Miss America 1938, the 12th Miss America pageant, was held at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday, September 10, 1938. The decision by the 15 judges there that Miss Ohio, Marilyn Meseke, rather than Miss California, Claire James, as Miss America surprised the audience at the event. Broadway producer Earl Carroll also disagreed with their choice and took the runner-up to New York City where he performed a coronation of Miss California as "the true Miss America" shortly after the official pageant. Carroll's actions resulted in widespread publicity of the incident.
Results
Placements Placement Contestant Miss America 1938 – Marilyn Meseke 1st Runner-Up – Claire James 2nd Runner-Up – Muriel La Von Goodspeed 3rd Runner-Up – Ruth Brady 4th Runner-Up – Gloria Smyley Top 15 – Anna Marie Barnett – Alice Talton – Mildred Marie Oxford – Barbara Beech – Evelyn Dorothy Bertelsbech – Dorothy Mae Parker – Elissa Barbara Winston – Mary Jane Thomas – Helen Marie Emly – Kathryn Frances Buckley
Awards
Preliminary awards Award Contestant Talent Asbury Park – Ruth Brady – Gloria Smyley – Muriel La Von Goodspeed
Contestants
+TitleNameHometownAgeTalentPlacementAwardsNotes ArizonaAnna Marie BarnettBisbeeTop 15 ArkansasLorene BaileyJonesboroPiano, "Dinah"Asbury ParkRuth E. BradyAsbury ParkVocal & Tap Dance3rd Runner-upPreliminary Talent AwardBirminghamMildred OxfordBirminghamTap Dance/Toe BalletTop 15BrooklynBarbara BeechBrooklynTop 15BurlingtonRuth Joan SadaBurlington CaliforniaClaire JamesLos AngelesDance1st Runner-upCharlotteRebecca Pearl HankinsCharlotte18 ClevelandEvelyn BertelsbeckClevelandTop 15 ColoradoRosanna BeanMontrose ConnecticutBlanche HawleyStratfordDelray BeachPatricia HollranVocal, "A-Tisket, A-Tasket"DetroitMarjorie JacksonDetroit District of ColumbiaDorothy ParkerVocal & Tap Dance, "How'd You Like to Love Me"Top 15Eastern PennsylvaniaWilma KasparRahnsEmpire StateElissa WinstonTop 15 FloridaMary Joyce WalshMiamiVocal/BalletFort LauderdaleMary Jane ThomasFort LauderdaleTop 15 GeorgiaAlice TaltonAtlantaTop 15 IndianapolisRosemary White JacksonvilleGloria SmyleyJacksonvilleAcrobatic Dance4th Runner-upPreliminary Talent Award KansasBlanche WebbHumboldt KentuckyEvelyn CooperSomersetVocal, "A-Tisket, A-Tasket"LettsHelen EmlyLettsTop 15Long IslandMarion RosamundLong Island SoundAdeline Shull MaineDoris Marie BergeronLewiston MarylandYolanda UgarteBaltimore MinnesotaAvis DarrowDuluth MississippiFrances SykesAberdeenMontgomeryPatricia McDanielMontgomery NebraskaEmmajane NewbyHumboldt New JerseyGloria Martha RileyPaterson New OrleansIrene Blush SchombergerNew OrleansVocal/Trumpet/Dance OhioMarilyn MesekeMarion21Tap Dance, "How'd You Like to Love Me", "The World is Waiting for the Sunrise", & "Joseph, Joseph"Winner OklahomaMarjorie Ann AdamsAda PhiladelphiaKathryn "Kay" BuckleyPhiladelphiaSwing VocalTop 15RiversideDorothy Kathryn PowersRiverside South CarolinaMargaret Simrill LandChester TennesseeVictoria Ann MotlowMulberryVocal, "You Turned the Tables on Me" UtahMuriel La Von GoodspeedSalt Lake CityClassical Vocal & Piano2nd Runner-upPreliminary Talent Award VirginiaKathleen MannNorth ArlingtonWestern PennsylvaniaRuth WillockPittsburgh
References
Secondary sources
External links Miss America official website