# Miss America 1954

Miss America 1954, the 27th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 12, 1953. Though four women from Pennsylvania had previously held the title (1924, 1935, 1936, 1940), Evelyn Margaret Ay was the first Miss Pennsylvania to be crowned Miss America, as the others represented cities.
Actress and princess-to-be Grace Kelly was one of the year's judges.
A Top 10 finisher in the pageant, Miriam Stevenson, subsequently won the 1954 Miss USA pageant, representing South Carolina. She then proceeded to be crowned Miss Universe 1954.
Similarly, Carlene King Johnson, unsuccessful as Miss Vermont in the 1954 Miss America pageant, became Miss USA 1955.

## Results
### Placements

| Placement | Contestant |
| Miss America 1954 | Pennsylvania – Evelyn Margaret Ay |
| 1st Runner-Up | New York City – Joan Kaible |
| 2nd Runner-Up | Virginia – Anne Lee Ceglis |
| 3rd Runner-Up | Alabama – Virginia McDavid |
| 4th Runner-Up | Mississippi – Susanne Dugger |
| Top 10 | California – Patricia Ann Johns  Delaware – Lois Ann Alava  Oregon – Patti Elaine Throop  South Carolina – Miriam Stevenson  Wyoming – Elaine Lois Holkenbrink |

### Awards
#### Preliminary awards

| Awards | Contestant |
| Lifestyle and Fitness | California - Patricia Ann Johns  Pennsylvania - Evelyn Margaret Ay  Wyoming - Elaine Lois Holkenbrink |
| Talent | Delaware - Lois Ann Alava  South Dakota - Delores Jerde  Virginia - Anne Lee Ceglis |

#### Other awards

| Awards | Contestant |
| Miss Congeniality | New Jersey - Patricia Ann Condon |
| Non-finalist Talent | South Dakota - Delores Jerde |

## Contestants

| State | Name | Hometown | Age | Talent | Placement | Awards | Notes |
| Alabama | Virginia McDavid | Birmingham | 18 | Monologue, "Tara" from Gone with the Wind | 3rd runner-up | | |
| Arizona | Betty Lou Lindly | Tempe | | Piano | | | |
| Arkansas | Helen Reed | Fayetteville | | Tap Dance | | | |
| California | Patricia Johns | Fresno | | Dramatic Monologue from The Country Girl | Top 10 | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | |
| Canada | Kathleen "Kathy" Ann Archibald | Kelowna | | | | | |
| Chicago | Carol Segermark | Chicago | | Vocal | | | |
| Colorado | Mary Donclan | Keenesburg | | Dramatic Monologue from Of Mice and Men | | | |
| Connecticut | Sally Middleton | Hartford | | Dance | | | |
| Delaware | Lois Anne Alava | Wilmington | | Piano, "Concerto in A Minor" | Top 10 | Preliminary Talent Award | |
| District of Columbia | Helen Smith | Washington, D.C. | 19 | Dance | | | |
| Florida | Marjorie Simmons | Tampa | | Dance, "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" | | | |
| Georgia | Lucia Hutchinson | Macon | 22 | Operatic Vocal, "Mon cœur s'oure à ta voix" & "Love is Where You Find it" | | | |
| Hawaii | Dorothy Leilani Ellis | Lihue | | Hula | | | |
| Idaho | Jane Bostic | New Plymouth | | Vocal, "All the Things You Are" | | | |
| Illinois | Jacquie Dumbauld | Alton | | Piano/Dance | | | |
| Indiana | Violet Wratich | East Chicago | | Vocal | | | |
| Iowa | Constance VerHoef | Sheldon | 18 | Vocal | | | |
| Kansas | Joanne Milnar | Hutchinson | 23 | Water Ballet | | | |
| Kentucky | Emily Rucker | Berea | | Vocal | | | |
| Louisiana | Sonya Lee LeBlanc | Baton Rouge | | Dance | | | |
| Maine | Karen Diane Thorsall | Portland | | Vocal | | | |
| Maryland | Meta France Justice | Crisfield | | Vocal, "Ave Maria" | | | |
| Massachusetts | Lois Feldman | Natick | | Ballet | | | |
| Michigan | Velva Irene Robbins | Dowagiac | | Speech, "Education" | | | |
| Minnesota | Idell Hulin | Minneapolis | | Vocal | | | |
| Mississippi | Suzanne Dugger | Picayune | | Vocal Medley & Dance, "Bill" & "Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey" | 4th runner-up | | |
| Missouri | Laura Holmes | Northwoods | | Dance | | | |
| Nebraska | Diana Louise Hann | Lincoln | | Art | | | |
| Nevada | Jeannine McColl | Las Vegas | | Dance | | | |
| New Hampshire | Elaine Ruggles | New Castle | | Vocal | | | |
| New Jersey | Patricia Condon | Maplewood | | Vocal | | Miss Congeniality | |
| New York | Jeannine Bowman | Rome | | Drama | | | |
| New York City | Joan Kaible | New York City | | Classical Vocal, "Qual fiamma avea nel guardo" from Pagliacci | 1st runner-up | | |
| North Carolina | Barbara Crockett | Winston-Salem | | Vocal, "Shine" | | | |
| North Dakota | Marilyn Wentz | Napoleon | | Vocal | | | |
| Ohio | Martha Zimmerman | Salem | | Drama/Piano | | | |
| Oklahoma | Lorene Washburn | Tulsa | | Vocal | | | |
| Oregon | Patti Throop | Portland | | Dramatic Reading, "Patterns" | Top 10 | | |
| Pennsylvania | Evelyn Margaret Ay | Ephrata | 20 | Poetry Recitation, "Footsteps" from Leaves from a Grass-House by Don Blanding | Winner | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | |
| Puerto Rico | Nydia Power | | | | | | |
| Rhode Island | Joyce Sandberg | Providence | | Drama | | | Later Miss Rhode Island USA 1954 |
| South Carolina | Miriam Stevenson | Winnsboro | 20 | Tap Dance | Top 10 | | Later Miss South Carolina USA 1954, Miss USA 1954, & Miss Universe 1954 1st Miss USA to become Miss Universe |
| South Dakota | Delores Jerde | Spearfish | | Piano | | Preliminary Talent Award Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| Tennessee | Ruth Ann Barker | Trenton | | Vocal | | | |
| Texas | Paula Lane | Cleburne | | Fashion Design & Speech | | | |
| Utah | Ina Lavon Brown | Provo | | Drama | | | |
| Vermont | Carlene King Johnson | Rutland | | Dance | | | Later Miss Vermont USA 1955, Miss USA 1955, & semi-finalist at Miss Universe 1955 |
| Virginia | Anne Lee Ceglis | Norfolk | | Classical Vocal, "Un Bel Di" from Madama Butterfly | 2nd runner-up | Preliminary Talent Award | |
| Washington | Geraldine Lindsey | Seattle | | Vocal | | | |
| West Virginia | Patricia Stewart | Pineville | | Vocal & Impersonations | | | |
| Wisconsin | Judith Jacobsen | Wauwatosa | 19 | Vocal & Dance, "Make Believe" & "Come Back to Sorrento" | | | |
| Wyoming | Elaine Lois Holkenbrink | Torrington | | Fashion Display | Top 10 | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | |