Miss America 1974

Miss America 1974
Date	September 8, 1973
Presenters	Bert Parks
Venue	Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Broadcaster	NBC
Winner	Rebecca Ann King Colorado

Miss America 1974, the 47th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 8, 1973, and broadcast on NBC.

The winner was Rebecca Ann King, whose daughter Diana Dreman would become Miss Colorado and a contender for Miss America 2012, the first daughter of a victorious Miss America to compete in the pageant.

Suzanne Plummer, second runner-up, is known today as Sue Lowden, who became chairperson of the Republican Party in Nevada and a 2010 U.S. Senate candidate there. Another contestant, Michelle Marshall of Missouri, is now the political analyst and blogger Taylor Marsh.

Results

Placements

Final results	Contestant
Miss America 1974	Colorado - Rebecca Ann King
1st runner-up	Wisconsin - Judy Hieke
2nd runner-up	New Jersey - Suzanne Plummer
3rd runner-up	Louisiana - Debbie Ward
4th runner-up	Pennsylvania - Tina Louise Thomas
Top 10	California - Susan Shipley Illinois - Colleen Metternich Oklahoma - Andrea Hanson Texas - Judy Mallett Washington - Leslie Ann Mays

Order of announcements

Top 10

1. Wisconsin
2. Oklahoma
3. Illinois
4. Louisiana
5. New Jersey
6. Pennsylvania
7. California
8. Washington
9. Colorado
10. Texas

Awards

Preliminary awards

Awards	Contestant
Lifestyle and Fitness	New Jersey - Suzanne Plummer Washington - Leslie Ann Mays Wisconsin - Judy Hieke
Talent	Illinois - Colleen Metternich Louisiana - Debbie Ward Pennsylvania - Tina Louise Thomas

Other awards

Awards	Contestant
Non-finalist Talent	Florida - Ellen Rowena Meade Massachusetts - Rena Diane Walmsley Montana - Debbie Reber New Hampshire - Michelle Annette Cote Ohio - Cheryl Ann Yourkvitch Utah - Brenda Richardson Vermont - Joylynn McCraw
Miss Congeniality	Hawaii - Kanoelehua Kaumeheiwa
Neat as a Pin	Colorado – Rebecca Ann King (tie) Nevada – Echo Layne Ross (tie)

Judges

• Peter Lind Hayes
• Peggy Fleming
• Dr. Wellington B. Gray
• Lee Meriwether
• Vivienne della Chiesa
• Eileen Farrell
• Mary Healy
• Don Galloway
• Trudy Haynes
• Art Fleming

