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Miss America 1959

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Miss America 1959
Mary Ann Mobley, Miss America 1959
DateSeptember 6, 1958
PresentersBert Parks
VenueBoardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
BroadcasterCBS
Entrants52
Placements10
WinnerMary Ann Mobley
Mississippi
← 1958
1960 →

Miss America 1959, the 32nd Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 6, 1958 on CBS.[1]

Mary Ann Mobley, the first winner from Mississippi,[2] became an actress, featured in two Elvis Presley films and many television series.[3] Second runner-up Anita Bryant later gained fame as a singer, television spokesperson, and Christian activist against gay rights in the United States.[4][5]

Results

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Placements

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Placement Contestant
Miss America 1959
1st Runner-Up
2nd Runner-Up
3rd Runner-Up
4th Runner-Up
Top 10

Awards

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Preliminary awards

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Awards Contestant
Lifestyle and Fitness
Talent

Other awards

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Awards Contestant
Miss Congeniality
Non Finalist Classical/Semi Classical Vocalist Talent
Non Finalist Instrumental Talent
  • Idaho Idaho - Bonnie Leila Baird
Non Finalist Dancer
Non Finalist Popular Vocal Talent
Overall Non Finalist Talent

Contestants

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State Name Hometown Age Talent Placement Awards Notes
Alabama Alabama Lee Thornberry Birmingham 21 Vocal/Dance, "Honey Bun" from South Pacific Top 10 Preliminary Talent Award
Alaska Alaska Stuart Johnson Douglas City 19 Piano, "Alaska's Flag"
Arizona Arizona Donna Riggs Phoenix 20 Vocal/Dance, "Teacher's Pet" Unspecified Special Scholarship
Arkansas Arkansas Sally Miller Pine Bluff 19 Classical Vocal, "Caro Nome" from Rigoletto Top 10
California California Sandra Jennings Riverside 18 Piano, "Clair de Lune" 3rd runner-up Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
Canada Canada Danica d'Hondt Vancouver 19 Dramatic Reading
Chicago Chicago Audrey Deckmann Chicago 23 Dance Non-finalist Talent Award
Colorado Colorado Cynthia Cullen Boulder 20 Drama, "Queen on Being Sentenced to Death"
Connecticut Connecticut Billie June Turner New Canaan 20 Ballet en Pointe from Les Sylphides Top 10 Preliminary Talent Award
Delaware Delaware Nancy M. Williams Wilmington 19 Dance to musical selections from Gone with the Wind
Washington, D.C. District of Columbia Lee Berkow Washington, D.C. 19 Vocal, "Come Rain or Come Shine"
Florida Florida Dianne Tauscher Orlando 18 Ballet, "Canadian Sunset"
Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia Jeanette Ardell Marietta 19 Archery Demonstration
Hawaii Hawaii Georgietta Kahalelaukoa Parker Honolulu 18 Hula Dance
Idaho Idaho Bonnie Leila Baird Heyburn 18 Clarinet Non-finalist Talent Award
Illinois Illinois Anita Ruth Olson River Forest 20 Piano, "Rhapsody in G Minor" by Johannes Brahms
Indiana Indiana Anita Hursh Goshen 19 Piano, "Polonaise" by Frédéric Chopin Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
Iowa Iowa Joanne MacDonald Ames 20 Dramatic Recitation from The White Cliffs of Dover 1st runner-up
Kansas Kansas Sharon Whitacre Mission 18 Accordion, "3rd Movement of Concerto in A" by Pietro Deiro
Kentucky Kentucky Sandra Sue Smith Harlan 19 Pantomime/Dance, "Tweedle Dee"
Louisiana Louisiana Alberta Louise Futch Hammond 19 Fire Baton Twirling
Maine Maine Terry Suzanne Tripp Lewiston 18 Ballet
Maryland Maryland Mary Roberta Page Bethesda 18 Chalk Sketch
