Miss Alabama
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- For the state pageant affiliated with Miss USA, see Miss Alabama USA
The Miss Alabama competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the U.S. state of Alabama in the Miss America pageant.
Miss Alabama's have performed strongly at the Miss America pageant, particularly in the early twenty-first century, when the state produced only their third Miss America, a first runner-up, third runner-up and two semi-finalists.
Alabama has won three Miss America titles: Deidre Downs in 2005, Heather Whitestone in 1994 and Yolande Betbeze in 1951. Betbeze is well known as the Miss America who refused to pose in a swimsuit, causing swimsuit sponsors Catalina to pull out and start the Miss USA pageant. Another notable Miss Alabama is Heather Whitestone, the first deaf woman to win the Miss America crown.
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[edit] Local pageants
As with many other Miss America state pageants, delegates first must qualify by winning a local pageant. Local titles that have produced more than one Miss Alabama are:
- Miss Homewood Area - Catherine Crosby (2003), Kelly Jones (2001)
- Miss Samford University - Melinda Toole (2006), Jana Sanderson (2000), Alison McCreary (1996), Amie Beth Dickinson* (1994)
- Miss Cullman Area - Ashley Halfman (1998), Heather Whitestone (1994}
[edit] Winners
| Year | Name | Hometown | Local Title | Placement at Miss America | Special scholarships at Miss America | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Amanda Tapley | Birmingham | Miss Samford University | |||
| 2007 | Jamie Langley | Wadley | Miss Painted Rock | |||
| 2006 | Melinda Toole[1] | Birmingham | Miss Samford University | 4th runner-up at Miss America 2007 | Quality of Life 1st runner-up | Miss Congeniality |
| 2005 | Alexa Jones[2] | Andalusia | Miss Mobile | 2nd runner-up at Miss America 2006 | Quality of Life 2nd runner-up | |
| 2004 | Shannon Camper*[3] | Gadsden | Miss West Central Alabama | |||
| Deidre Downs[4] | Birmingham | Miss Leeds Area | Winner of Miss America 2005[5] | Quality of Life Award | ||
| 2003 | Catherine Crosby[6] | Brewton | Miss Homewood Area | Quality of Life award; Active International For Business & Marketing | ||
| 2002 | Scarlotte Deupree[7] | Birmingham | Miss Camellia | 1st runner-up | 1st runner-up Quality of Life award | |
| 2001 | Kelly Jones[8] | Birmingham | Miss Homewood Area | |||
| 2000 | Jana Sanderson[9] | Gadsden | Miss Samford University | Semi-finalist | ||
| 1999 | Julie Smith[10] | Birmingham | Miss Chattahoochee Valley | Semi-finalist | She and her younger twin sisters Jill and Jennifer competed in the Miss Alabama 1997 pageant, the first time three sisters had competed in the same year.[11] | |
| 1998 | Ashley Halfman[12] | Birmingham | Miss Cullman Area | Former Alabama's Junior Miss 1993[13] | ||
| 1997 | Beth Stomps [14] | Mobile | Miss Alabama Music Hall of Fame | |||
| 1996 | Alison McCreary | Florence | Miss Samford University | 3rd runner-up | Quality of Life award | |
| 1995 | Leigh Sherer | Jasper | Miss Walker County | Semi-finalist | ||
| 1994 | Amie Beth Dickinson* | Miss Samford University | ||||
| Heather Whitestone | Birmingham | Miss Cullman Area | Winner Miss America 1995[15] | Preliminary swimsuit award; Preliminary Talent Award | First deaf Miss Alabama and Miss America[16] | |
| 1993 | Kalyn Chapman | Mobile | Miss Leeds Area | Semi-finalist | First African-American woman to become Miss Alabama[17] | |
