Miss America 1954, the 27th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 12, 1953. Though four women from Pennsylvania had previously held the title (1924, 1935, 1936, 1940), Evelyn Ay was the first Miss Pennsylvania to be crowned Miss America, as the others represented cities.
Actress and princess-to-be Grace Kelly was one of the year's judges.
A Top 10 finisher in the pageant, Miriam Stevenson, subsequently won the 1954 Miss USA pageant, representing South Carolina. She then proceeded to be crowned Miss Universe 1954.
Similarly, Carlene King Johnson, unsuccessful as Miss Vermont in the 1954 Miss America pageant, became Miss USA 1955.
Results
Placements Placement Contestant Miss America 1954 – Evelyn Ay1st Runner-Up – Joan Kaible2nd Runner-Up – Anne Lee Ceglis3rd Runner-Up – Virginia McDavid4th Runner-Up – Susanne DuggerTop 10 – Patricia Ann Johns – Lois Ann Alava – Patti Elaine Throop – Miriam Stevenson – Elaine Lois Holkenbrink Awards
Preliminary awards Awards Contestant Lifestyle and Fitness - Patricia Ann Johns - Evelyn Ay - Elaine Lois Holkenbrink Talent - Lois Ann Alava - Delores Jerde - Anne Lee Ceglis
Other awards Awards Contestant Miss Congeniality - Patricia Ann CondonNon-finalist Talent - Delores Jerde
Contestants
+StateNameHometownAgeTalentPlacementAwardsNotes AlabamaVirginia McDavidBirmingham18Monologue, "Tara" from Gone with the Wind3rd runner-up ArizonaBetty Lou LindlyTempePiano ArkansasHelen ReedFayettevilleTap Dance CaliforniaPatricia JohnsFresnoDramatic Monologue from The Country GirlTop 10Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award CanadaKathleen "Kathy" Ann ArchibaldKelowna ChicagoCarol SegermarkChicagoVocal ColoradoMary DonclanKeenesburgDramatic Monologue from Of Mice and Men ConnecticutSally MiddletonHartfordDance DelawareLois Anne AlavaWilmingtonPiano, "Concerto in A Minor"Top 10Preliminary Talent Award District of ColumbiaHelen SmithWashington, D.C.19Dance FloridaMarjorie SimmonsTampaDance, "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" GeorgiaLucia HutchinsonMacon22Operatic Vocal, "Mon cœur s'oure à ta voix" & "Love is Where You Find it" HawaiiDorothy Leilani EllisLihueHula IdahoJane BosticNew PlymouthVocal, "All the Things You Are" IllinoisJacquie DumbauldAltonPiano/Dance IndianaViolet WratichEast ChicagoVocal IowaConstance VerHoefSheldon18Vocal KansasJoanne MilnarHutchinson23Water Ballet KentuckyEmily RuckerBereaVocal LouisianaSonya Lee LeBlancBaton RougeDance MaineKaren Diane ThorsallPortlandVocal MarylandMeta France JusticeCrisfieldVocal, "Ave Maria" MassachusettsLois FeldmanNatickBallet MichiganVelva Irene RobbinsDowagiacSpeech, "Education" MinnesotaIdell HulinMinneapolisVocal MississippiSuzanne DuggerPicayuneVocal Medley & Dance, "Bill" & "Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey"4th runner-up MissouriLaura HolmesNorthwoodsDance NebraskaDiana Louise HannLincolnArt NevadaJeannine McCollLas VegasDance New HampshireElaine RugglesNew CastleVocal New JerseyPatricia CondonMaplewoodVocalMiss Congeniality New YorkJeannine BowmanRomeDrama New York CityJoan KaibleNew York CityClassical Vocal, "Qual fiamma avea nel guardo" from Pagliacci1st runner-up North CarolinaBarbara CrockettWinston-SalemVocal, "Shine" North DakotaMarilyn WentzNapoleonVocal OhioMartha ZimmermanSalemDrama/Piano OklahomaLorene WashburnTulsaVocal OregonPatti ThroopPortlandDramatic Reading, "Patterns"Top 10 PennsylvaniaEvelyn AyEphrata20Poetry Recitation, "Footsteps" from Leaves from a Grass-House by Don BlandingWinnerPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award Puerto RicoNydia Power Rhode IslandJoyce SandbergProvidenceDramaLater Miss Rhode Island USA 1954 South CarolinaMiriam StevensonWinnsboro20Tap DanceTop 10Later Miss South Carolina USA 1954, Miss USA 1954, & Miss Universe 1954
1st Miss USA to become Miss Universe South DakotaDelores JerdeSpearfishPianoPreliminary Talent Award
Non-finalist Talent Award TennesseeRuth Ann BarkerTrentonVocal TexasPaula LaneCleburneFashion Design & Speech UtahIna Lavon BrownProvoDrama VermontCarlene King JohnsonRutlandDanceLater Miss Vermont USA 1955, Miss USA 1955, & semi-finalist at Miss Universe 1955 VirginiaAnne Lee CeglisNorfolkClassical Vocal, "Un Bel Di" from Madama Butterfly2nd runner-upPreliminary Talent Award WashingtonGeraldine LindseySeattleVocal West VirginiaPatricia StewartPinevilleVocal & Impersonations WisconsinJudith JacobsenWauwatosa19Vocal & Dance, "Make Believe" & "Come Back to Sorrento" WyomingElaine Lois HolkenbrinkTorringtonFashion DisplayTop 10Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
References
External links Miss America official website