Miss America 1961, the 34th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 10, 1960, on CBS.
The telecast was watched by a reported 85 million viewers. Nancy Fleming, the winner as Miss Michigan, later became a television personality and the wife of Jim Lange, host of TV's The Dating Game.
Results Placements Placement Contestant Miss America 1961 – Nancy Fleming 1st Runner-Up – Suzanne Marie Reamo 2nd Runner-Up – Ann Farrington Herring 3rd Runner-Up – Ruth Rea 4th Runner-Up – Tommye Lou Glaze Top 10 – Teresa Rinaldi – Marlene Rae Coleman – Brenda Corvo – Edith Sandra Browning – Marian Faye Walker
Order of announcements
Top 10
Top 5
Awards Preliminary awards Award Contestant Lifestyle and Fitness – Ruth Rea – Nancy Fleming – Edith Sandra Browning Talent – Teresa Rinaldi (tie) – Nancy Fleming (tie) – Tommye Lou Glaze – Marian Faye Walker
Other awards Award Contestant Miss Congeniality – Susan Jane Talbert Non-finalist Talent – Iris Elaine Thurwell – Margaret McDowell – Vicky Joyce Nutter – Sally Ann Robinson – Patricia McRaney – Rosemary Doolen – Mary Cage Moore
Contestants
+StateNameHometownAgeTalentPlacementAwardsNotes AlabamaTeresa RinaldiBirmingham21Vocal, "Addio" from La bohèmeTop 10Preliminary Talent Award AlaskaJune BowdishAnchorage22Dramatic Monologue from St. Joan ArizonaGeorgia GarbarinoFlagstaff18Modern Dance, "An American in Paris" ArkansasClaudette SmithStar City18VocalMother of Miss Arkansas 1991, Heather Hunnicut CaliforniaSuzanne ReamoLa Mesa20Vocal, "Love is Where You Find it"1st runner-up CanadaIris Elaine ThurwellNorthtownVocalNon-finalist Talent Award ChicagoMargaret McDowellEvanston21Dramatic ReadingNon-finalist Talent Award ColoradoAnne WalkerLittleton18Dance ConnecticutWendy MitchellNew Haven18Vocal, "Just in Time" DelawareDeborah Dunkenfield BenoitWilmington21Composite Expression of Special Training District of ColumbiaRuth ReaChevy Chase, MD18Vocal, "A Little Brains, A Little Talent" from Damn Yankees3rd runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award FloridaKathy MagdaFort Lauderdale19Dramatic Monologue from Our Town GeorgiaSandra TallyHomerville18Piano, "Deep Purple" HawaiiGabriella Haleakala'lHonolulu20Hula IdahoMarlene ColemanPocatello18Vocal, "If I Were on the Stage"Top 10Contracted laryngitis and was unable to perform her talent during the national telecast IllinoisVicky Joyce NutterVandalia18Presentation of Fashion DesignsNon-finalist Talent Award IndianaTommye GlazeCulver21Classical Vocal, "Una Voce Poco Fa" from The Barber of Seville4th runner-upPreliminary Talent Award IowaSally NevilleDavenport18Dramatic Reading, "Mother on a Moment's Notice" KansasGayla Leigh ShoemakeEl Dorado19Original Dramatic Interpretation, "Rude Awakening" KentuckyAlice ChumbleyJamestown21Dramatic Monologue from The Country Girl LouisianaJudith Ann CodayBaton Rouge20Vocal MaineSally Ann RobinsonEnfield20Monologue/PianoNon-finalist Talent Award MarylandRobin Carole DavisHyattsville18Vocal, "I Cain't Say No" MassachusettsBrenda CrovoReading20Vocal Medley, "Bill" & "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" from Show BoatTop 10 MichiganNancy FlemingMontague18Presentation of Dress DesignWinnerPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
Preliminary Talent Award MinnesotaJean ElverumFairbault22Vocal, "Romany Life" from The Fortune Teller MississippiPatricia McRaneyMcComb20Speech & Art PresentationNon-finalist Talent Award MissouriDusene VunovichKansas City19Vocal, "Honey Bun" from South Pacific MontanaLois Marie VolkelMissoula18Classical Vocal, "Voi lo Sapete" from Cavalleria rusticana NebraskaCheryl Ann JackeShelton18Vocal NevadaNancy BowenMcGill19Humorous Reading & Piano New HampshireDrina BouchardRochester18Cha-cha-cha Interpretation New JerseyAnn BarberWestfield18 New MexicoCarolyn MooreCarlsbad18Caricature Drawing New YorkSusan TalbertOgdensburg19DanceMiss Congeniality New York CitySherrylyn PatecellNew York City North CarolinaAnn HerringWinston-Salem19Vocal, "The Lonely Goatherd" from The Sound of Music2nd runner-up North DakotaCarol OlsonFargo21Dramatic Monologue from Mary Stuart OhioAlice McClainMarion18Vocal, "Summertime" & "I Got Plenty of Nothin'" OklahomaDonna Kay CreedEnid20Vocal, "The Sound of Music" OregonRosemary DoolenSalem19Vocal, "A Heart That's Free"Non-finalist Talent Award PennsylvaniaPriscilla Mae HendricksShillington19Original Display of Art Work Rhode IslandSally SaabyeWarwick18Piano/Pantomime South CarolinaEdith Sandra BrowningGreenwood19Comic Dance/Pantomime, "I Wish I Could Shimmy Like my Sister Kate"Top 10Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award South DakotaJanet BarberBritton18Dramatic Interpretation, "Casual Approach to Violence" TennesseeJenny ThomasNashville19Modern Ballet, Porgy and Bess TexasMary Cage MooreLaredo18Spanish Dance with music by Manuel de FallaNon-finalist Talent Award UtahMarian Faye WalkerSalt Lake City27Classical Vocal, "The Waltz Aria" from MireilleTop 10Preliminary Talent Award VermontAnne MasinoRandolph18Accordion, "China Boy" VirginiaCatherine BirchStaunton19Classical BalletLater married magician John A. Daniel WashingtonConnie HughesBellingham18Original Monologue West VirginiaMary HobackBluefield18Original Dramatic Reading WisconsinKaren FahrenbachRacine21Classical Ballet en Pointe, The Sleeping Beauty WyomingSharon LuondCheyenne18Dramatic Monologue from Wingless Victory by Maxwell Anderson
References
External links Miss America official website