| 1992 | Kim Wimmer | Mobile | Miss Point Mallard | Quality of Life Award Winner | Former Alabama's Junior Miss 1989 | |
| 1991 | Wendy Neuendorf | Birmingham | Miss Auburn University | Former Miss Georgia Teen USA 1986[18] | ||
| 1990 | Resha Riggins | Trussville | Miss Alabama Music Hall of Fame | Nonfinalist Interview Award | ||
| 1989 | Julie Coons | Birmingham | ||||
| 1988 | Jenny Jackson | Auburn | Miss Auburn University | 4th runner-up | ||
| 1987 | Kym Williams | Birmingham | Miss All-American Bowl | |||
| Julie Hitt | Resigned because she felt she would not be able to fulfill the responsibilities of the title and wanted to get on with her life and career.[19] | |||||
| 1986 | Angela Callahan | Birmingham | Miss All-American Bowl | semi-finalist | ||
| 1985 | Angela Tower | Birmingham | Miss Jefferson County | 4th runner-up | Preliminary Swimsuit Award | Toured with 1986 Miss America Gillette Show Troupe |
| 1984 | Tammy Little | Section | Miss Hoover Area | Nonfinalist Talent Award | ||
| 1983 | Pam Battles | Muscle Shoals | Miss Dixie | 2nd runner-up | ||
| 1982 | Yolanda Fernandez | Troy | Miss Troy State University | 3rd runner-up | Former Florida's Junior Miss 1980; reporter for WFLA Channel 8[20] | |
| 1981 | Phoebe Stone | Huntsville | Miss Eastwood | Toured with Miss America USO Troupe | ||
| 1980 | Paige Phillips | Leeds | Miss Leeds Area | 1st runner-up | Preliminary Talent Award | Toured with Miss America USO Troupe |
| 1979 | Kathy Pickett | Mulga | Toured with Miss America USO Troupe | |||
| 1978 | Teresa Cheatham | Wellington | Miss Point Mallard | 1st runner-up | Preliminary Swimsuit Award; Preliminary Talent Award | Toured with Miss America USO Troupe |
| 1977 | Julie Houston | Heflin | Miss Oak Mountain | |||
| 1976 | Denise Davis | Russellville | Toured with Miss America USO Troupe | |||
| 1975 | Susie Vaughn | Florence | Miss University of North Alabama | |||
| 1974 | Pam Long | Florence | Miss Florence State University | Screenwriter of soap opera Guiding Light | ||
| 1973 | Jane Rice | Huntsville | Miss Jacksonville State University | |||
| 1972 | Freita Fuller | Opelika | ||||
| 1971 | Ceil Jenkins | Birmingham | ||||
| 1970 | Suzanne Dennie | Birmingham | Preliminary Talent Award | |||
| 1969 | Ann Fowler | Birmingham | Former Alabama's Junior Miss 1966; Toured with Miss America USO Troupe | |||
| 1968 | Dellynne Catching | Birmingham | Semi-finalist | Preliminary Swimsuit Award | ||
| 1967 | Becky Alford | Birmingham | ||||
| 1966 | Angie Grooms | Birmingham | Semi-finalist | Toured with Miss America USO Troupe | ||
| 1965 | Linda Folsom | New Brockton | Semi-finalist | Preliminary Talent Award | ||
| 1964 | Vickie Powers | Mobile | Semi-finalist | Preliminary Talent Award | Featured Performer on the 1965 Miss America telecast | |
| 1963 | Judy Short | Birmingham | Semifinalist | Preliminary Swimsuit Award; Preliminary Talent Award | Former Alabama's Junior Miss 1962 | |
| 1962 | Patricia Bonner | Camden | Nonfinalist Talent Award | |||
| 1961 | Delores Hodgens | Bessemer | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1960 | Teresa Rinaldi | Birmingham | Semi-finalist | Preliminary Talent Award | ||
| 1959 | Betty Lindstrom | Birmingham | Nonfinalist Talent Award | |||
| 1958 | Lee Thornberry | Birmingham | Semi-finalist | Preliminary Talent Award | ||
| 1957 | Anna Stange | Birmingham | Nonfinalist Talent Award | |||
| 1956 | Anne Stuart Arial | Birmingham | 2nd runner-up | Preliminary Talent Award | ||
| 1955 | Patricia Huddleston | Clanton | Semi-finalist | Preliminary Talent Award | ||
