The Miss Alabama competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
in the annual
Miss America Competition.
Alabama has won three Miss America titles:
Deidre Downs in 2005,
Heather Whitestone (the first deaf woman to win the Miss America crown) in 1995, and
Yolande Betbeze
Yolande Margaret Betbeze Fox (November 28, 1928 – February 22, 2016) was an American singer and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss America 1951.
Early life
Betbeze was born on November 28, 1928 in Mobile, Alabama, to William, a ...
in 1951. Betbeze is also known as the contestant who refused to pose in a swimsuit, causing swimsuit sponsor
Catalina Swimwear
Catalina is a brand of women’s swimwear. It was once one of the oldest clothing manufacturers in California. Their history began in 1907, as Bentz Knitting Mills, a small manufacturer of underwear and sweaters. The name was changed to Pacific K ...
to pull out and ultimately start the
Miss USA
Miss USA is an American beauty pageant that has been held annually since 1952 to select the entrant from United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operated both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA, until 2020, ...
pageant.
Lindsay Fincher of
Wedowee was crowned Miss Alabama 2022 on July 3, 2022 at the Alabama Theatre in
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...
. She competed for the title of
Miss America 2023 at the
Mohegan Sun in
Uncasville, Connecticut
Uncasville is an area in the town of Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is a village in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River where it flows into the Thames River. The name is now applied more generally to all of the ea ...
in December 2022 where she was a Jean Bartel Social Impact Initiaive Finalist.
Gallery of past titleholders
File:Yolande_Betbeze_NYWTS.jpg, Yolande Betbeze
Yolande Margaret Betbeze Fox (November 28, 1928 – February 22, 2016) was an American singer and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss America 1951.
Early life
Betbeze was born on November 28, 1928 in Mobile, Alabama, to William, a ...
,
Miss Alabama 1950 and Miss America 1951
File:Heatherphilippinevisit.jpg, Heather Whitestone,
Miss Alabama 1994 and Miss America 1995
File:Deidre Downs.jpg, Deidre Downs,
Miss Alabama 2004 and Miss America 2005
Miss America 2005, the 78th Miss America pageant, was held in Atlantic City on Saturday, September 18, 2004, following a week of events including the preliminary competition.
The pageant was broadcast live on ABC from Boardwalk Hall in Atla ...
Results summary
The following is a visual summary of the past results of Miss Alabama titleholders at the national Miss America pageants/competitions. The year in parentheses indicates the year of the national competition during which a placement and/or award was garnered, not the year attached to the contestant's state title.
Placements
* Miss Americas:
Yolande Betbeze
Yolande Margaret Betbeze Fox (November 28, 1928 – February 22, 2016) was an American singer and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss America 1951.
Early life
Betbeze was born on November 28, 1928 in Mobile, Alabama, to William, a ...
(
1951
Events
January
* January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950).
* January 9 – The Government of the United ...
),
Heather Whitestone (
1995
File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...
