Miss America 1965, the 38th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 12, 1964 on the CBS Network.
Pageant winner Vonda Kay Van Dyke authored books in years to come. She was the first Miss America to use ventriloquism in the talent portion of the contest. Miss Arkansas, first runner-up Karen Carlson, later became an actress, seen in several films and many television series.
The pageant took place at Boardwalk Hall less than two weeks after it played host to the Democratic National Convention.
Results Placements Placement Contestant Miss America 1965 – Vonda Kay Van Dyke 1st Runner-Up – Karen Carlson 2nd Runner-Up – Ella Kessel 3rd Runner-Up – Sharon McCauley 4th Runner-Up – Barbara Hasselberg Top 10 – Vicki Jane Powers – Leinaala Ann Teruya – Linda Lenora Sawyer – Jane Nelson – Lauren Elaine Waddelton
Order of announcements
Top 10
Top 5
Awards Preliminary awards Awards Contestant Lifestyle and Fitness California - Sherri Lee Raap New Mexico - Jane Nelson West Virginia - Ella Kessel Talent Alabama - Vickie Jane Powers North Dakota - Karen Victoria Kopseng Minnesota - Barbara Hasselberg
Other awards Awards Contestant Miss Congeniality Arizona - Vonda Kay Van DykeNon-finalist Talent Alaska - Karol Hommon Idaho - Judith Steubbe Louisiana - Cherie Martin Michigan - Sarah Jane Noble New York - Julie Just Virginia - Carolyn Eddy
Contestants
+StateNameHometownAgeTalentPlacementAwardsNotes AlabamaVickie PowersMobile19Classical Vocal, "Habanera"Top 10Preliminary Talent AwardFeatured performer at Miss America 1966 AlaskaKarol HommonAnchorage20Acrobatic & Modern Jazz DanceNon-finalist Talent AwardDied in 1965 after falling from Sugarloaf Mountain ArizonaVonda Kay Van DykePhoenix22Ventriloquism, "Together (Wherever We Go)"WinnerMiss CongenialitySemi-finalist at America's Junior Miss 1961
Only Miss America to also be named Miss Congeniality ArkansasKaren CarlsonFayetteville20Vocal, "As Long as He Needs Me" from Oliver!1st runner-upEx-wife of David Soul CaliforniaSherri RaapFremont18Jazz Baton Dance & AcrobaticsPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award ColoradoKathleen KnightDenver19Semi-classical Vocal, "The Telephone" ConnecticutHonora BukowskiWallingford18Jazz Dance, "Bossa Nova" DelawareAnita Gail EubanWilmington20Popular Vocal & Dance FloridaPriscilla SchnarrHollywood18Vocal/Dance, "Whatever Lola Wants" GeorgiaVivian DavisAugusta19Skit & Vocal HawaiiLeina'ala Ann TeruyaHonolulu18Interpretive Monologue, "Footprints" from Leaves of a Grass House by Don BlandingTop 10 IdahoJudith SteubbeMoscow21Piano, Fantaisie-ImpromptuNon-finalist Talent Award IllinoisPatricia Louis QuillenNorth Aurora21ClarinetFinalist at the National Press Photographers' Pageant 1962. Patricia Louis (Quillen) Brannen died at age 83 on April 26, 2026 in Geneva, Illinois. IndianaSandra MillerBedford20Popular Vocal IowaCarol JohnsonAmes21Folk Vocal & Guitar KansasSharon Margene SavageFlorence20Vocal, "Johnny One Note" & "Ritorna Vincitor" from AidaDuring her reign she was killed in an automobile accident near Peabody, Kansas KentuckyLinda SawyerLouisville21Vocal & Speech, "Stephen Foster Medley"Top 10Older sister of newscaster Diane Sawyer LouisianaCherie MartinPineville19Toreador Dance & Baton TwirlingNon-finalist Talent Award MaineEllen WarrenKennebunk18Vocal/Dance MarylandDonna Marie McCauleyRockville19Interpretive Ballet MassachusettsKathleen KenneallyWhitman21Dramatic Reading MichiganSarah Jane NobleEast Lansing18Free Exercise RoutineNon-finalist Talent Award MinnesotaBarbara HasselbergBloomington21Authentic Polynesian Dances, "Hawaiian War Chant"4th runner-upPreliminary Talent Award MississippiJudy SimonoVicksburg20Classical Ballet, The Sleeping Beauty by Tchaikovsky MissouriCarol BrowningLee's Summit20Marimba & Accordion Medley MontanaMerilee MillerRadersburg20Dance NebraskaSandra Lee RiceCozad20Dramatic Reading from After the Fall NevadaEllen RosemanSparks21Comedy Skit New HampshireElizabeth EmersonSomersworth22Comedy Reading New JerseySusan KrasnomowitzFair Lawn19Jazz Dance New MexicoJane NelsonTularosa19Original Vocal with Guitar & Tympani to the theme from ExodusTop 10Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness AwardLater Miss Arizona USA 1965 1st runner-up at Miss USA 1965
Later Miss New Mexico World 1966
Top 7 at Miss USA World 1966 New YorkJulie JustBuffalo20Popular Vocal, "Any Place I Hang My Hat is Home"Non-finalist Talent Award North CarolinaSharon FinchThomasville20Vocal & Dance with Castanets North DakotaKaren KopsengBismarck19Classical Vocal, "Un Bel Dì" from Madama ButterflyPreliminary Talent Award OhioDiane CourtwrightColumbus19Popular Vocal & Modern Jazz Dance OklahomaJane HitchGuymon18Dance OregonCarol PedersenNewport18Dramatic Reading PennsylvaniaMarilyn Cutaiar MarchHavertown19Toe Dance Ballet, "Dance of the Painted Doll" Rhode IslandJudy AndersonWarwick20Vocal/Dance South CarolinaSue SmithFlorence20Vocal Medley South DakotaJune Ann DelbridgeSioux Falls19Piano TennesseeRita MunseyNew Tazewell20Vocal Medley & Accordion, "You Don't Know Me" & "Walkin' After Midnight" TexasSharon McCauleyAthens20Vocal, "Let Me Entertain You" from Gypsy: A Musical Fable3rd runner-up UtahLois Anne BaileySalt Lake City18Piano, "Symphonie espagnole" VermontJean ConnerRutland21Popular Vocal VirginiaCarolyn EddyNorfolk21Dramatic ReadingNon-finalist Talent Award WashingtonLauren WaddletonBurien19Vocal. "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair LadyTop 10 West VirginiaElla Dee KesselRipley21Piano, "Three Preludes" by Gershwin2nd runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness AwardLater First Lady of WV WisconsinAngela BaldiGlendale18Piano, "On Wisconsin" in Three Variations WyomingJoan SelmerCheyenne21Acro-Baton Routine
References
External links Miss America official website