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. It was also historic as two black women, Lencola Sullivan of Arkansas and Doris Hayes of Washington, made the finals for the first time.
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 – Susan Powell 1st Runner-Up – Paige Phillips 2nd Runner-Up – Donna Pope – Therese Hanley 4th Runner-Up – Lencola Sullivan Top 10 – Jeanne Caruso – Cheryl Flanagan – Kathleen "Kathy" Vernon – Terri Eoff – Doris Hayes
Preliminary awards
Awards Contestant Lifestyle and Fitness Arkansas - Lencola Sullivan Minnesota - Debra Goodwin Mississippi - Donna Pope Talent Alabama - Paige Phillips New York - Cheryl Flanagan Oklahoma - Susan Powell (tie) Washington - Doris Hayes (tie)
Other awards
Awards Contestant Non-finalist Talent Colorado - Kimberly Christiansen Illinois - Blythe Sawyer Maryland - Lisa Marie Daskal Massachusetts - Amy Linder Minnesota - Debra Goodwin Montana - Lilly Cruise Nebraska - Paula Louise Mitchell North Carolina - Janet Ward Black Oregon - Teresa Richardson Vermont - Carole Spolar
Delegates
State Name Hometown Age Talent Placement Awards Notes Alabama Paige Phillips Leeds 17 Vocal/Ventriloquism to "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" by Al Jolson 1st runner-up Preliminary Talent Alaska Sandra Lashbrook Eagle River Arizona Brenda Strong Tempe Actress in Desperate Housewives Arkansas Lencola Sullivan Morrilton 21 Vocal, "St. Louis Blues", composed by W.C. Handy 4th runner-up Preliminary Swimsuit First African-American contestant to place as a runner-up at Miss America California Robin Brooks Elverta Colorado Kimberly Christiansen Arvada Non-finalist Talent Connecticut Jeanne Caruso Trumbull 21Vocal/piano, Original song, "A Song for Tomorrow" Top 10 divorced Joe Theismann Delaware Andra Lee Dickerson Newark Florida Caroline Dungan Bradenton Georgia Lynn Smith Savannah Hawaii Kanoelehua Cook Aiea Idaho Leslie Taylor Burley Illinois Blythe Sawyer Naperville Non-finalist Talent Indiana Teri Kardatzke Anderson Iowa Jane Patton Council Bluffs Kansas K. Leann Folsom Wichita Kentucky Daphne Cochran Louisville Louisiana Martha "Missy" Crews Baton Rouge Maine Valerie Crooker Brunswick Miss Maine USA 1979 Maryland Lisa Marie Daskal Cumberland Non-finalist Talent Massachusetts Amy Linder Lowell Non-finalist Talent Michigan Heidi Hepler Livonia Minnesota Debra Goodwin Austin Preliminary Swimsuit, Non-finalist Talent Mississippi Donna Pope McNeil 24 Ballet on pointe to Overture from "Oklahoma!" 2nd runner-up (tie) Preliminary Swimsuit Missouri Carla LaFevre Harrisonville Montana Lilly Cruise Miles City Non-finalist Talent Nebraska Paula Louise Mitchell Norfolk Non-finalist Talent Nevada Phyllis Hamlin Reno New Hampshire Diane McGarry Manchester New Jersey Therese Hanley Jersey City "Starting Here, Starting Now" by Barbra Streisand 2nd runner-up (tie) New Mexico Teresa Elizabeth Anderson Hobbs New York Cheryl Flanagan Rochester 18 Tap dance to Overture from "That's Entertainment, Part II" Top 10 Preliminary Talent North Carolina Janet Black Kannapolis Non-finalist Talent Top 5 at Maid of Cotton 1980. Janet Ward Black died at the age of 66 on November 2, 2025 in Greensboro, North Carolina. North Dakota Karen Moe Minot Ohio Kathleen "Kathy" Ann Vernon Youngstown 24 Vocal, "I Have Dreamed" from The King and I Top 10 Kathleen "Kathy" Ann Vernon died at age 68 on August 23, 2024 after a battle with pancreatic cancer in Malvern, Pennsylvania. Oklahoma Susan Powell Elk City 21 Operatic vocal, "Lucy's Aria" from Gian Carlo Menotti's opera "The Telephone" Miss America 1981 Preliminary Talent (tie) Oregon Teresa Richardson Forest Grove Non-finalist Talent Pennsylvania Anita Ellen Patton Lebanon Rhode Island Dawn Potter Pascoag South Carolina Donna Jewell Columbia South Dakota Carol Barnett Sioux Falls Tennessee Sarah Leonard Jonesborough Texas Terri Eoff Lubbock 19 Dramatic Monologue from "A Bad Play for an Old Lady" by Elizabeth Lovett Top 10 Utah Jean Bullard Provo Vermont Carole Spolar St. Albans Non-finalist Talent Virginia Holly Jereme Roanoke Washington Doris Hayes Tacoma 20 Vocal, "Our Love Is Here to Stay" by George Gershwin Top 10 Preliminary Talent (tie) First African-American preliminary winner West Virginia Pamela Ellen Paugh Charleston Aunt of JonBenét Ramsey, Sister of Miss West Virginia 1977 Wisconsin Dana Spychalla Appleton Wyoming Susan Pennington Casper
References
External links Miss America official website