The Miss Tennessee competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

in the

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...

Scholarship Competition. Lauren Dickson of

Parsons Parsons may refer to: Places In the United States: * Parsons, Kansas, a city * Parsons, Missouri, an unincorporated community * Parsons, Tennessee, a city * Parsons, West Virginia, a town * Camp Parsons, a Boy Scout camp in the state of Washingt ...

was crowned Miss Tennessee 2022 on June 25, 2022 at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

. She competed for the title of

2023 at the

Mohegan Sun Mohegan Sun is an American casino, owned and operated by the Mohegan Tribe on of their reservation, along the banks of the Thames River in Uncasville, Connecticut. It has of gambling space. It is in the foothills of southeastern Connecticut, ...

Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is an area in the New England town, town of Montville, Connecticut, Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is a Administrative divisions of Connecticut#Village, neighborhood, section of town, village in southeastern Montville, at the ...

in December 2022.

History

The Miss Tennessee pageant was first held in 1938, although the winner, Isobel Carter, was unable to compete at

due to illness and so the 1st runner-up became Miss Tennessee. The following year, two winners were chosen to compete for the Miss America title. In 1940 the pageant suffered a repeat of 1938, with the winner resigning through illness and the 1st runner-up representing the state at the national competition. The routine pageant was held in 1941, but from 1942 to 1946 representatives were appointed without a pageant being held, due to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. In 1947 twins Jean and Jane Cunningham were both awarded the Miss Tennessee title, with one representing Tennessee and one Chattanooga at the Miss America pageant. The modern era of the pageant can be dated to 1953, when a regular routine of state pageants was instituted.

Barbara Jo Walker Barbara Jo Walker Hummel (March 12, 1926 – June 7, 2000) was Miss America in 1947. Life She attended the University of Memphis and is an alumna of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. She is also the mother of the late Andy Hummel of the legendary Mem ...

was crowned

Miss America 1947 Miss America 1947, the 21st Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 6, 1947. Barbara Jo Walker was the last Miss America to be crowned in her swimsuit, as well as the last contestant to repr ...

and represented the city of Memphis when she won the title.

Kellye Cash Kellye Cash-Sheppard (born February 2, 1965) is an American musician and beauty pageant titleholder. Early life Cash was born in Memphis, Tennessee. Pageantry Cash was crowned Miss Tennessee 1986 and later Miss America 1987, capturing prelimin ...

, Miss America 1987, was the second Miss Tennessee to win the national title. All three Miss Tennessees from 1999 to 2001 later won the similar

Miss Tennessee USA The Miss Tennessee USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Tennessee in the Miss USA pageant. The pageant is directed by Greenwood Productions under the ownership of Miss Tennessee USA 1989, Kimberly Pay ...

pageant, whose delegates represent Tennessee at 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. Three other Miss Tennessees have won the Miss Tennessee USA title, Jean Harper, Desiree Daniels, and Leah Hulan. Two Miss Tennessees have won the National Sweetheart title, Rita Wilson and Vicki Hurd. In the fall of 2018, the Miss America Organization terminated the former Miss Tennessee organization's license as well as licenses from

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, and

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

. On December 22, 2018, Miss America Awarded a new license for Tennessee naming Joe Albright as CEO; Lanna Keck-Smith, Miss Tennessee 1997, as Executive Director; and Caty Davis, Miss Tennessee 2017, as the Chief People Officer.

Gallery of past titleholders

File:Linda Workman, Miss Tennessee 1967.jpg, Linda Workman,
Miss Tennessee 1967 File:KellyeCash.jpg,

,
Miss Tennessee 1986 and

Miss America 1987 Miss America 1987, the 60th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 13, 1986 on NBC, NBC Network. Although an entry representing the city of Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis had been victorious i ...

File:Stephanie Wittler.jpg, Stefanie Wittler,
Miss Tennessee 2009

Results summary

The following is a visual summary of the past results of Miss Tennessee 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:

(

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country in ...

(

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

) * 1st runners-up: Desiree Daniels (1983) * 2nd runners-up: Vicki Hurd (1967), Dana Brown (1991), Stephanie Culberson (2002),

Stefanie Wittler Stephanie is a female name that comes from the Greek name Στέφανος (Stephanos) meaning "crown". The male form is Stephen. Forms of Stephanie in other languages include the German "Stefanie", the Italian, Czech, Polish, and Russian " Ste ...

