Miss America 1977, the 50th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 11, 1976, on NBC Network. The winner was Miss Minnesota, Dorothy Benham.
Before the finals, Benham and second runner up Carmen McCollum shared victories of the talent and swimsuit preliminary trophies. Deborah Lipford, Miss Delaware, was the first black contestant to make it to the final 10, and only the sixth to win a state level Miss America contest.
Benham became a singer, appearing often on the Crystal Cathedral religious-themed program Hour of Power.
Among the other contestants in 1977 was Miss Florida, actress Nancy Stafford, who would co-star with Andy Griffith 11 years later in the NBC TV series Matlock.
Results Final results Contestant Miss America 1977 Minnesota - Dorothy Benham 1st runner-up South Carolina - Lavinia Cox 2nd runner-up Texas - Carmen McCollum 3rd runner-up California - Linda Michelle Mouron 4th runner-up New York - Sonja Anderson Top 10 Delaware - Deborah Lipford Maryland - Barbara Jennings North Dakota - Donna Grotberg Pennsylvania - Marie McLaughlin Virginia - Pamela Polk
Awards
Preliminary awards Awards Contestant Lifestyle and Fitness Minnesota - Dorothy Benham South Carolina - Lavinia Cox Texas - Carmen McCollum Talent Minnesota - Dorothy Benham New York - Sonja Anderson (tie) Texas - Carmen McCollum (tie) Virginia - Pamela Polk
Non-finalist awards Awards Contestant Talent Alaska - Kathy Tebow Arkansas - Joyce McCormack Idaho - RaNae Petersen Kentucky - Victoria Harned Nevada - Sandra Kastel Ohio - Janice Cooley Oregon - Shan Moss Wyoming - Carol June Wallace
Judges Gail Brown Katherine C. Corbett Frank DeFord Don Galloway Robert Lewine Jeanne Meixell Petr Spurney Susan Starr
Contestants
+StateNameHometownAgeTalentPlacementSpecial AwardsNotes AlabamaDenise DavisRussellville18Popular VocalToured with Miss America USO Troupe AlaskaKathy TebowAnchorage19Violin Solo, "Méditation"Non-finalist Talent Award ArizonaAnne DeVarennesTucson22Vocal, "As Long as He Needs Me" from Oliver! ArkansasJoyce McCormackLittle Rock21Ballet en Pointe, "Polonaise"Non-finalist Talent Award CaliforniaLinda MouronOrange19Tap Dance, "Puttin' on the Ritz"3rd runner-up ColoradoKaren LandLittleton22Vibraphone, "Bandstand Boogie" ConnecticutDebra LaRocheCheshire20Popular Vocal, "I Feel a Song Coming On" DelawareDeborah Rica LipfordNewark21Dramatic Interpretation, "It Was a Good Time" from Ryan's DaughterTop 10First African-American contestant to reach the top 10 at Miss America FloridaNancy StaffordFort Lauderdale22Piano, "Send in the Clowns" GeorgiaSandy AdamsonAtlanta20Tap Dance, "I Can Do That"Dr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship HawaiiHaunani AsingKailua18Guitar &Vocal, "Hawaiian Lullaby" IdahoRaNae PetersonPreston19Organ Medley, "I Got Rhythm" & "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing"Non-finalist Talent Award IllinoisBetsy JamisonMundelein24Popular Vocal, "Who Will Buy?" from Oliver! IndianaTamara TrittschuhPlainfield21Piano, "Rhapsodies, Op. 79" by Johannes Brahms IowaRonda FrogleyDavenport20Popular Vocal, "Tomorrow" KansasLinda HallHill City21Piano, Theme from The ApartmentWife of former U.S. Senator Tom Daschle KentuckyVictoria HarnedLeitchfield21Popular Vocal, "Send in the Clowns"Non-finalist Talent Award LouisianaCandy Sue CrockerHammond22Vocal/Tap Dance, "Swanee" MaineSusan WanbaughPresque Isle19Dramatic Monologue from As You Like It MarylandBarbara Jean JenningsGreenbelt25Piano, "Morceaux de fantaisie" by RachmaninoffTop 10Dr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship MassachusettsDeborah GuastellaMethuen22Vocal, "Your World and Mine" MichiganDiane Kay HansenBerrien Center23Piano Medley, "My Country, 'Tis of Thee", "Dixie", & "Yankee Doodle" MinnesotaDorothy BenhamEdina20Classical Vocal, "Adele's Laughing Song" from Die FledermausWinnerPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
Preliminary Talent Award MississippiBobbye WoodHattiesburg19Vocal, "Starting Here, Starting Now" MissouriMarcia KolichSugar Creek22Jazz Dance, "Everything's Coming up Roses", "On Broadway", & "That's Entertainment!" MontanaJanice FrankinoHelena19Gymnastics/Jazz Dance, "The Yankee Doodle Boy"Dr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship NebraskaMarion Catherine WatsonOmaha22Vocal, "Over the Rainbow" NevadaSandra KastelLas Vegas21Vocal, "My Man"Non-finalist Talent Award New HampshireMargaret SpellacyHampton21Comedy Dance, "The Yankee Doodle Boy" New JerseyLori JohnsonMedford19Acrobatic Dance, "Love is the Answer" New MexicoMelody GriffinHobbs21Vocal, "The Music and the Mirror" from A Chorus Line New YorkSonja AndersonNew York City25Vocal, "And This is My Beloved"4th runner-upPreliminary Talent AwardPreviously Miss New York USA 1975 North CarolinaSusie ProffittBlack Mountain22Tap Dance from Baby Face North DakotaDonna GrotbergValley City18Piano, "The Cat and the Mouse"Top 10 OhioJanice CooleyPortsmouth20Piano, "Mephisto Waltz"Non-finalist Talent Award OklahomaLucia MillerBuffalo21Trumpet, "Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey" OregonShan MossNyssa21Flute, "Concertino"Non-finalist Talent Award PennsylvaniaMarie McLaughlinLevittown23Ventriloquism, "Together (Wherever We Go)"Top 10 Rhode IslandDebra CerroniEsmond20Vocal, "Much More" from The FantasticksPreviously Miss Rhode Island USA 1974 South CarolinaLavinia CoxLatta23Piano Medley, "The Man I Love" & "Sunny"1st runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award South DakotaBeth GuthmillerTripp21Vocal, "My Tribute"Younger sister of Miss South Dakota 1974, Barbara Guthmiller TennesseeTerry AldenMemphis21Classical Piano, "Toccata" TexasCarmen McCollumOdessa19Saxophone Medley, "Wabash Cannonball", "Yakety Sax", & "If He Walked Into My Life" from Mame2nd runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
Preliminary Talent Award UtahSuzanne McKaySalt Lake City22Organ Medley, "Yankee Doodle Dandy" & "God Bless America" VermontSuzanne WindSaxtons River18Acrobatic Jazz Dance, "Wisdom" VirginiaPamela PolkRichmond22Classical Vocal, "Mi Chiamano Mimi" from La bohèmeTop 10Preliminary Talent Award WashingtonTheresa AdamsWenatchee19Classical Piano, "Prelude in G minor" by Rachmaninoff West VirginiaTeresa LucasElkins22Gymnastics Routine WisconsinJulie NowakGreendale19Popular Vocal, "Do You Know Where You're Going To?" WyomingCarol June WallaceJackson24Piano Medley, "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing", "Love Story", "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head", & "Strangers in the Night"Non-finalist Talent AwardPreviously Miss Kentucky USA 1975 Semi-finalist at Miss USA 1975
Mother of Miss Kentucky 2002, Mary Catherine Correll
References
External links Miss America official website