Miss America 1981
Susan Powell, Miss America 1981
DateSeptember 6, 1980
PresentersRon Ely[1]
VenueBoardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
BroadcasterNBC
WinnerSusan Powell
 Oklahoma

Miss America 1981, the 54th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 6, 1980 on NBC Network. It was the first time Ron Ely hosted, replacing Bert Parks who had hosted for 25 years.[1] It was also historic as two black women, Lencola Sullivan of Arkansas and Doris Hayes of Washington, made the finals for the first time.[1]

The winner, Susan Powell of Oklahoma, later became co-host of the series Home Matters on the Discovery Channel.

Results

Placements

Placement Contestant
Miss America 1981
1st Runner-Up
2nd Runner-Up
4th Runner-Up
Top 10

Order of announcements

Preliminary awards

Awards Contestant
Lifestyle and Fitness
Talent

Other awards

Awards Contestant
Non-finalist Talent

Delegates

StateNameHometownAgeTalentPlacementAwardsNotes
Alabama AlabamaPaige PhillipsLeeds17Vocal/Ventriloquism to "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" by Al Jolson1st runner-upPreliminary Talent
Alaska AlaskaSandra LashbrookEagle River
Arizona ArizonaBrenda StrongTempeActress in Desperate Housewives
Arkansas ArkansasLencola SullivanMorrilton21Vocal, "St. Louis Blues", composed by W.C. Handy4th runner-upPreliminary SwimsuitFirst African-American contestant to place as a runner-up at Miss America
California CaliforniaRobin BrooksElverta
Colorado ColoradoKimberly ChristiansenArvadaNon-finalist Talent
Connecticut ConnecticutJeanne CarusoTrumbull21Vocal/piano, Original song, "A Song for Tomorrow"Top 10divorced Joe Theismann
Delaware DelawareAndra Lee DickersonNewark
Florida FloridaCaroline DunganBradenton
Georgia (U.S. state) GeorgiaLynn SmithSavannah
Hawaii HawaiiKanoelehua CookAiea
Idaho IdahoLeslie TaylorBurley
Illinois IllinoisBlythe SawyerNapervilleNon-finalist Talent
Indiana IndianaTeri KardatzkeAnderson
Iowa IowaJane PattonCouncil Bluffs
Kansas KansasK. Leann FolsomWichita
Kentucky KentuckyDaphne CochranLouisville
Louisiana LouisianaMartha "Missy" CrewsBaton Rouge
Maine MaineValerie CrookerBrunswickMiss Maine USA 1979
Maryland MarylandLisa Marie DaskalCumberlandNon-finalist Talent
Massachusetts MassachusettsAmy LinderLowellNon-finalist Talent
Michigan MichiganHeidi HeplerLivonia
Minnesota MinnesotaDebra GoodwinAustinPreliminary Swimsuit, Non-finalist Talent
Mississippi MississippiDonna PopeMcNeil24Ballet on pointe to Overture from "Oklahoma!"2nd runner-up (tie)Preliminary Swimsuit
Missouri MissouriCarla LaFevreHarrisonville
Montana MontanaLilly CruiseMiles CityNon-finalist Talent
Nebraska NebraskaPaula Louise MitchellNorfolkNon-finalist Talent
Nevada NevadaPhyllis HamlinReno
New Hampshire New HampshireDiane McGarryManchester
New Jersey New JerseyTherese HanleyJersey City"Starting Here, Starting Now" by Barbra Streisand2nd runner-up (tie)
New Mexico New MexicoTeresa Elizabeth AndersonHobbs
New York (state) New YorkCheryl FlanaganRochester18Tap dance to Overture from "That's Entertainment, Part II"Top 10Preliminary Talent
North Carolina North CarolinaJanet BlackKannapolisNon-finalist TalentTop 5 at Maid of Cotton 1980
North Dakota North DakotaKaren MoeMinot
Ohio OhioKathy VernonYoungstown24Vocal, "I Have Dreamed" from The King and ITop 10
Oklahoma OklahomaSusan PowellElk City21Operatic vocal, "Lucy's Aria" from Gian Carlo Menotti's opera "The Telephone"Miss America 1981Preliminary Talent (tie)
Oregon OregonTeresa RichardsonForest GroveNon-finalist Talent
Pennsylvania PennsylvaniaAnita Ellen PattonLebanon
Rhode Island Rhode IslandDawn PotterPascoag
South Carolina South CarolinaDonna JewellColumbia
South Dakota South DakotaCarol BarnettSioux Falls
Tennessee TennesseeSarah LeonardJonesborough
Texas TexasTerri EoffLubbock19Dramatic Monologue from "A Bad Play for an Old Lady" by Elizabeth LovettTop 10
Utah UtahJean BullardProvo
Vermont VermontCarole SpolarSt. AlbansNon-finalist Talent
Virginia VirginiaHolly JeremeRoanoke
Washington (state) WashingtonDoris HayesTacoma20Vocal, "Our Love Is Here to Stay" by George GershwinTop 10Preliminary Talent (tie)First African-American preliminary winner
West Virginia West VirginiaPamela Ellen Paugh CharlestonAunt of JonBenét Ramsey, Sister of Miss West Virginia 1977
Wisconsin WisconsinDana SpychallaAppleton
Wyoming WyomingSusan PenningtonCasper

Judges

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Miss Oklahoma is Miss America". The San Bernardino County Sun. Associated Press. 7 Sep 1980. p. 5. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
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