | Beverly Kathleen Rivera | Honolulu | Hula | ||
| Idaho | ZoeAnn Warberg | Twin Falls | 18 | Speech, "The Sacred Duty of the American to Vote" | First female judge in Idaho's 5th Judicial District and appeared on the 1985 Miss America telecast. ZoeAnn Warberg Shaub died at 83 on Sept. 13, 2017 as result of a car accident in rural Jackpot, Nevada. |
| Illinois | Glenna Marie Pohly | Rock Falls | Flute | ||
| Indiana | Ann Garnier | Indianapolis | Classical Vocal, "Il Baciò" by Luigi Arditi | ||
| Iowa | Carolyn Hill | Cedar Falls | 19 | Vocal, "You're My Everything" | |
| Kansas | Kay Ann Goforth | McPherson | Vocal/Dance | ||
| Kentucky | Joy Williams | Lexington | Dance | ||
| Louisiana | Barbara Barker | Monroe | Drama, "The Fog" | ||
| Maine | Norma Lee Collins | Caribou | |||
| Maryland | Shirley Virginia Harrison | Baltimore | Monologue from Tom Sawyer | ||
| Massachusetts | Barbara Graves | Milton | |||
| Michigan | Karol Dragomir | Benton Harbor | Vocal, "I'll Walk Alone" | ||
| Minnesota | Carole Wick | Duluth | Vocal | ||
| Mississippi | Dora Livingston | Yazoo City | |||
| Missouri | Florence Spack | Clayton | Vocal | ||
| Montana | Karen Whittet | Livingston | Piano | ||
| Nebraska | Helen Francis Burhorn | Omaha | Piano, Warsaw Concerto | ||
| Nevada | Bonnie Wilson | Reno | Ballet, "Something to Dance About" | ||
| New Hampshire | Barbara Temperly | Goffstown | |||
| New Jersey | Mary Parker | Gibbsboro | Drama | ||
| New York | Joan St. John | Binghamton | Vocal | ||
| New York City | Joan Kayne | New York City | Dance | ||
| North Carolina | Barbara Harris | Salisbury | Classical Vocal, "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" | ||
| North Dakota | Margaret Aandahl | Litchville | Piano | ||
| Ohio | Carol Koontz | Bolivar | Fire Baton Twirling & Clarinet | ||
| Oklahoma | Shirley Barbour | Tulsa | Drama | ||
| Oregon | Mary Lou Teague | Eugene | Vocal, "Love is Where You Find it" | ||
| Pennsylvania | Miriam Smith | McAlisterville | Pipe Organ, "Tico Tico" | ||
| Puerto Rico | Helga Edmee Monroig | ||||
| Rhode Island | Jayne Bradshaw | Westerly | Classical Vocal | ||
| South Carolina | Mary Griffin | Florence | Classical Vocal | 1st Runner-up at Miss USA 1953 representing Myrtle Beach 5th Runner-up at Miss World 1953 representing the United States | |
| South Dakota | Sandra Hart | Huron | Fire Baton Twirling | ||
| Tennessee | Gloria Williams | Chattanooga | Vocal, "Lover, When You're Near Me" | ||
| Texas | Connie Hopping | Littlefield | Vocal | ||
| Utah | Marylyn Reese | Brigham | Monologue, "The Mudlark" & "Our Town" | ||
| Vermont | Barbara Moore | St. Johnsbury | Baton Twirling/Dance | ||
| Virginia | Edna Long | Richmond | Dance | ||
| West Virginia | Nancy Rohrbough | Grafton | Dance | ||
| Wisconsin | Jeannie Eleanor Huston | La Crosse | 19 | Cello | |
| Wyoming | Ruth Francis | Casper | Drama |
References
- ^ "Gorgeous Georgia Girl Starts Tour As Miss America". Ellensburg Daily Record. 1952-09-08. p. 5.