# Miss America 1965

Miss America 1965, the 38th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 12, 1964 on the CBS Network.
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 took place at Boardwalk Hall less than two weeks after it played host to the Democratic National Convention.

## Results
### Placements

| Placement | Contestant |
| Miss America 1965 | Arizona – Vonda Kay Van Dyke |
| 1st Runner-Up | Arkansas – Karen Carlson |
| 2nd Runner-Up | West Virginia – Ella Kessel† |
| 3rd Runner-Up | Texas – Sharon McCauley |
| 4th Runner-Up | Minnesota – Barbara Hasselberg |
| Top 10 | Alabama – Vicki Jane Powers  Hawaii – Leinaala Ann Teruya  Kentucky – Linda Lenora Sawyer  New Mexico – Jane Nelson  Washington – Lauren Elaine Waddelton |

### Awards
#### Preliminary awards

| Awards | Contestant |
| Lifestyle and Fitness | California - Sherri Lee Raap New Mexico - Jane Nelson West Virginia - Ella Kessel |
| Talent | Alabama - Vickie Jane Powers North Dakota - Karen Victoria Kopseng Minnesota - Barbara Hasselberg |

### Other awards

| Awards | Contestant |
| Miss Congeniality | Arizona - Vonda Kay Van Dyke |
| Non-finalist Talent | Alaska - Karol Hommon Idaho - Judith Steubbe Louisiana - Cherie Martin Michigan - Sarah Jane Noble New York - Julie Just Virginia - Carolyn Eddy |

## Contestants

| 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 | | | |