| 1954 | Marilyn Tate | Haleyville | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1953 | Virginia McDavid | Birmingham | 3rd runner-up | |||
| 1952 | Gwen Harmon | Birmingham | 3rd runner-up | Preliminary Swimsuit | ||
| 1951 | Jeanne Moody | Cherokee | Preliminary Talent Award | |||
| 1950 | Yolande Betbeze | Mobile | Winner | Preliminary Swimsuit | Betbeze's refusal to pose in a swimsuit lead to the pull-out of swimsuit sponsors Catalina and the creation of the Miss USA pageant | |
| 1949 | Freida Roser | Birmingham | ||||
| 1948 | Martha Ann Ingram | Tarrant City | 2nd runner-up | |||
| 1947 | Peggy Elder | Gadsden | 3rd runner-up | Preliminary Swimsuit | ||
| 1946 | Emma Dale Nunnally | Gadsden | Preliminary Talent | |||
| 1945 | Frances Dorn | Birmingham | 2nd runner-up | Preliminary Talent | ||
| 1944 | Betty Jane Rase | Birmingham | 4th runner-up | |||
| 1943 | Toula Hagestratou | Birmingham | Miss Congeniality | |||
| 1942 | Marie Duncan | Birmingham | Semi-finalist | Preliminary Swimsuit | ||
| 1941 | Virginia McGraw | Birmingham | Semi-finalist | Preliminary Swimsuit | ||
| 1940 | Evelyn Motlow | Birmingham | ||||
| 1939 | Florine Holt | Birmingham | Semi-Finalist | |||
| 1938 | Mildred Oxford | Birmingham | Semi-Finalist | |||
| 1937 | Almeda Ingram Starkey | Montgomery | ||||
| 1936 | Tommy Marie Peck | Semi-Finalist | ||||
| 1935 | Adelynn Owen | Birmingham |
* Succeeded to the crown after Miss Alabama won Miss America
[edit] References
- ^ "Melinda Toole crowned Miss Alabama", Associated Press, 2006-06-11.
- ^ "Andalusia's Alexa Jones crowned Miss Alabama 2005", Associated Press, 2005-06-12.
- ^ "On seventh try, UA student from Gadsden becomes Miss Alabama", Associated Press, 2004-09-23.
- ^ "Birmingham's Deidre Downs crowned Miss Alabama 2004", Associated Press, 2004-06-13.
- ^ Curran, John. "Miss Alabama Deidre Downs wins Miss America beauty pageant", Associated Press, 2004-09-18.
- ^ "Brewton native named Miss Alabama", Associated Press, 2003-06-14.
- ^ "Birmingham's Scarlotte Deupree named Miss Alabama", Associated Press, 2002-06-02.
- ^ "UA's Kelly Jones new Miss Alabama", Associated Press, 2001-06-17.
- ^ "New Miss Alabama crowned in Birmingham", Associated Press, 2000-06-17.
- ^ "Miss Chattahoochee Valley wins two preliminaries heading into finals", Associated Press, 1999-06-19.
- ^ "Three sisters vying for title of Miss Alabama", Associated Press, 1997-06-09.
- ^ "Miss Cullman Area crowned Miss Alabama 1998", Associated Press, 1998-06-20.
- ^ "Former Alabama Jr. Miss wins Miss Alabama crown on fourth try", Associated Press, 1998-06-22.
- ^ "Mobile woman wins Miss Alabama crown", Associated Press, 1997-06-14.
- ^ "Deaf dancer from Ala. wins hearts, Miss America crown", The Commercial Appeal, 1994-09-18, p. A2.
- ^ "Deaf woman aims for pageant crown", The Cincinnati Post, 1994-09-06, p. 10A.
- ^ Associated Press. "Miss Alabama Is First Black", Tulsa World, 1993-07-06, p. A12.
- ^ Yardley, Jim. "BRAINS ON PARADE? Miss Alabama pageant trying to boost image", Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 1991-06-20, p. A/3.
- ^ Associated Press. "New Miss Alabama yields title, crown to student from Slidell", The Baton Rouge State Times, 1987-06-15, p. 18-C.
- ^ Holsten, Christine. "Anchorwomen hope to come of age", St. Petersburg Times, 1993-01-13, p. 5B.
[edit] External links
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| Miss America Miss Alabama |
Miss USA Miss Alabama USA |
Miss Teen USA Miss Alabama Teen USA |
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