Miss America 1953, the 26th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 6, 1952.[1]
Neva Jane Langley became the first Miss Georgia to win the crown.
Results
Placements
| Placement
|
Contestant
|
| Miss America 1953
|
|
| 1st Runner-Up
|
|
| 2nd Runner-Up
|
|
| 3rd Runner-Up
|
|
| 4th Runner-Up
|
|
| Top 10
|
|
Awards
Preliminary awards
Other awards
Contestants
| State
|
Name
|
Hometown
|
Age
|
Talent
|
Notes
|
| Alabama
|
Gwen Harmon
|
Birmingham
|
19
|
Vocal, "A Heart That's Free"
|
|
| Arkansas
|
Bonnie Nicksic
|
Hot Springs
|
|
Vocal/Dance, "Life Upon the Wicked Stage" from Show Boat
|
|
| California
|
Jeanne Shores
|
Azusa
|
|
Dramatic Monologue
|
|
| Canada
|
Marilyn "Thelma" Delores Reddick
|
Agincourt
|
|
|
|
| Chicago
|
Jo Hoppe
|
Chicago
|
|
Tap Dance
|
|
| Colorado
|
Chardelle Hayward
|
Fort Collins
|
|
Piano
|
|
| Connecticut
|
Joyce Yeske
|
West Hartford
|
|
Ballroom Dance
|
|
| Delaware
|
Helen Blackwell
|
Wilmington
|
|
Classical Vocal
|
|
| District of Columbia
|
Iris Fitch
|
Washington D.C.
|
19
|
Vocal, "With a Song in my Heart"
|
|
| Florida
|
Marcia Crane
|
Orlando
|
|
Piano, "Gershwin Prelude"
|
|
| Georgia
|
Neva Jane Langley
|
Macon
|
19
|
Classical Piano, "Toccata"
|
|
| Greater Philadelphia
|
Patricia Hunt
|
Philadelphia
|
|
Drama
|
|
| Hawaii
|
Beverly Kathleen Rivera
|
Honolulu
|
|
Hula
|
|
| Idaho
|
ZoeAnn Warberg
|
Twin Falls
|
18
|
Speech, "The Sacred Duty of the American to Vote"
|
First female judge in Idaho's 5th Judicial District and appeared on the 1985 Miss America telecast. ZoeAnn Warberg Shaub died at 83 on Sept. 13, 2017 as result of a car accident in rural Jackpot, Nevada.
|
| Illinois
|
Glenna Marie Pohly
|
Rock Falls
|
|
Flute
|
|
| Indiana
|
Ann Garnier
|
Indianapolis
|
|
Classical Vocal, "Il Baciò" by Luigi Arditi
|
|
| Iowa
|
Carolyn Hill
|
Cedar Falls
|
19
|
Vocal, "You're My Everything"
|
|
| Kansas
|
Kay Ann Goforth
|
McPherson
|
|
Vocal/Dance
|
|
| Kentucky
|
Joy Williams
|
Lexington
|
|
Dance
|
|
| Louisiana
|
Barbara Barker
|
Monroe
|
|
Drama, "The Fog"
|
|
| Maine
|
Norma Lee Collins
|
Caribou
|
|
|
|
| Maryland
|
Shirley Virginia Harrison
|
Baltimore
|
|
Monologue from Tom Sawyer
|
|
| Massachusetts
|
Barbara Graves
|
Milton
|
|
|
|
| Michigan
|
Karol Dragomir
|
Benton Harbor
|
|
Vocal, "I'll Walk Alone"
|
|
| Minnesota
|
Carole Wick
|
Duluth
|
|
Vocal
|
|
| Mississippi
|
Dora Livingston
|
Yazoo City
|
|
|
|
| Missouri
|
Florence Spack
|
Clayton
|
|
Vocal
|
|
| Montana
|
Karen Whittet
|
Livingston
|
|
Piano
|
|
| Nebraska
|
Helen Francis Burhorn
|
Omaha
|
|
Piano, Warsaw Concerto
|
|
| Nevada
|
Bonnie Wilson
|
Reno
|
|
Ballet, "Something to Dance About"
|
|
| New Hampshire
|
Barbara Temperly
|
Goffstown
|
|
|
|
| New Jersey
|
Mary Parker
|
Gibbsboro
|
|
Drama
|
|
| New York
|
Joan St. John
|
Binghamton
|
|
Vocal
|
|
| New York City
|
Joan Kayne
|
New York City
|
|
Dance
|
|
| North Carolina
|
Barbara Harris
|
Salisbury
|
|
Classical Vocal, "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix"
|
|
| North Dakota
|
Margaret Aandahl
|
Litchville
|
|
Piano
|
|
| Ohio
|
Carol Koontz
|
Bolivar
|
|
Fire Baton Twirling & Clarinet
|
|
| Oklahoma
|
Shirley Barbour
|
Tulsa
|
|
Drama
|
|
| Oregon
|
Mary Lou Teague
|
Eugene
|
|
Vocal, "Love is Where You Find it"
|
|
| Pennsylvania
|
Miriam Smith
|
McAlisterville
|
|
Pipe Organ, "Tico Tico"
|
|
| Puerto Rico
|
Helga Edmee Monroig
|
|
|
|
|
| Rhode Island
|
Jayne Bradshaw
|
Westerly
|
|
Classical Vocal
|
|
| South Carolina
|
Mary Griffin
|
Florence
|
|
Classical Vocal
|
1st Runner-up at Miss USA 1953 representing Myrtle Beach
5th Runner-up at Miss World 1953 representing the United States
|
| South Dakota
|
Sandra Hart
|
Huron
|
|
Fire Baton Twirling
|
|
| Tennessee
|
Gloria Williams
|
Chattanooga
|
|
Vocal, "Lover, When You're Near Me"
|
|
| Texas
|
Connie Hopping
|
Littlefield
|
|
Vocal
|
|
| Utah
|
Marylyn Reese
|
Brigham
|
|
Monologue, "The Mudlark" & "Our Town"
|
|
| Vermont
|
Barbara Moore
|
St. Johnsbury
|
|
Baton Twirling/Dance
|
|
| Virginia
|
Edna Long
|
Richmond
|
|
Dance
|
|
| West Virginia
|
Nancy Rohrbough
|
Grafton
|
|
Dance
|
|
| Wisconsin
|
Jeannie Eleanor Huston
|
La Crosse
|
19
|
Cello
|
|
| Wyoming
|
Ruth Francis
|
Casper
|
|
Drama
|
|
References
- ^ "Gorgeous Georgia Girl Starts Tour As Miss America". Ellensburg Daily Record. 1952-09-08. p. 5.
External links