Massachusetts Massachusetts Patricia Nordling Lexington 20 Vocal/Piano, "Exactly Like You"
Michigan Michigan Patience Pierce Detroit 23 Drama, "Meet Christobel"
Minnesota Minnesota Diane Albers St. Paul 19 Piano, "Allegro de Concierto" by Enrique Granados
Mississippi Mississippi Mary Ann Mobley Brandon 21 Vocal Medley & Dance, "Un Bel Di" & "There'll be Some Changes Made"[2] Winner Preliminary Talent Award
Missouri Missouri Marjorie Critten Kansas City 19 Tap Dance, "Opus No. 1"
Nebraska Nebraska Sherry Johnson Omaha 18 Dramatic Monologue Non-finalist Talent Award
Nevada Nevada Judy Wadsworth Sparks 18 Dramatic Monologue from The Lark
New Hampshire New Hampshire Mary Morin Manchester 18 Pantomime Routine Non-finalist Talent Award
New Jersey New Jersey Marilyn Beryl Rockafellow New Monmouth 19 Ukulele and Vocal Accompaniment Non-finalist Talent Award
New Mexico New Mexico Lois Wilson Hobbs 19 Vocal
New York (state) New York Miriam Sanderson Rensselaer 20 French Vocal, "Serenade" by Sigmund Romberg
New York City New York City Bette June Piller New York City 19 Speech on Art
North Carolina North Carolina Betty Evans Greenville 18 Vocal, Piano, Skit, & Dance, "Wait 'til You See Her" 4th runner-up Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
North Dakota North Dakota Helen Korfhage Grand Forks 19 Classical Vocal, "If Thou Lov'st Me"
Ohio Ohio Margaret Putman Ada 19 Dramatic Sketch, "Student Nurse"
Oklahoma Oklahoma Anita Bryant Tulsa 18 Vocal, "When the Boys Talk About the Girls" 2nd runner-up Popular singing star
Oregon Oregon Mary Ellen Vinton McMinnville 18 Piano & Tap Dance, "I Won't Dance"
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Rosalie Samley Bethlehem 20 Ballet, "I Won't Dance"
Rhode Island Rhode Island Ann Willis Cranston 18 Recite Two Original Poems While Displaying Original Paintings Miss Congeniality
South Carolina South Carolina Gene Wilson Charleston 18 Vocal, "If I Loved You" Non-finalist Talent Award
South Dakota South Dakota Carolee Nelson Irene 20 Dramatic Reading
Tennessee Tennessee Patricia Eaves Cookeville 18 Dramatic Monologue, "Viola's Ring Scene" from Twelfth Night
Texas Texas Mary Nell Hendricks Arlington 22 Vocal, "Getting to Know You" Top 10
Utah Utah Janet Carolyn Secor Salt Lake City 21 Classical Ballet, "The Waltz" from The Sleeping Beauty Top 10
Vermont Vermont Sandra Sinclair South Burlington 18 Vocal & Dance, "Getting to Know You"
Virginia Virginia Barbara Guthrie Martinsville 19 Dramatic Reading
Washington (state) Washington Anne Henderson Spokane 19 Pantomime & Charleston Dance
West Virginia West Virginia Sandra Boyd Fairmont 21 Vocal, "Money Honey"
Wisconsin Wisconsin Kay Ross West Allis 24 Art Presentation with Vocal & Dance

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Mississippi Miss Wins Title of Miss America". The Brownsville Herald. UPI. 7 September 1958. p. 1. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "MISS AMERICA '59 IS MISSISSIPPI GIRL; She is First of Her State to Win Title -- Miss Iowa Is Chosen Runner-Up". New York Times. 7 September 1958. p. 73. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  3. ^ "Remembering Elvis' Co-star Mary Ann Mobley". www.graceland.com. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  4. ^ a b Gates, Anita (9 January 2025). "Anita Bryant, Whose Anti-Gay Politics Undid a Singing Career, Is Dead at 84". New York Times. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  5. ^ Eugenios, Jillian (14 April 2022). "How 1970s Christian crusader Anita Bryant helped spawn Florida's LGBTQ culture war". NBC News. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
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