Miss America 1937, the 11th Miss America pageant, was held at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday, September 11, 1937. Shortly after being presented as Miss America, the newly crowned 17-year-old winner, Bette Cooper, left Atlantic City and returned home. Once there, she missed scheduled appointments on her first day as Miss America, as well as a theater appearance and a trip to Hollywood. Her father cited illness as the reason. Though not placing in the top five, representatives from different areas of New York captured three of the semi-finalist positions.
Results
Placements Placement Contestant Miss America 1937 – Bette Cooper 1st Runner-Up – Alice Emerick 2nd Runner-Up – Ruth Covington 3rd Runner-Up – Phyllis Randall 4th Runner-Up – Irmigard Dietel Top 16 Bronx – Helen Fleiss – Evelyn Townley – Betty Hunneycutt – Lucia Benton – Gertrude Rissie Miller – Claire Jean Nevulis – Grace Travis – Jean Bernice Fadden St. Louis – Wauneta Bates – Frances L. Sultan – Evelyn Raye
Awards
Best Evening Gown
Bette Cooper (Bertrand Island)
Preliminary awards Awards Contestant Title Talent Phyllis Randall California Claire Jean Nevulis Massachusetts Grace Travis New York City
Contestants
+ Name Title Hometown Age Talent Placement Awards Notes Lorraine Mayfield Atlanta Atlanta Olga Strickland Augusta May Vivian Miller Baltimore Baltimore Bette Cooper Bertrand Island Hackettstown 17 Vocal, "When the Poppies Bloom Again" Winner Best Evening Gown Award Josephine Beall Birmingham Helen Fleiss Bronx The Bronx Top 16 Evelyn Townley Buckeye Lake Top 16 Phyllis Randall California Hollywood 20 Vocal/Dance 3rd Runner-up Preliminary Talent Award Sister of Miss North Carolina 1941, Joey Augusta Paxton Betty Hunneycutt Charlotte Charlotte Top 16 Sally Lillian Frank Cincinnati Cincinnati Frances Greene Connecticut Milford Nickey Harriet Delaware Harrington Mary P. Hollran Delray Beach Delray Beach Helen Greene District of Columbia 24 Blues Vocal & Piano Beryl Kober Eastern Pennsylvania Chalfont Margaret Myers Eastern Shores Rock Hall Dorothy Armstrong Empire State Whitesboro Frances Powell Jacksonville Lucia Benton Kansas Norton Top 16 Audrey Catherine Flaig Kentucky Bellevue Gertrude Rissie Miller Louisiana Winnsboro Top 16 Cornelia Campbell Maine South Portland Claire Nevulis Massachusetts South Boston Vocal/Tap Dance Top 16 Preliminary Talent Award Irmigard Dietel Miami Vocal 4th Runner-up Cecelia Rodge Minnesota Minneapolis Virginia Riley Mississippi West Point Mary Sue Klein Moberly Moberly Ingram Starkey Montgomery Montgomery Ruth Lenore Jones Nebraska Nebraska City Grace Travis New York City New York City Vocal Top 16 Preliminary Talent Award Ruth Covington North Carolina Tap Dance, "Gonna Go" 2nd Runner-up Jean Fadden Ohio Cleveland Top 16 Kathryn Crase Philadelphia Philadelphia Malen Pietrantoni Puerto Rico Dorothy May Eden Rhode Island East Providence 18 Dr. Dorothy May Eden Trayner Erinakes died at 97 on March 20, 2017 in San Luis Obispo, California. Helen Frances Murphy Riverside Riverside Oliver Henderson San Antonio Carolyn Cumbie Savannah Beach Wayring Smathers South Carolina Columbia Margaret Julia Jardon South Jersey Burlington Wauneta Bates St. Louis St. Louis Top 16 Kathryn H. Kendrick Sunnybrook Sunnybrook Alice Emerick Texas Fort Worth Tap Dance 1st Runner-up Irene Alice Vanderburgh Troy Watervliet Frances Lee Sultan Virginia Kecoughtan Top 16 Juliana Bernhardt Washington Seattle Evelyn Raye Westchester County New Rochelle Top 16 Mary Ann McLaughlin Wyoming Riverton
References
Secondary sources
External links Miss America official website