Miss America 1965, the 38th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 12, 1964[1] on CBS Network.

Miss America 1965
DateSeptember 12, 1964
PresentersBert Parks
Bess Myerson
VenueBoardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
BroadcasterCBS
WinnerVonda Kay Van Dyke
Arizona Arizona
← 1964
1966 →

Pageant winner Vonda Kay Van Dyke authored books in years to come. She was the first Miss America to use ventriloquism in the talent portion of the contest. Miss Arkansas, first runner-up Karen Carlson, later became an actress, seen in several films and many television series.

The pageant was the second major event to have taken place at Boardwalk Hall within a month; less than two weeks before, it was the site of the Democratic National Convention.

Results edit

Placements edit

Placement Contestant
Miss America 1965
1st Runner-Up
2nd Runner-Up
3rd Runner-Up
  •   Texas – Sharon McCauley
4th Runner-Up
Top 10

Order of announcements edit

Awards edit

Preliminary awards edit

Awards Contestant
Lifestyle and Fitness
Talent

Other awards edit

Awards Contestant
Miss Congeniality
Non-finalist Talent

Contestants edit

State Name Hometown Age Talent Placement Awards Notes
  Alabama Vickie Powers Mobile 19 Classical Vocal, "Habanera" Top 10 Preliminary Talent Award Featured performer at Miss America 1966
  Alaska Karol Hommon Anchorage 20 Acrobatic & Modern Jazz Dance Non-finalist Talent Award Died in 1965 after falling from Sugarloaf Mountain
  Arizona Vonda Kay Van Dyke Phoenix 22 Ventriloquism, "Together (Wherever We Go)" Winner Miss Congeniality Semi-finalist at America's Junior Miss 1961


Only Miss America to also be named Miss Congeniality

  Arkansas Karen Carlson Fayetteville 20 Vocal, "As Long as He Needs Me" from Oliver! 1st runner-up Ex-wife of David Soul
  California Sherri Raap Fremont 18 Jazz Baton Dance & Acrobatics Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
  Colorado Kathleen Knight Denver 19 Semi-classical Vocal, "The Telephone"
  Connecticut Honora Bukowski Wallingford 18 Jazz Dance, "Bossa Nova"
  Delaware Anita Gail Euban Wilmington 20 Popular Vocal & Dance
  Florida Priscilla Schnarr Hollywood 18 Vocal/Dance, "Whatever Lola Wants"
  Georgia Vivian Davis Augusta 19 Skit & Vocal
  Hawaii Leina'ala Ann Teruya Honolulu 18 Interpretive Monologue, "Footprints" from Leaves of a Grass House by Don Blanding Top 10
  Idaho Judith Steubbe Moscow 21 Piano, Fantaisie-Impromptu Non-finalist Talent Award
  Illinois Patricia Quillen North Aurora 21 Clarinet Finalist at the National Press Photographers' Pageant 1962
  Indiana Sandra Miller Bedford 20 Popular Vocal
  Iowa Carol Johnson Ames 21 Folk Vocal & Guitar
  Kansas Sharon Margene Savage Florence 20 Vocal, "Johnny One Note" & "Ritorna Vincitor" from Aida During her reign she was killed in an automobile accident near Peabody, Kansas
  Kentucky Linda Sawyer Louisville 21 Vocal & Speech, "Stephen Foster Medley" Top 10 Older sister of newscaster Diane Sawyer
  Louisiana Cherie Martin Pineville 19 Toreador Dance & Baton Twirling Non-finalist Talent Award
  Maine Ellen Warren Kennebunk 18 Vocal/Dance
  Maryland Donna Marie McCauley Rockville 19 Interpretive Ballet
  Massachusetts Kathleen Kenneally Whitman 21 Dramatic Reading
  Michigan Sarah Jane Noble East Lansing 18 Free Exercise Routine Non-finalist Talent Award
  Minnesota Barbara Hasselberg Bloomington 21 Authentic Polynesian Dances, "Hawaiian War Chant" 4th runner-up Preliminary Talent Award
  Mississippi Judy Simono Vicksburg 20 Classical Ballet, The Sleeping Beauty by Tchaikovsky
  Missouri Carol Browning Lee's Summit 20 Marimba & Accordion Medley
  Montana Merilee Miller Radersburg 20 Dance
  Nebraska Sandra Lee Rice Cozad 20 Dramatic Reading from After the Fall
  Nevada Ellen Roseman Sparks 21 Comedy Skit
  New Hampshire Elizabeth Emerson Somersworth 22 Comedy Reading
  New Jersey Susan Krasnomowitz Fair Lawn 19 Jazz Dance
  New Mexico Jane Nelson Tularosa 19 Original Vocal with Guitar & Tympani to the theme from Exodus Top 10 Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award Later Miss Arizona USA 1965

1st runner-up at Miss USA 1965


Later Miss New Mexico World 1966

Top 7 at Miss USA World 1966

  New York Julie Just Buffalo 20 Popular Vocal, "Any Place I Hang My Hat is Home" Non-finalist Talent Award
  North Carolina Sharon Finch Thomasville 20 Vocal & Dance with Castanets
  North Dakota Karen Kopseng Bismarck 19 Classical Vocal, "Un Bel Dì" from Madama Butterfly Preliminary Talent Award
  Ohio Diane Courtwright Columbus 19 Popular Vocal & Modern Jazz Dance
  Oklahoma Jane Hitch Guymon 18 Dance
  Oregon Carol Pedersen Newport 18 Dramatic Reading
  Pennsylvania Marilyn Cutaiar March Havertown 19 Toe Dance Ballet, "Dance of the Painted Doll"
  Rhode Island Judy Anderson Warwick 20 Vocal/Dance
  South Carolina Sue Smith Florence 20 Vocal Medley
  South Dakota June Ann Delbridge Sioux Falls 19 Piano
  Tennessee Rita Munsey New Tazewell 20 Vocal Medley & Accordion, "You Don't Know Me" & "Walkin' After Midnight"
  Texas Sharon McCauley Athens 20 Vocal, "Let Me Entertain You" from Gypsy: A Musical Fable 3rd runner-up
  Utah Lois Anne Bailey Salt Lake City 18 Piano, "Symphonie espagnole"
  Vermont Jean Conner Rutland 21 Popular Vocal
  Virginia Carolyn Eddy Norfolk 21 Dramatic Reading Non-finalist Talent Award
  Washington Lauren Waddleton Burien 19 Vocal. "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady Top 10
  West Virginia Ella Dee Kessel Ripley 21 Piano, "Three Preludes" by Gershwin 2nd runner-up Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award Later First Lady of WV
  Wisconsin Angela Baldi Glendale 18 Piano, "On Wisconsin" in Three Variations
  Wyoming Joan Selmer Cheyenne 21 Acro-Baton Routine

References edit

  1. ^ "Miss America's Victory Thrills All but One". Milwaukee Journal. 1964-09-14. p. 6.
  2. ^ a b "1965 Miss America Title Won By 21‐Year‐Old Arizona Coed; Victor Was Chosen Earlier as Miss Congeniality by 49 Fellow Contestants". The New York Times. September 13, 1964.

External links edit