),
Deidre Downs (
2005)
* 1st runners-up:
Teresa Cheatham (1979), Paige Phillips (1981),
Scarlotte Deupree (2003), Lauren Bradford (2022)
* 2nd runners-up: Frances Dorn (1945), Martha Ann Ingram (1948), Anne Stuart Ariail (1957), Pam Battles (1984), Alexa Jones (2006)
* 3rd runners-up: Peggy Elder (1947), Gwen Harmon (1953), Virginia McDavid (1954), Yolanda Fernandez (1983),
Alison McCreary (1997)
* 4th runners-up: Gloria Levinge (1936),
Betty Jane Rase (1944), Angela Tower (1986), Jenny Jackson (1989), Melinda Toole (2007), Meg McGuffin (2016)
* Top 7: Jessica Procter (2018), Tiara Pennington (2020)
* Top 10: Marie Duncan (1942), Jeanne Moody (1952), Marilyn Tate (1955), Patricia Huddleston (1956), Lee Thornberry (1959), Teresa Rinaldi (1961), Delores Hodgens (1962), Judy Short (1964), Vickie Powers (1965), Linda Folsom (1966), Angie Grooms (1967), Dellynne Catching (1969), Angela Callahan (1987),
Kalyn Chapman (1994),
Leigh Sherer (1996),
Julie Smith (2000), Jana Sanderson (2001),
Caitlin Brunell (2015), Callie Walker (2019)
* Top 12: Anna Laura Bryan (2013)
* Top 13: Courtney Porter (2012)
* Top 15: Tommy Marie Peck (1936), Mildred Oxford (1938), Florine Holt (1939), Virginia McGraw (1941),
Catherine Crosby (2004),
Amanda Tapley (2009)
Awards
Preliminary awards
*
Preliminary Lifestyle and Fitness: Marie Duncan (1942),
Betty Jane Rase (1944), Peggy Elder (1947),
Yolande Betbeze
Yolande Margaret Betbeze Fox (November 28, 1928 – February 22, 2016) was an American singer and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss America 1951.
Early life
Betbeze was born on November 28, 1928 in Mobile, Alabama, to William, a ...
(1951), Gwen Harmon (1953), Judy Short (1964), Dellynne Catching (1969),
Teresa Cheatham (1979), Angela Tower (1986),
Heather Whitestone (1995),
Ashley Davis (2011)
*
Preliminary Talent: Gloria Levinge (1936), Virginia McGraw (1941),
Betty Jane Rase (1944), Frances Dorn (1945), Emma Dale Nunnally (1946), Jeanne Moody (1952), Patricia Huddleston (1956), Anne Stuart Ariail (1957), Lee Thornberry (1959), Teresa Rinaldi (1961), Judy Short (1964), Vickie Powers (1965), Linda Folsom (1966), Suzanne Dennie (1971),
Teresa Cheatham (1979), Paige Phillips (1981),
Heather Whitestone (1995)
Non-finalist awards
* Non-finalist Talent: Anna Stange (1958), Betty Lindstrom (1960), Patricia Bonner (1963), Kathy Pickett (1980), Tammy Little (1985), Chandler Champion (2014)
* Non-finalist Interview: Resha Riggins (1991)
Other awards
*
Miss Congeniality: Toula Hagestratou (1943),
Melinda Toole (2007)
* Children's Miracle Network (CMN) Miracle Maker Award: Hayley Barber (2017)
* CMN Miracle Maker Award 2nd runners-up: Jamie Langley (2008), Callie Walker (2019)
*Jean Bartel Social Impact Initiative Winner: Lauren Bradford (2022)
*Jean Bartel Social Impact Initiative Finalists: Lindsay Fincher (2023)
*
Quality of Life Award Winners:
Kim Wimmer (1993),
Alison McCreary (1997),
Catherine Crosby (2004),
Deidre Downs (2005), Anna Laura Bryan (2013),
Caitlin Brunell (2015), Hayley Barber (2017), Jessica Procter (2018)
* Quality of Life Award 1st runners-up:
Heather Whitestone (1995),
Scarlotte Deupree (2000)
Scarlotte Deupree (2003)
* Quality of Life Award 2nd runners-up:
Julie Smith (2000), Alexa Jones (2006),
Melinda Toole (2007),
Amanda Tapley (2009), Meg McGuffin (2016)
* Quality of Life Award Finalists: Resha Riggins (1991),
Leigh Sherer (1996), Jamie Langley (2008),
Liz Cochran (2010)
*
STEM Scholarship Award Winners: Hayley Barber (2017); Lauren Bradford (2022)
*Top Fundraiser 1st runner-ups: Lauren Bradford (2022)
*
Women in Business Scholarship Award Finalists: Lauren Bradford (2022)
Winners
Notes
References
External links
Miss Alabama official website
{{Miss America state
Alabama culture
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
Women in Alabama
1935 establishments in Alabama