Miss America 1951, the 24th Miss America pageant, was held at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 9, 1950. Traditionally, since a majority of Miss America's reign occurred during the year following her coronation, the pageant referred to her title with the upcoming year. Thus, Yolande Betbeze, who was crowned in September 1950, was called Miss America 1951. This practice continued until 2006, when pageant activities moved from September to January. From that point, the title year aligned with the year in which the titleholder won. This change also occurred recently in 2024, and it marked the transition from Atlantic City, the pageant's long-time base, to its new home in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Results
Placements Placement Contestant Miss America 1951 – Yolande Betbeze1st Runner-Up – Irene O’Connor2nd Runner-Up – Jane Ruth Crockett3rd Runner-Up – Mary Jennings4th Runner-Up – Louise O’BrienTop 16 – Joanne Durant – Marjorie H. Adams – Renee Dianne Roy – Sandra Joanne Stahl – Katherine Kennedy – Tosca Carolyn Masini – June Elizabeth Stephens – Phyllis Anita Battleson – Carolyn Edwards – Margaret Sue Sommers – Karlyne LaRae Abele
Awards
Preliminary awards Awards Contestant Lifestyle and Fitness - Yolande Betbeze - Mary Jennings – Joanne Durant Talent - Irene O'Conner - Renee Dianne Roy - Sandra Joanne Stahl
Other awards Awards Contestant Miss Congeniality - Dell'finn Kalaupaona Poaha
Contestants
+TitleNameHometownAgeTalentPlacementAwardsNotes AlabamaYolande BetbezeMobile21Classical Vocal, "Caro Nome" from RigolettoWinnerPreliminary Lifestyle and Fitness AwardBetbeze's refusal to pose in a swimsuit after her win lead to the pull-out of swimsuit sponsor Catalina & ultimately the creation of the Miss USA pageant AlaskaMaxine CothernFairbanksSpeech, "Alaska" ArizonaKathryn LunsfordPhoenixModern Dance ArkansasMary JenningsHot SpringsClassical Vocal, "Un Bel Dì" from Madama Butterfly3rd Runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle and Fitness AwardWas a featured soprano with the New York City Opera
Judged the Miss America 1989 and Miss America 1991 pageants CaliforniaJoanne DurantSan DiegoVocal/Poetry Recitation, "Alice Blue Gown"Top 16Preliminary Lifestyle and Fitness Award CanadaMargaret Eleanore BradfordWindsor ChicagoMarjorie AdamsChicagoMonologue, "To the Lovely Margaret"Top 16 ColoradoBarbara NorrishLongmontViolin ConnecticutRenee RoyHartfordComedy Sketch of a Cosmetic Demonstration and Vocal/Dance, "Charley, My Boy"Top 16Preliminary Talent AwardLater Miss New York City USA 1954 DelawareLorna EdwardsonDoverClassical Vocal, "Un Bel Dì" from Madama Butterfly District of ColumbiaSandra Stahl21Classical Vocal, "The Bell Song" from LakméTop 16Preliminary Talent Award FloridaJanet Ruth CrockettSt. PetersburgVocal & Pantomime from The Perils of Pauline2nd Runner-up GeorgiaLouise ThomasFitzgeraldGreater PhiladelphiaKatherine KennedyPhiladelphiaClassical Vocal, '''O Don Fatale" from Don CarlosTop 16 HawaiiDell'Finn Kala'upaona Po'ahaHonoluluMiss Congeniality IdahoBarbara NortonBurleyVocal, "A Heart That's Free" from Two Weeks with Love IllinoisCatherine KleinschmidtGranite CityVocal, "Come to the Fair" IndianaPat BerryIndianapolisVocal, "I'm Falling in Love with Someone" from Naughty Marietta IowaMary Virginia LinesClarinda18Piano/Marimba, "Stardust" KansasAnabel BakerWichitaDramatic Monologue from Macbeth KentuckyMary Louise OsborneWheelwrightDrama LouisianaRowena TaliaferroWinnsboro MaineJane HarraganMillinocketDramatic Monologue, "The Corn is Green" MarylandAnn UriBaltimoreVocal/Piano MassachusettsBritta BergBoston MichiganBette Lou PittmanOwossoMonologue, "I Like Americans" MinnesotaJeanne TraunMinneapolisVocal MississippiAnnie RobertsHattiesburg MissouriBeverly RotroffKansas CityVocal/Piano MontanaDonna Marie BulsMissoula NebraskaJinx BurrusCreteBaton Twirling NevadaTosca MasiniSparksComedy CharacterizationTop 16 New HampshireBetty LaurieConcord New JerseyJune StephensShip BottomComic Sketch, "The Older Set"Top 16 New MexicoMartha Rose WilsonSanta Fe New YorkMarilyn ReynoldsSyracuseVocal, "I'll Take Romance" New York CityPhyllis BattlesonNew York CityClassical Vocal, "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix"Top 16 North CarolinaCarolyn EdwardsLeaksvilleMonologue, "Rumba" by Dorothy ParkerTop 16 North DakotaJoan TeetsMinotComedy Monologue, "Touch of Norway"Non-finalist Talent Award OhioIrene FarrenGrand RiverFashion Design OklahomaLouise O'BrienTulsaVocal, "'Twas Only an Irishman's Dream"4th Runner-up OregonElizabeth Ann BakerMonmouthClassical Piano, Clair de Lune PennsylvaniaEmilie LongacrePhoenixvilleVocal, "You're My Everything" Puerto RicoEvangelina Moragón South CarolinaCarolyn FowlerLyman17Vocal, "Why Don't You Fall in Love with Me" South DakotaIrene O'ConnorBurbankDramatic Monologue, "Dedication of the White Armor" from Saint Joan1st Runner-upPreliminary Talent Award TennesseeGreta GrahamMemphisOrgan, "Tico-Tico no Fubá" TexasMargaret SommersDallasClassical Vocal, "Jealousy"Top 16 UtahJoanne HinardProvoEast Indian Dance VermontEleanor KangasSpringfield VirginiaGloria FendersonPetersburg WashingtonKarlyne AbeleDes MoinesDramatic Reading, "The Flag"Top 16 WisconsinGloria LangeMilwaukee20Operatic Vocal, "Donkey Serenade" from The Firefly WyomingLenore HoffmanCheyenne
References
Secondary sources
External links Miss America official website