Miss America 1940, the 14th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey for the first time since 1933. The finals were held on September 7, 1940. Aside from the winner, Frances Burke, Miss Philadelphia, two other contestants from Pennsylvania placed among the Top 15, one representing Eastern Pennsylvania and the other from Western Pennsylvania.
The runner-up, Rosemary LaPlanche, would become Miss America 1941, before the pageant instituted rules preventing contestants from competing more than once.
Results
Placements Placement Contestant Miss America 1940 – Frances Marie Burke 1st Runner-Up – Rosemary LaPlanche 2nd Runner-Up – Monnie Drake 3rd Runner-Up – Polly Connors 4th Runner-Up – Dorothy Slatten Top 15 – Peggy E. Insolo – Catherine Virginia Howe – Mildred Irene Saha – Juanita Park Wright – Mitzi Strother – Virginia Morrison – Kay Kittendorff – LaBruce Sherill – Ada Martyne Wood – Alberta Louise Carts
Awards
Preliminary awards Award Contestant Lifestyle and Fitness – Rosemary LaPlanche – Dorothy Slatten – Frances Marie Burke Talent – Catherine Virginia Howe – Monnie Drake (tie) – Kay Kittendorff (tie) Myrtle Beach – LaBruce Sherill
Contestants
+TitleNameHometownAgeTalentPlacementAwardsNotes ArizonaAnna Marie BarnettBisbee ArkansasBetty BensonForrest CityBirminghamEvelyn MotlowBirminghamVocal CaliforniaRosemary LaPlancheLos Angeles17Dance1st Runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle & FitnessCentral OhioBette Jane Hart ColoradoEileen HoskinsDenver ConnecticutDorothy PickardNew Haven DelawarePeggy InsoloWilmingtonPianoTop 15Delaware CountyDorothy A. WallLansdowne District of ColumbiaCatherine Howe22Dance, "The Yam"Top 15Preliminary Talent AwardEastern New YorkGeraldine Anne RacineEastern PennsylvaniaMildred SahaSecaneTop 15HuntingtonJuanita Park WrightHuntingtonTop 15 IndianaCarolyn AkinEvansvilleTap DanceKansas CityGloria Kathleen GipsonKansas City KentuckyDorothy SlattenLexington4th Runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle & FitnessKnoxvilleThelma McGheeKnoxville MaineShirlie Edith HoustonAugusta MarylandMarie BeiserBaltimore MassachusettsPolly ConnorsBedford3rd Runner-up MiamiMitzie StrotherMiamiTop 15 MichiganMonnie DrakeDetroitVocal, "Bill"2nd Runner-upPreliminary Talent Award MinnesotaVirginia KeplerMinneapolis MississippiCarolyn SimonGreenville MissouriVirginia MorrisonSt. LouisTop 15 MontanaKay KittendorfMissoulaClassical Vocal, "Un bel dì, vedremo" from Madama ButterflyTop 15Preliminary Talent AwardMontgomeryCarolyn ForemanMontgomeryMyrtle BeachLaBruce SherillMyrtle BeachTap Dance, "Cocktails for Two"Top 15Preliminary Talent Award New JerseyMildred Marie SelkoKearny New OrleansPauline PowellNew Orleans North CarolinaJeanne WoffordForest City OhioViolet BerzeSteubenville OklahomaAda Martyne WoodOklahoma CityTop 15 PhiladelphiaFrances Marie BurkePhiladelphiaVocal/Dance, "I Can't Love You Anymore"Winner South CarolinaVanadora BakerDillonRecitation St. LouisLeFern MuellerSt. Louis TennesseeChristine WebbCentervilleDramatic Monologue, "The Waltz" TexasGloria Ann ByrnsPort ArthurTap Dance & Baton Twirling VirginiaVirginia CampbellCharlottesville WashingtonPeggy MasonTacoma West VirginiaMary Schlarmann BowlesMontgomeryWestchester CountyConstantine GrayYonkersWestern KentuckyViolet OwenWestern New YorkGloria Elizabeth SheehanBuffaloWestern PennsylvaniaAlberta Louise CartsPittsburghTop 15
References
Secondary sources
External links Miss America official website