(2010) * 3rd runners-up: Martha Truett (1964) * Top 7: Ellen Carrington (2009),

Hannah Robison Hannah Williams Robison (born January 4, 1994) is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Paris, Tennessee, who was crowned Miss Tennessee 2015. She competed for the Miss America 2016 crown and placed in the Top 7 finalists. Pageant care ...

(2016) * Top 10: Gerry Johnson (1955), Marion "Mickey" Wayland (1960), Brenda Seal (1969), Deborah Kincaid (1975), Linda Moore (1978), Shelly Mangrum (1985),

Erin Hatley Erin Hatley is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Bartlett, Tennessee who was named Miss Tennessee 2011. Biography She won the title of Miss Tennessee on June 18, 2011, when she received her crown from outgoing titleholder Nicole Jordan ...

(2012),

Chandler Lawson Chandler Lawson (born January 14, 1990) is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Tullahoma, Tennessee who was named Miss Tennessee 2012. Biography Lawson was born in Springfield, Missouri, but grew up in Tullahoma, Tennessee. She won the ti ...

(2013),

Hayley Lewis Hayley (pronounced ) is an English given name. It is derived from the English surname Haley, which in turn was based on an Old English toponym, a compound of ''heg'' "hay" and ''leah'' "clearing or meadow".Katie Martin-Doyle, ''The Treasury of ...

(2015), Grace Burgess (2017) * Top 12: Caty Davis (2018) * Top 13: Lee Henson (1945) * Top 15: Georgia Cunningham (1947), Lois Jeanette Welch (1948), Jean Harper (1952) * Top 16:

Grace Gore Grace Gore Sturdivant, AuD is an American beauty pageant titleholder who was named Miss Tennessee The Miss Tennessee competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Tennessee in the Miss America Scholarship Competiti ...

(2008)

Awards

Preliminary awards

* Preliminary Evening Gown: Stephanie Culberson (2002) * Preliminary Lifestyle and Fitness: Lee Henson (1945), Linda Moore (1978), Desiree Daniels (1983),

(1987), Stephanie Culberson (2002) * Preliminary Talent:

(1947), Dorothy Free (1948), Deborah Kincaid (1975),

(1987), Grace Burgess (2017)

Non-finalist awards

* Non-finalist Interview: Alison Shumate (1996) * Non-finalist Talent: Mary Cox (1970), Elise Neal (1980), Moira Kaye (1984), Carrie Folks (1989),

Beth Hood The Miss Tennessee USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Tennessee in the Miss USA pageant. The pageant is directed by Greenwood Productions under the ownership of Miss Tennessee USA 1989, Kimberly Pay ...

(2001),

Ashley Eicher Ashley Eicher is a host, producer, podcaster and storyteller. She is the host of ''Guest List Radio with Ashley Eicher'' on Apple Music. She is the co-host and co-founder of the ''All Our Favorite People Podcast with Ashley Eicher and Hunter Kel ...

(2005), Tara Burns (2006)

Other awards

* Miss Congeniality: N/A *

America's Choice ''America's Choice'' is the fifth album by the American blues rock band Hot Tuna, recorded in 1974, and released in 1975 as Grunt BFL1-0820. The album was also released in Quadraphonic as Grunt BFD1-0820. The first of the "Rampage" trilogy album ...

(2016) * Intercity Beauty Award Second Prize: Sue Burton (1922) * Evening Dress Award: Elizabeth Mallory (1923) * Equity & Justice Scholarship Award Finalists: Brianna Mason (2020) *Forever Miss America Scholarship: Tally Bevis (2022) * Quality of Life Award 1st runners-up:

(2016) * Quality of Life Award 2nd runners-up:

(2013) * Quality of Life Award Finalists: Heather Heath (1999), Grace Gore (2008)

(2010), Grace Burgess (2017), Christine Williamson (2019) * Roller Chair Parade Second Prize: Elizabeth Mallory (1923) * STEM Scholarship Award Winners:

(2016) *Top Fundraiser 3rd runner-up: Tally Bevis (2022) * Waterford Scholarship for Business in Marketing and Management:

Allison Alderson Allison Leigh Alderson DeMarcus (born January 18, 1977) is an American actress, TV host and beauty queen who has competed in the Miss Teen USA, Miss USA and Miss America pageants. Alderson is married to Jay DeMarcus, the bassist in the band Rascal ...

(2000) *Women in Business 2nd runner-up: Tally Bevis (2022) * Women in Business Scholarship Award Finalists: Christine Williamson (2019)

Winners

Notes

References

External links

Miss Tennessee official website
{{Miss America state

Tennessee culture Women in Tennessee Recurring events established in 1938 1938 establishments in Tennessee