Miss USA 1981 was the 30th Miss USA pageant, held at the Gulf Coast Convention Center in Biloxi, Mississippi on May 21, 1981.
At the end of the event, Jineane Ford of Arizona crowned Kim Seelbrede of Ohio as Miss USA 1981.[1] It is the second victory of Ohio in the pageant's history. Seelbrede later competed at Miss Universe and was named one of the twelve semi-finalists.
This year also marked the first year since 1957 that a runner-up of Miss USA was sent to Miss World. Holli Dennis, the first runner-up from Indiana, was supposed to compete at Miss World, but chose to marry instead. Due to this, Lisa Moss, the second runner-up from Louisiana, was appointed as the representative of the United States to Miss World. Moss later competed at Miss World and was named one of the seven finalists.
Contestants from forty-nine states and the District of Columbia competed in the pageant. The competition was hosted by Bob Barker.
Results
Placements
| Placement | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss USA 1981 | |
| 1st runner-up | |
| 2nd runner-up | |
| 3rd runner-up |
|
| 4th runner-up | |
| Top 12 |
Pageant
Format
Same with 1971, twelve semi-finalists were chosen through the preliminary competition— composed of the swimsuit and evening gown competitions and closed-door interviews. The twelve semi-finalists competed in the evening gown and swimsuit competitions and were narrowed down to five afterward. The five finalists competed in the question and answer round and the final look.[2]
Selection committee
Final telecast
- Cindy Adams – American gossip columnist and writer[2]
- Joey Adams – American comedian and author[2]
- John Mack Carter – American women's magazine editor[2]
- Dwight Clark – American professional football player[2]
- Wesley Eure – American singer, actor, and producer[2]
- Jim Fowler – American zoologist and host of television show Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom[2]
- Mary Therese Friel – Miss USA 1979 from New York[2]
- Gary Graffman – American pianist[2]
- Patrice Munsel – American opera singer[2]
- Freda Payne – American singer and actress[2]
- Phil Roura – Editor at the New York Daily News[2]
Contestants
Fifty contestants competed for the title.[3][4]
| State | Contestant | Age[a] | Hometown | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | JoAnne Henderson[5] | 21 | Tuscaloosa | |
| Alaska | Shelly Brunaugh[3] | 18 | Fairbanks | |
| Arizona | Cassie Hill[6] | 23 | Phoenix | |
| Arkansas | Lynnanne Derryberry[7] | 18 | Jerusalem | |
| California | Cynthia Kerby[8] | 18 | Westlake Village | |
| Colorado | Shannon Davidson[3] | 19 | Boulder | |
| Connecticut | Kelly Thompson[4] | 20 | Monroe | |
| Delaware | Natalie Diane Ramsey[9] | 21 | Wilmington | |
| District of Columbia | Belinda Johnson[4] | 23 | Martinsville, Virginia | |
| Florida | Valerie Lundeen[4] | 24 | Miami | Married to "Tarzan" actor Ron Ely, murdered by their son Cameron Ely at their Southern California home on October 15, 2019 |
| Georgia | Lisa Joyce Condrey[10] | 20 | Decatur | |
| Hawaii | Teri Ann Linn[11] | 20 | Honolulu | Later became an actress, starred in The Bold and the Beautiful |
| Idaho | Lori Ditch[3] | 21 | Boise | |
| Illinois | Leslie K. Renfrow[12] | 21 | Chicago | |
| Indiana | Holli Rene Dennis[3] | 21 | Fort Wayne | Initially appointed as Miss World USA but chose to marry instead |
| Iowa | Jennifer Lynn Wimpey[13] | 19 | Coralville | |
| Kansas | Missy Kaser[14] | 18 | Wichita | |
| Kentucky | Denise Gibbs[15] | 20 | Kevil | |
| Louisiana | Lisa Lynn Moss[16] | 23 | Shreveport | Later Miss World USA 1981 Finalist at Miss World 1981 |
| Maine | Judy Lynn Footer[17] | 24 | Bath | |
| Maryland | Linda Lambert[4] | 22 | Baltimore | |
| Massachusetts | Jo Ann Savery[18] | 22 | Bridgewater | |
| Michigan | Karen Eidson[4] | 21 | Hazel Park | |
| Minnesota | Polly Peterson[19] | 22 | Edina | Sister of Miss USA 1976 Barbara Peterson[19] |
| Mississippi | Angela Ashmore[20] | 20 | Muscle Shoals, Alabama | |
| Missouri | Karyn Marie Smagacz[3] | 19 | Fulton | |
| Montana | Cathi Jo Locati[21] | 19 | Billings | |
| Nebraska | La Donna Hill[22] | 21 | Seward | |
| Nevada | Mary Lebsock[3] | 23 | Las Vegas | |
| New Hampshire | Cynthia Lee Graves[3] | 21 | North Conway | |
| New Jersey | Christy Garthwaite[3] | 19 | Tuckerton | |
| New Mexico | Lise Gabrielle Dominique Thevenet[23] | 23 | Las Cruces | |
| New York | Deborah Ann Fountain[4] | 25 | Bronx | Previously Miss North Carolina World 1979 Finalist at Miss World America 1979 Disqualified after wearing a padded bra in the swimsuit competition[24] |
| North Carolina | Lisa Colleen Swift[4] | 22 | Southport | |
| North Dakota | Laurie Saarinen[25] | 20 | Jamestown | Later Miss Minnesota 1982 |
| Ohio | Kimberly Seelbrede[4] | 20 | Germantown | Semi-finalist at Miss Universe 1981 |
| Oklahoma | Stacey Loach[4] | 17 | Oklahoma City | |
