Miss America 1985, the 58th Miss America pageant, was broadcast from the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on September 15, 1984 on NBC Network.
The winner, Paraguay native Sharlene Wells Hawkes, became the first foreign-born Miss America. She later became a horse-racing and football commentator for ESPN from 1987 to 2002.
Another of the five finalists, Lauren Green, is currently a correspondent on the Fox News Channel.
Results Placements Placement Contestant Miss America 1985 – Sharlene Wells 1st Runner-Up – Melissa Bradley 2nd Runner-Up – Kathy Manning 3rd Runner-Up – Lauren Green 4th Runner-Up – Tamara Hext Top 10 – Debbie Nakanelua – Kelly Lin Brumagen – Margaret Marie O'Brien – Mary Ann Farrell – Shelley Suzanne Mangrum
Awards
Preliminary awards Awards Contestant Lifestyle and Fitness Mississippi - Kathy Manning Texas - Tamara Hext Utah - Sharlene Wells Talent Massachusetts - Margaret Marie O'Brien Minnesota - Lauren Green New York - Mary-Ann Farrell
Non-finalist awards Awards Contestant Talent Alabama - Tammy Little Alaska - Maryline Blackburn Arkansas - Lisa Stevens Georgia - Camille Bentley Michigan - Barbara Crandall Nebraska - Allison Boyd New Jersey - Patricia La Terra Virginia - Susan Parker
Judges Pearl Bailey LeRoy Neiman Rebecca Ann King Vivian Blaine Christopher Little Dixie Ross Neill Josiah Bunting III Sam Haskell
Contestants
+StateNameHometownAgeTalentPlacementSpecial AwardsNotes AlabamaTammy LittleSection23Vocal, "Hit Me with a Hot Note" from Sophisticated LadiesNon-finalist Talent Award AlaskaMaryline BlackburnAnchorage23Vocal, "I Am What I Am"Non-finalist Talent Award ArizonaRhonda WhiteCentral20Country Vocal Medley ArkansasLisa StevensArkadelphia22Flute, "Sabre Dance"Non-finalist Talent Award CaliforniaDonna Grace CherryNorthridge24Singing Impressions ColoradoLisa FreesThornton25Vocal, "I Got Rhythm" ConnecticutJoanne CarusoTrumbull23Clarinet, "Jazz Medley"Sister of Miss Connecticut 1980, Jeanne Caruso DelawareNancy Lynn BallRehoboth Beach24Jazz Ballet en Pointe District of ColumbiaDesiree KeatingSilver Spring, MD22Interpretive DanceLater Miss District of Columbia USA 1986 FloridaLisa ValdezBradenton21Vocal, "Through the Eyes of Love" GeorgiaCamille BentleyThomasville19Popular Vocal, "Until Now"Non-finalist Talent Award HawaiiDebbie NakaneluaHonolulu26Stylized Hula, "Hawaiian Hula Eyes"Top 10 IdahoPatty HoagBurley19Popular Vocal, "Wind Beneath My Wings" IllinoisRuth BookerChicago21Vocal, "Kiss Me in the Rain" IndianaCynthia YantisFort Wayne23Popular Vocal, "City Lights" IowaDebra DeiteringMissouri Valley23Vocal, "This is My Life" KansasNancy Lee CobbWichita20Piano/Vocal, "I Love New Orleans Music" KentuckyKelly Lin BrumagenLexington22Vocal, "Le Jazz Hot!" from Victor/VictoriaTop 10Dr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship LouisianaNita WhitakerShreveport24Popular Vocal, "Over the Rainbow"First African American to win Miss Louisiana MaineLisa JohnsonSouth Portland22Electric Violin MarylandMary Elizabeth HarothTowson25Vocal, "Memory" from Cats MassachusettsMargaret O'BrienWeymouth26Vocal Medley, "The Man that Got Away", "The Man I Love", & "My Man"Top 10Preliminary Talent AwardPreviously National Sweetheart 1983 MichiganBarbara Jean CrandallLawrence21Ventriloquism, "Auctioneer's Song"Non-finalist Talent Award MinnesotaLauren GreenMinneapolis26Piano, "Étude Op. 10, No. 4 in C-Sharp Minor" by Frédéric Chopin3rd runner-upPreliminary Talent AwardFirst African American Miss Minnesota MississippiKathy ManningDrew22Country Vocal, "Crazy"2nd runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness AwardLater Miss Mississippi USA 1987 Top 11 at Miss USA 1987 Katharine Clare Manning Loeb died at 59 on December 23, 2021 of COVID-19 related illness in Tennessee. MissouriAnna SchellKennett26Semi-classical Vocal, Medley from The Sound of Music MontanaMichele LarsonBillings21Vocal, "My Tribute" by Andraé Crouch NebraskaAllison BoydNebraska City21Acrobatic DanceNon-finalist Talent Award NevadaLeAnna GrantLas Vegas22Vocal, "I Love Paris"Later Miss Nevada USA 1986 New HampshireCorinne LucierHooksett20Vocal, "The Simple Joys of Maidenhood" from Camelot New JerseyPatricia La TerraWest New York24Dramatic MonologueNon-finalist Talent Award New MexicoTrina CollinsHobbs22Acrobatic DanceMother of Miss Indiana 2015, Morgan Jackson New YorkMary-Ann FarrellNew York City22Classical Piano, Danzas ArgentinasTop 10Preliminary Talent AwardSister of Miss Florida 1985, Monica Farrell
Sister of Miss Illinois 1992, Kathleen Farrell North CarolinaFrancesca AdlerFayetteville23Vocal, "Home"Mother of Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2018, Jessica Baeder North DakotaCallie NorthagenGrand Forks21Piano OhioMelissa Ann BradleyMansfield23Vocal, "A Piece of Sky" from Yentl1st runner-upMother of actor Chad Buchanan OklahomaJulie SundayOwasso21Piano OregonRenee BagleyPortland22Popular Vocal, "Don't Cry Out Loud" PennsylvaniaGina MajorHuntsville24Vocal, Judy Garland Medley Rhode IslandJoanna MinisceNorth Smithfield19Modern Jazz Dance South CarolinaVicki HarrellColumbia22Piano South DakotaDebra ClevelandMadison19Classical Piano TennesseeShelly MangrumNashville23Vocal, "And the World Goes 'Round"Top 10 TexasTamara HextFort Worth21Vocal, "I've Got a Crush on You"4th runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award UtahSharlene WellsSalt Lake City20Spanish Vocal & Paraguayan Harp, "Mis Noches Sin Ti"WinnerPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness AwardFirst foreign-born Miss America
Currently on the Miss America Board of Directors VermontLorrie GlosickWinooski21Vocal, "The Trolley Song" VirginiaSusan Carter ParkerCovington23Classical Vocal, "My Man's Gone Now"Non-finalist Talent Award WashingtonRebecca WoodSpokane21Vocal, "If I Ruled the World" West VirginiaMelanne PenningtonCross Lanes24Semi-classical Vocal, "One Kiss" from The New MoonDied from Leukemia at the age of 28 in 1988 WisconsinBarbara Marie MullallyOnalaska22Vocal, "Here I Am" WyomingAnnie EasterbrookLaramie21Gymnastics Jazz Dance
References
External links Miss America official website