Miss America 1959, the 32nd Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 6, 1958 on CBS.
Mary Ann Mobley, the first winner from Mississippi, became an actress, featured in two Elvis Presley films and many television series. Second runner-up Anita Bryant later gained fame as a singer, television spokesperson, and Christian activist against gay rights in the United States.
Results Placements Placement Contestant Miss America 1959 – Mary Ann Mobley 1st Runner-Up – Joanne Lucille MacDonald 2nd Runner-Up – Anita Bryant 3rd Runner-Up – Sandra Lee Jennings 4th Runner-Up – Betty Lane Evans Top 10 – Lee Thornberry – Sally Miller – Billie June Turner – Mary Neil Hendricks – Janet Carolyn Secor
Awards Preliminary awards Awards Contestant Lifestyle and Fitness California - Sandra Lee Jennings Indiana - Anita Marie Hursh North Carolina - Betty Lane Evans Talent Alabama - Lee Thornberry Connecticut - Billie June Turner Mississippi - Mary Ann Mobley
Other awards Awards Contestant Miss Congeniality Rhode Island - Ann Louise Willis Non Finalist Classical/Semi Classical Vocalist Talent South Carolina - Gene Lenoir Wilson Non Finalist Instrumental Talent Idaho - Bonnie Leila Baird Non Finalist Dancer Chicago - Audra Deckmann Non Finalist Popular Vocal Talent New Jersey - Marilyn Beryl Rockafellow Overall Non Finalist Talent Nebraska - Sherry Johnson New Hampshire - Mary Morin
Contestants
+StateNameHometownAgeTalentPlacementAwardsNotes AlabamaLee ThornberryBirmingham21Vocal/Dance, "Honey Bun" from South PacificTop 10Preliminary Talent Award AlaskaStuart JohnsonDouglas City19Piano, "Alaska's Flag" ArizonaDonna RiggsPhoenix20Vocal/Dance, "Teacher's Pet"Unspecified Special Scholarship ArkansasSally MillerPine Bluff19Classical Vocal, "Caro Nome" from RigolettoTop 10 CaliforniaSandra JenningsRiverside18Piano, "Clair de Lune"3rd runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award CanadaDanica d'HondtVancouver19Dramatic Reading ChicagoAudrey DeckmannChicago23DanceNon-finalist Talent Award ColoradoCynthia CullenBoulder20Drama, "Queen on Being Sentenced to Death" ConnecticutBillie June TurnerNew Canaan20Ballet en Pointe from Les SylphidesTop 10Preliminary Talent Award DelawareNancy M. WilliamsWilmington19Dance to musical selections from Gone with the Wind District of ColumbiaLee BerkowWashington, D.C.19Vocal, "Come Rain or Come Shine" FloridaDianne TauscherOrlando18Ballet, "Canadian Sunset" GeorgiaJeanette ArdellMarietta19Archery Demonstration HawaiiGeorgietta Kahalelaukoa ParkerHonolulu18Hula Dance IdahoBonnie Leila BairdHeyburn18ClarinetNon-finalist Talent Award IllinoisAnita Ruth OlsonRiver Forest20Piano, "Rhapsody in G Minor" by Johannes Brahms IndianaAnita HurshGoshen19Piano, "Polonaise" by Frédéric ChopinPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award IowaJoanne MacDonaldAmes20Dramatic Recitation from The White Cliffs of Dover1st runner-up KansasSharon WhitacreMission18Accordion, "3rd Movement of Concerto in A" by Pietro Deiro KentuckySandra Sue SmithHarlan19Pantomime/Dance, "Tweedle Dee" LouisianaAlberta Louise FutchHammond19Fire Baton Twirling MaineTerry Suzanne TrippLewiston18Ballet MarylandMary Roberta PageBethesda18Chalk Sketch MassachusettsPatricia NordlingLexington20Vocal/Piano, "Exactly Like You" MichiganPatience PierceDetroit23Drama, "Meet Christobel" MinnesotaDiane AlbersSt. Paul19Piano, "Allegro de Concierto" by Enrique Granados MississippiMary Ann MobleyBrandon21Vocal Medley & Dance, "Un Bel Di" & "There'll be Some Changes Made"WinnerPreliminary Talent Award MissouriMarjorie CrittenKansas City19Tap Dance, "Opus No. 1" NebraskaSherry JohnsonOmaha18Dramatic MonologueNon-finalist Talent Award NevadaJudy WadsworthSparks18Dramatic Monologue from The Lark New HampshireMary MorinManchester18Pantomime RoutineNon-finalist Talent Award New JerseyMarilyn Beryl RockafellowNew Monmouth19Ukulele and Vocal AccompanimentNon-finalist Talent Award New MexicoLois WilsonHobbs19Vocal New YorkMiriam SandersonRensselaer20French Vocal, "Serenade" by Sigmund Romberg New York CityBette June PillerNew York City19Speech on Art North CarolinaBetty EvansGreenville18Vocal, Piano, Skit, & Dance, "Wait 'til You See Her"4th runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award North DakotaHelen KorfhageGrand Forks19Classical Vocal, "If Thou Lov'st Me" OhioMargaret PutmanAda19Dramatic Sketch, "Student Nurse" OklahomaAnita BryantTulsa18Vocal, "When the Boys Talk About the Girls"2nd runner-upPopular singing star OregonMary Ellen VintonMcMinnville18Piano & Tap Dance, "I Won't Dance" PennsylvaniaRosalie SamleyBethlehem20Ballet, "I Won't Dance" Rhode IslandAnn WillisCranston18Recite Two Original Poems While Displaying Original PaintingsMiss Congeniality South CarolinaGene WilsonCharleston18Vocal, "If I Loved You"Non-finalist Talent Award South DakotaCarolee NelsonIrene20Dramatic Reading TennesseePatricia EavesCookeville18Dramatic Monologue, "Viola's Ring Scene" from Twelfth Night TexasMary Nell HendricksArlington22Vocal, "Getting to Know You"Top 10 UtahJanet Carolyn SecorSalt Lake City21Classical Ballet, "The Waltz" from The Sleeping BeautyTop 10 VermontSandra SinclairSouth Burlington18Vocal & Dance, "Getting to Know You" VirginiaBarbara GuthrieMartinsville19Dramatic Reading WashingtonAnne HendersonSpokane19Pantomime & Charleston Dance West VirginiaSandra BoydFairmont21Vocal, "Money Honey" WisconsinKay RossWest Allis24Art Presentation with Vocal & Dance
References
External links Miss America official website