Miss America 1941, the 15th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 6, 1941. Shortly after the crowning of Miss California, Rosemary LaPlanche, who had been first runner-up in 1940, the pageant committee adopted this rule: "No contestant can compete in Atlantic City for the title of Miss America more than once", thus eliminating future state winners with more than one attempt at the national title.
LaPlanche became a film actress, as did her sister, Louise LaPlanche.
The title of Miss Congeniality went to Mifaunwy Shunatona, a member of the Otoe and Pawnee tribes — she was also the first American Indian contestant in the pageant's history.
Results
Placements Placement Contestant Miss America 1941 – Rosemary LaPlanche 1st Runner-Up Western Pennsylvania – Roselle Marie Hannon 2nd Runner-Up – Jean Fidelis Cavanaugh 3rd Runner-Up – Lillian Helena O'Donnell 4th Runner-Up – Joey Augusta Paxton Top 15 – Virginia McGraw – Mitzi Strother – Esther Bette Shepard – Dorothy Slatten – Gerry Marcoux – Grace DeWitt – Janice Sulzman – Mifaunwy Dolores Shunatona – Jacquelyn McWin – Betty Ann Miller
Awards
Preliminary awards Award Contestant Lifestyle and Fitness – Rosemary LaPlanche – Dorothy Slatten – Joey Augusta Paxton (tie) – Lillian Helena O'Donnell (tie) Talent – Virginia McGraw – Joey Augusta Paxton Western Pennsylvania – Roselle Marie Hannon
Other awards Award Contestant Miss Congeniality – Mifaunwy Dolores Shunatona
Contestants
+TitleNameHometownAgeTalentPlacementAwardsNotes ArkansasFerol Amelia DumasMagnoliaBirminghamVirginia McGrawBirminghamTap Dance with Rope JumpingTop 15Preliminary Talent Award CaliforniaRosemary LaPlancheLos Angeles18DanceWinnerPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness AwardCharlestonMiriam KingCharleston ClevelandLois Jean BeckCleveland ColoradoCharlene WoodsDenver ConnecticutDaphne GladdingPlymouth DelawareVerona SmithBridgeville District of ColumbiaJean Cavanaugh18Soft Shoe Dance, "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody"2nd Runner-upEastern PennsylvaniaCatherine Jane AlbertCoatesville FloridaMitzie StrotherMiamiTop 15 GeorgiaEsther ShepardGriffinTop 15 IndianaAlice UlleryEvansvilleModeling IowaLorene SnoddyDes Moines20 KentuckyDorothy SlattenLexingtonTop 15KnoxvilleKatherine GammonKnoxvilleLake MohopacCharlotte Winstanley MarylandPenny MaloneBaltimore MassachusettsBetsy Sears TaylorCambridge MiamiAnna Louise BakerMiami MichiganGerry MarcouxDetroitTop 15 MinnesotaPatricia TietsMinneapolis MississippiMadeline SmithWinona New JerseyMarjorie Eleanor JenningsDover New MexicoBeverly BrookshierRoswell New OrleansHelen Yvonne EnglertNew Orleans New York CityGrace DeWittNew York CityTop 15 North CarolinaJoey Augusta PaxtonCharlotte 19Swing Vocal4th Runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award Preliminary Talent Award Joey Augusta Paxton of Hallandale Beach, Florida died at 79 on September 17, 2002. OhioJanice SulzmanWilloughbyTop 15 OklahomaMifaunwy Dolores ShunatonaTulsaTop 15Miss CongenialityFirst American Indian to compete at Miss America PhiladelphiaCarrie de LudoPhiladelphiaSavannahGladys CollinsSavannah South CarolinaGloria Frances MisselVocal, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" TennesseeMartha McKinneyNashvilleAcrobatic/Tap Dance VirginiaJacquelyn McWinWaynesboroTop 15 West VirginiaJuanita Park WrightHuntingtonWestchester CountyLillian O'DonnellYonkers3rd Runner-upWestern PennsylvaniaRoselle HannonPittsburghVocal, "Because of You"1st Runner-upPreliminary Talent Award WisconsinBetty Ann MillerMilwaukee18Artistic Caricature of President Franklin D. RooseveltTop 15 WyomingPatricia Marie SnyderCheyenneVocal & Dance
References
Secondary sources
External links Miss America official website