Miss America 1945


Miss America 1945, the 19th Miss America pageant, was held at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 8, 1945. Two days prior to the actual selection and coronation, the night of the talent competition, the Army Air Force Veterans voted the eventual winner, Miss New York City as their favorite beauty queen.

Overview

Bess Myerson was the first Jewish-American and the first Miss New York to win the Miss America Pageant as Miss America 1945. As the only Jewish contestant, Myerson was encouraged by the pageant directors to change her name to "Bess Meredith" or "Beth Merrick" but she refused. After winning the title, Myerson received few endorsements and later recalled that "I couldn't even stay in certain hotels there would be signs that read no coloreds, no Jews, no dogs. I felt so rejected. Here I was chosen to represent American womanhood and then America treated me like this." Consequently, she curtailed her Miss America tour and instead embarked on a journey with the Anti-Defamation League. In this capacity, she spoke against discrimination in a talk entitled, "You Can't Be Beautiful and Hate."

Contestants

The Miss America 1945 contestants were:
RepresentedNameHometownAgeTalentPlacementAwardsNotes
ArkansasLeslie HamptonLake Village18
AtlantaPauline WalkerAtlanta18
BirminghamFrances Lanell DornBirmingham182nd runner-upPreliminary Talent Award
BostonClaire ThibadeauCambridge19
CaliforniaPolly EllisTarzana19Top 13Preliminary Talent Award
ChicagoLouise WielandChicago19Top 13Preliminary Swimsuit Award
CincinnatiVirginia Lee PleasantPortsmouth20
ConnecticutSylvia K. ShawHartford20
DetroitBarbara Lee SmithDetroit20
District of ColumbiaDorothy Louise PowellDistrict of Columbia21Top 13
FloridaVirginia FreelandMiami193rd runner-up
GeorgiaDoris Joyce CokerColumbus18
IllinoisBeverly Ann LongJoliet18
IndianaBetty Anna LackyearEvansville20
IowaJeanne GordonDes Moines19
MaineVirginia TraskPortland18
MarylandVirginia Lee Van SantCumberland20Top 13
MassachusettsRuth Claire ThomasBelmont18
Miami BeachRae Evelyn CristMiami Beach19
MichiganTheresa Mary SullivanDetroit19
MinnesotaArlene AndersonMinneapolis194th runner-upPreliminary Talent Award
MississippiHarriet Jane CarrMarks21
MissouriBetty Ruth ReamHughesville19
New HampshireMargorie LundfeltSpofford Lake19
New JerseyMatilda AginNew Brunswick20
New OrleansHelen ShivelyNew Orleans21
New York CityBess MyersonNew York City21Piano & Flute, "Grieg's Piano Concerto In A Minor" & "Summertime"WinnerPreliminary Talent Award
Preliminary Swimsuit Award
New YorkJune JenkinsElmont18
North CarolinaDorothy Louise JohnsonWinston-Salem21Top 13
Northern British ColumbiaGeorgina E. PattersonBritish Columbia, Canada19Miss Congeniality
OhioJulia Ann DonahueOxford19
PennsylvaniaTimmy WestonMcKeesport18
PhiladelphiaGloria BairPhiladelphia19Top 13
Rhode IslandMary StevensCranston24
San DiegoPhyllis MathisSan Diego191st runner-up
South CarolinaMargaret NeeleyColumbia19
TennesseeLee Harriet HensonChattanooga18Top 13Preliminary Swimsuit Award
TexasPolly BelowGalveston18Top 13
UtahDorothy F. HolohanSalt Lake City21
VermontMary StaikosBurlington21
WisconsinEileen ChristyMenomonie20