Miss USA 1990 was the 39th Miss USA pageant, televised live from the Century II Convention Center in Wichita, Kansas on March 2, 1990. At the conclusion of the final competition, Carole Gist of Michigan was crowned by outgoing titleholder Gretchen Polhemus of Texas. Carole became the first African American winner ever and the first woman from Michigan to be crowned as Miss USA, ending the streak of "Texas Aces" from 1985., continued as
For the first time, each judge's score was displayed to the audience, adding transparency to the process.
A major format change in 1990 transformed the Miss USA competition for the next decade: the delegates faced an extra round of elimination on finals night: the top six judges' questions.
Instead of reducing the top twelve to the usual final five, the judges picked an intermediate top six. Those six finalists answered questions from the judges, and the field was then reduced to a final three, who faced the traditional final question, adding unpredictability to the competition after five Texan Miss USA winners from GuyRex Associates, which would lose its Miss Texas USA franchise the next year.
The pageant was hosted by Dick Clark for the second of five times, with color commentary by Leeza Gibbons and Laura Harring, Miss USA 1985.
This was the first time the pageant was held in Wichita, where it would be staged for the next three years.
Results
Placements
Final resultsContestant Miss USA 1990Michigan – Carole Gist 1st Runner-UpSouth Carolina – Gina Tolleson 2nd Runner-UpNew Jersey – Karin Hartz Top 6Alaska – Karin Meyer Georgia – Brenda Leithleiter Kentucky – Tiffany Tenfelde Top 12District of Columbia – Catherine Staples Illinois – Karla Myers Mississippi – Stephanie Teneyck Ohio – Melissa Proctor Tennessee – Charita Moses Texas – Stephanie Kuehne
Special awards Award Contestant Miss CongenialityMinnesota – Janet Tveita Miss PhotogenicMississippi – Stephanie Teneyck
Delegates The Miss USA 1990 delegates were:
Alabama – Natalie Moore Alaska – Karin Meyer Arizona – Leslie Leonard Arkansas – Kathryn Grace Harris California - Cynthia Nelson Colorado – Michelle Harrison Connecticut – Allison Dawn Barbeau-Diorio Delaware – Nicci Dent District of Columbia – Catherine Staples Florida – Tricia Hahn Georgia – Brenda Leithleiter Hawaii – Leimomi Bacalso Idaho – Cynthia Estey Illinois – Karla Myers Indiana – Meri Lyn Muker Iowa – Elizabeth Meulhaupt Kansas – Rebecca Porter Kentucky – Tiffany Tenfelde Louisiana – Jeanne Burns Maine – Leigh Bubar Maryland – Julie Stanford Massachusetts – Laureen Murphy Michigan – Carole Gist Minnesota – Janet Tveita Mississippi – Stephanie Teneyck Missouri – Lori Suschnick Montana – Kimberlee Burger Nebraska – Angela Humphrey Nevada – Michele Yegee New Hampshire – Lisa Purnpichate New Jersey – Karin Hartz New Mexico – Larissa Canaday New York – Patricia Murphy North Carolina – Altman Allen North Dakota – Kari Larson Ohio – Melissa Proctor Oklahoma – Lauralynn Norton Oregon – Elizabeth Michaud Pennsylvania – Elizabeth Cook Rhode Island – Susan Lima South Carolina – Gina Tolleson South Dakota – Valerie Sejnoha Tennessee – Charita Moses Texas – Stephanie Keuhne Utah – Debra Linn Tingey Vermont – Stephanie Bessey Virginia – Evelyn Green Washington – Melissa Dickson West Virginia – Sabrina Anderson Wisconsin – Lynn Marie Mulcahy Wyoming – Cheryl James
Judges Eileen Fulton Kerry Gordy Rebecca Brandewyne Robin Cousins Barbara Peterson Dan Isaacson Dr. Irene Kassorla Jackie Joyner Kersee Randy Stone Judi Sheppard Missett Gordon Cooper
References
External links Official website