Contestants

State	Name	Hometown	Age	Talent	Placement	Awards	Notes
Alabama	Jane Rice	Huntsville	21	Vocal, "Tapestry" & "I Will Never Pass This Way Again"
Alaska	Virginia Adams	Anchorage	21	Classical Vocal, "Adele's Laughing Song"
Arizona	Susan May	Kingman	19	Piano Medley, "The Glory of Love", "Laura", & "On the Sunny Side of the Street"
Arkansas	Becky Hume	Jonesboro	23	Free Floor Exercise & Balance Beam Routine
California	Susan Shipley	Hillsborough	21	Piano, "Malagueña"	Top 10
Colorado	Rebecca Ann King	Sterling	23	Vocal, "If I Ruled the World"	Winner		Mother of Miss Colorado 2011, Diana Dremen
Connecticut	Deborah Blanchard	North Haven	21	Modern Jazz Dance
Delaware	Jackie LaGuardia	Milford	19	Vocal from Irma La Douce
Florida	Ellen Meade	Bradenton	20	Ballet Roller Skating, "The Black Swan"		Non-finalist Talent Award
Georgia	Gail Bullock	Thomasville	19	Ballet to the theme from Summer of '42
Hawaii	Kanoelehua Kaumeheiwa	Hawaii Kai	19	Hula		Miss Congeniality
Idaho	Sharon Davis	Jerome	21	Vocal, "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" from Fiddler on the Roof
Illinois	Colleen Metternich	Carthage	23	Piano, "Variations on a Twelve Note Theme"	Top 10	Preliminary Talent Award
Indiana	Karen Rodgers	Indianapolis	22	Popular Vocal, "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"
Iowa	Lynette Henninger	Bettendorf	19	Ballet, "Colour My World" & "Make No Sound"
Kansas	Jane Schulte	Hays	21	Vocal Medley, "Happiest Girl in the Whole USA" & "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"
Kentucky	Lyda Lewis	Louisville	24	Vocal, "Sweet Inspiration" & "Where You Lead"			First African American Miss Kentucky
Louisiana	Debbie Ward	Baton Rouge	20	Vocal Medley, "I Enjoy Being a Girl" & "I Could Have Danced All Night"	3rd runner-up	Preliminary Talent Award	Featured performer & co-host of the Miss America Pageants from 1975-1977
Maine	Carlene Quimby	Auburn	20	Vocal, "I Cain't Say No" from Oklahoma!
Maryland	Kristi Maurine Reindl	LaVale	19	Tympani, "The Champ"			Former mayor of O'Fallon, Illinois
Massachusetts	Rena Walmsley	North Attleboro	20	Dramatic Soliloquy from Funny Girl		Non-finalist Talent Award
Michigan	Sherry Agnello	St. Clair Shores	19	Vocal, "I'd Rather Be Blue"
Minnesota	Joleen Benoit	Farmington	19	Vocal/Guitar, "Danny's Song"
Mississippi	Kathleen Coole	Gulfport	19	Vocal Medley, "Everything's Alright" & "I Don't Know How to Love Him" from Jesus Christ Superstar
Missouri	Terri Dodson	Fulton	22	Piano, "Dizzy Fingers"
Montana	Debbie Reber	Helena	22	Vocal Medley & Guitar		Non-finalist Talent Award
Nebraska	Sandy Cramer	Omaha	18	Acrobatic Jazz Dance, "I'm an Ordinary Man"
Nevada	Echo Rost	Sparks	20	Modern Jazz Dance, "I Feel the Earth Move"		Neat as a Pin Award
New Hampshire	Michelle Cote	Manchester	22	Classical Vocal, "Steal Me, Sweet Thief" from The Old Maid and the Thief		Non-finalist Talent Award
New Jersey	Suzanne Plummer	Wildwood	21	Piano, "Stardust"	2nd runner-up	Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award	Previously Miss District of Columbia USA 1971 Top 12 at Miss USA 1971 Former leader of Nevada State Republican Party and 2010 Senate candidate
New Mexico	Patti Elaine Nelms	Roswell	21	Vocal/Dance, "Basin Street Blues" & "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody"
New York	Joann Miller	Cheektowaga	20	Jazz Dance
North Carolina	Heather Walker	Hendersonville	19	Popular Vocal, "The Other Man's Grass is Always Greener"
North Dakota	Linda Joyce Cole	Lisbon	19	Classical Vocal, "Winds in the South"
Ohio	Cheryl Yourkvitch	Lorain	21	Vocal Medley		Non-finalist Talent Award
Oklahoma	Andrea Hanson	Tahlequah	21	Piano/Vocal, "The Homeland Aria" from Die Fledermaus	Top 10
Oregon	Nancy Jean Jackson	Nyssa	20	Dramatic Interpretation from The Taming of the Shrew
Pennsylvania	Tina Louise Thomas	Lancaster	18	Gospel Vocal, "Take My Hand, Precious Lord"	4th runner-up	Preliminary Talent Award
Rhode Island	Patricia Garrahy	North Providence	19	Ballet, "Scarborough Fair"
South Carolina	Fran Riggins	Easley	21	Vocal, "All the Things You Are"
South Dakota	Gwen Resick	Clark	20	Dramatic Skit, "Aldonza" from Don Quixote
Tennessee	Anne Randle Galloway	Knoxville	20	Piano, Rhapsody in Blue
Texas	Judy Mallett	Beaumont		Fiddle, "Csárdás" & "Orange Blossom Special"	Top 10		Performed in the halftime show of Super Bowl VIII
Utah	Brenda Richardson	Provo	20	Vocal Medley		Non-finalist Talent Award
Vermont	Joylynn McCraw	Barre	22	Popular Vocal & Sign Language, "I am Woman"		Non-finalist Talent Award
Virginia	Elinda Gail Vandeventer	Pulaski	20	Classical Vocal, "The Telephone Aria"
Washington	Leslie Mays	Mercer Island	23	Jazz Dance, "The 'In' Crowd"	Top 10	Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
West Virginia	Myra Elizabeth "Beth" McVey	Huntington	20	Classical Vocal, "Quando me'n vo'"
Wisconsin	Judith Hieke	Menomonee Falls	19	Flute Medley including "Cuanto le Gusta"	1st runner-up	Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
Wyoming	Pamela Hill	Casper	20	Vocal, "I Can Love"

External links

• Miss America official website