# Miss America 1956

Miss America 1956, the 29th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 10, 1955 and was broadcast of the competition on ABC.
Sharon Ritchie became the first Miss Colorado to be the winner. As she was crowned, master of ceremonies Bert Parks performed the song "There She Is..." for the first time.

## Results
### Placements

| Placements | Contestant |
| Miss America 1956 | Colorado – Sharon Ritchie |
| 1st Runner-Up | Oregon – Dorothy Mae Johnson |
| 2nd Runner-Up | Chicago – Florence Gallagher |
| 3rd Runner-Up | North Carolina – Clara Faye Arnold |
| 4th Runner-Up | Oklahoma – Ann Campbell |
| Top 10 | Alabama – Patricia Byrd Huddleston  Arizona – Beth Andre  Florida – Sandra Wirth  Hawaii – Barbara Mamo Vieira  Massachusetts – Virginia E. Maffucci |

### Awards
#### Preliminary awards

| Awards | Contestant |
| Lifestyle and Fitness | Hawaii - Barbara Mamo Vieira North Carolina - Clara Faye Arnold Oklahoma - Ann Campbell |
| Talent | Alabama - Patricia Huddleston Florida - Sandra Wirth Massachusetts - Virginia E. Maffucci |

### Other awards

| Awards | Contestant |
| Miss Congeniality | Hawaii - Barbara Mamo Vieira |
| Non-finalist Talent | Missouri - Sharon Knickmeyer Utah - Suzanne Storrs Poulton |

## Contestants

| State | Name | Hometown | Age | Talent | Placement | Awards | Notes |
| Alabama | Patricia Huddleston | Clanton | 21 | Classical Vocal, "Pace, Pace Mio Dio!" from La Forza del Destinó | Top 10 | Preliminary Talent Award | |
| Arizona | Beth Andre | Phoenix | | Comic Monologue, "What Do I Do Now, Mr. McLeod?" | Top 10 | | |
| Arkansas | Charlene Bowers | Helena | | Vocal, "I Want to be Evil" | | | |
| California | Barbara Harris | Santa Cruz | | Vocal, "Over the Rainbow" | | | |
| Canada | Dalyce Gail Smith | Whitehorse | | | | | |
| Chicago | Florence Gallagher | Chicago | | Semi-classical Vocal, "Love is Where You Find it" | 2nd runner-up | | |
| Colorado | Sharon Ritchie | Denver | 18 | Recitation, "The Murder of Lidice" by Edna St. Vincent Millay | Winner | | |
| Connecticut | Audrey Figlar | Hartford | | Charleston Dance | | | |
| Delaware | Joanne Sakowski | Wilmington | | Vocal | | | |
| District of Columbia | Judith Dunkle | Washington, D.C. | 19 | Vocal | | | |
| Florida | Sandra Wirth | Miami | | Fire Baton, "Jazz Medley" | Top 10 | Preliminary Talent Award | |
| Georgia | Jeanine Parris | Atlanta | 22 | Dramatic Monologue | | | |
| Hawaii | Barbara Mamo Vieria | Honolulu | | Vocal/Hula, "The Night is Young" | Top 10 | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award Miss Congeniality | |
| Idaho | Judy Voiten | Boise | 19 | Vocal/Guitar, "Western Folk Song Medley" | | | |
| Illinois | Marian Elizabeth Cox | Oak Park | | Vocal, "If I Loved You" | | | |
| Indiana | Carolyn Turner | Indianapolis | | Chalk Talk & Poetry | | | |
| Iowa | Kay Taylor | Iowa City | 20 | Tap Dance, "French Maids Dreaming of Marriage" | | | |
| Kansas | Gail White | Arkansas City | | Piano | | | |
| Kentucky | Ann Shirley Gillock | Carrollton | | Organ | | | |
| Louisiana | Jan Aline Johnston | Ruston | | Drama | | | |
| Maine | Janice Vaughn | Waterville | | Dramatic Monologue | | | |
| Maryland | Carol Jeanette | Westminster | | Fashion Display & Speech, "How to Pack a Suitcase" | | | |
| Massachusetts | Virginia Maffucci | Watertown | | Dramatic Monologue, "Solitary Confinement" | Top 10 | Preliminary Talent Award | |
| Michigan | Margaret Devereaux | Howell | | Piano, "Flight of the Bumblebee" | | | |
| Minnesota | Marlyse Reed | Fairmont | | Dramatic Monologue from L'Aiglon | | | |
| Mississippi | Carolyn Cochran | Lucedale | | Dramatic Monologue | | | |
| Missouri | Sharon Knickmeyer | St. Louis | | Synchronized Swimming | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| Montana | Bertha Mae Huebl | Glendive | | Vocal | | | |
| Nebraska | Sandra Spiecher | Omaha | | Speech, "Teaching Handicapped Students" | | | |
| Nevada | Vivienne Potter | Reno | | Dramatic Monologue, "An Address to the Jury" | | | |
| New Hampshire | Margaret Johnson | Dover | | Dramatic Monologue | | | |
| New Jersey | Patricia Campbell | Camden | | Dance | | | |
| New York City | Diana Deutsch | New York City | | Art Sketching | | | |
| North Carolina | Clara Faye Arnold | Raleigh | | Monologue, "Sabrina Fair" | 3rd runner-up | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | |
| North Dakota | MaryAnn Gibbs | Williston | | Vocal | | | |
| Ohio | Marguerite Garr | Cincinnati | | Vocal & Zither, "Old Black Joe" | | | |
| Oklahoma | Ann Campbell | Oklahoma City | | Speech & Furniture Design Display | 4th runner-up | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | |
| Oregon | Dorothy Mae Johnson | Portland | | Dramatic Monologue from Macbeth | 1st runner-up | | |
| Pennsylvania | Pam Ulrich | Sinking Spring | | Drama, "Proper Recitation" | | | |
| Puerto Rico | Gladys Rodríguez | | | | | | |
| Rhode Island | Claire Mae Emerson | Pawtucket | | Dramatic Monologue | | | |
| South Carolina | Martha Chestnut | Conway | | Piano | | | |
| South Dakota | Connie White | Canistota | | Piano | | | |
| Tennessee | Patty Williams | Jackson | | Vocal, "The Student Prince" | | | |
| Texas | June Prichard | Seymour | | Horseback Riding | | | 1st runner-up at Miss Dixie 1957 |
| Utah | Suzanne Storrs Poulton | Salt Lake City | | | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| Vermont | Phyllis Reich | Bennington | | Vocal & Dance | | | |
| Virginia | Betty Sue Matthews | Norfolk | | Vocal, "There's No Business Like Show Business" | | | |
| West Virginia | Mary Fryman | Madison | | Vocal | | | |
| Wisconsin | Margaret Walls | Milwaukee | 18 | Ballet, "Dying Swan" | | | |