| Oregon | Dawn Michele Lewis[4] | 22 | Portland | |
| Pennsylvania | Nena Stone[3] | 21 | Bethel Park | |
| Rhode Island | Patti Reo[3] | 20 | Cranston | |
| South Carolina | Zade Denise Turner[26] | 21 | Myrtle Beach | |
| South Dakota | Joan Abbott[27] | 19 | Irene | |
| Tennessee | Sharon Kay Steakley[3] | 24 | Winchester | Mother of Alexandra Harper, Miss Tennessee USA 2018 |
| Texas | Diana Durnford[28] | 22 | El Paso | |
| Utah | Tonya Anderson[4] | 20 | Orem | |
| Vermont | Jeannette Wulff[4] | 21 | Middlesex | |
| Virginia | Pam Hutchens[29] | 22 | Newport News | General District Court Judge in Virginia Beach, Virginia |
| Washington | Leila Wagner[30] | 20 | Seattle | |
| West Virginia | Kelly Carr[4] | 19 | Scherr | |
| Wisconsin | Dawn Marie Spreeman[31] | 18 | Kaukauna | |
| Wyoming | Deborah Aspinwall[4] | 23 | Riverton |
Notes
- ^ Ages at the time of the pageant.
References
- ^ "Miss Ohio now Miss USA". The Daily News-Journal. May 22, 1981. p. 5. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ Reynolds, Harold (May 17, 1981). "Tonight's the best chance to see all 51 contestants". The Sun. p. 28. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "The contestants". The Sun. May 16, 1981. pp. 36–37. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "The contestants". The Sun. May 16, 1981. pp. 36–37. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Miss Alabama-U.S.A.". Alabama Journal. March 3, 1981. p. 16. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ Rose, Peter (March 15, 1981). "Miss Arizona-U.S.A. title captured by Cassie Hill". Arizona Republic. p. 21. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ Reynolds, Harold (May 17, 1981). "Double the pleasure". The Sun. p. 28. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ Coulter, Tom (January 16, 1981). "Miss Port runner-up in state contest". News-Pilot. pp. 1; A13. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Former state resident in Miss USA pageant". Johnson City Press. May 20, 1981. p. 3. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Miss Georgia USA 1981". The Atlanta Constitution. March 2, 1981. p. 28. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Winner". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. March 2, 1981. p. 3. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ Leonard, Sue (March 9, 1981). "Chicagoan is Miss Illinois". The Times. p. 1. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ Riccelli, Christine (May 20, 1981). "Iowa City girl competing for Miss U.S.A. title". Iowa City Press-Citizen. p. 1. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Two beauties". Hattiesburg American. May 15, 1981. p. 3. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "She's the one". The Paducah Sun. January 11, 1981. p. 1. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ Durrett, Craig (May 26, 1981). "Looks, brains: together 'it's dynamite'". The Times. p. 12. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Bath woman is named to USA beauty pageant". The Bangor Daily News. February 3, 1981. p. 14. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Adopted". The Sun. May 24, 1981. p. 40. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Profile/Polly Peterson". The Minneapolis Star. March 19, 1981. p. 15. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "MSU coed wins pageant". Clarion-Ledger. March 1, 1981. p. 14. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "MSU student is Miss Montana USA". The Independent-Record. March 1, 1981. p. 7. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ Reynolds, Harold (May 24, 1981). "Airborne Nebraska beauty lives her fantasy". The Sun. p. 40. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ Phelps, Shari (January 12, 1981). "Tonia Moya quits state pageant". The Albuquerque Tribune. p. 2. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Officials expel Miss New York from pageant". Johnson City Press. May 20, 1981. p. 3. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "N.D. pageant winner told". The Bismarck Tribune. February 28, 1981. p. 6. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Miss S.C.-U.S.A. likes ballet dancer Baryshnikov". The Columbia Record. February 16, 1981. p. 38. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Crowned". Argus-Leader. January 18, 1981. p. 36. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "El Paso lass claims Miss Texas USA title". The Paris News. August 19, 1980.
- ^ Reynolds, Harold (May 19, 1981). "Pageants past highlight outfit of Miss Virginia". The Sun. p. 12. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ Kirkland, Cliff (May 14, 1981). "Funny, she sure doesn't look like a professional bowler". The Sun. p. 27. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Kaukauna girl wins title". The Post-Crescent. February 2, 1981. p. 17. Retrieved October 31, 2023. – via Newspapers.com