Miss USA 1984 was the 33rd
Miss USA pageant, televised live from Lakeland Civic Auditorium,
Lakeland, Florida on May 17, 1984. At the conclusion of the final competition,
Mai Shanley of
New Mexico was crowned Miss USA 1984 by outgoing titleholder
Julie Hayek of
California.
The pageant was hosted by
Bob Barker
Robert William Barker (born December 12, 1923) is an American retired television game show host. He is known for hosting CBS's ''The Price Is Right'' from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American televis ...
. It was the first time the pageant had been held in Florida since 1971, the last time the pageant had been held in its old home of
Miami Beach
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It was incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on natural and man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter of which sep ...
.
In an odd occurrence, both women in the top two had previously competed at
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 ...
, neither one of whom placed at that pageant.
Results
Placements
Final Competition
Historical significance
*
New Mexico wins competition for the first time and surpasses its previous highest placement in
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...
. Also becoming in the 22nd state who does it for the first time.
*
West Virginia earns the ''1st runner-up'' position for the second time and it reaches again its highest placement ever at the contest. The last time it placed this was in
1957
1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th y ...
.
*
Tennessee earns the ''2nd runner-up'' position for the second time. The last time it placed this was in
1962
Events January
* January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand.
* January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism.
* January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...
.
*
Missouri earns the ''3rd runner-up'' position for the second time. The last time it placed this was in
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6).
The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history.
Events
Ja ...
.
*
District of Columbia earns the ''4th runner-up'' position for the second time. The last time it placed this was in
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...
.
* States that placed in semifinals the previous year were
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
and
Texas.
*
Texas placed for the tenth consecutive year.
*
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
made its second consecutive placement.
*
Tennessee last placed in
1982
Events January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...
.
*
New Mexico last placed in
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC.
* January 9 – ...
.
*
Illinois and
North Carolina last placed in
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
.
*
District of Columbia last placed in
1977
Events January
* January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
* January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...
.
*
Missouri and
Oregon last placed in
1976
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
.
*
West Virginia last placed in
1961
Events January
* January 3
** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015).
** Aero Flight 311 ...
.
*
Michigan breaks an ongoing streak of placements since
1982
Events January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...
.
Delegates
The Miss USA 1984 delegates were:
*
Alabama - Kelly Flowers
*
Alaska - Sherri McNeally
*
Arizona - Daria Sparling
*
Arkansas - Shelly Boyd
*
California - Theresa Ring
*
Colorado - Michelle Anderson
*
Connecticut - Lynne Scalo
*
Delaware - Denise Lennick
*
District of Columbia - Steffanee Leaming
*
Florida - Stacy Hassfurder
*
Georgia - Jayne Poteet
*
Hawaii - Puna Stillman
*
Idaho - Valencia Bilyeu
*
Illinois - LaVonne Misselle
*
Indiana - Susan Willarbo
*
Iowa - Michele Boisvert
*
Kansas - Elizabeth Johnson
*
Kentucky - Tammy Melendez
*
Louisiana - Rusanne Jourdan
*
Maine - Vickie Lynn Gay
*
Maryland - Betsy Cook
*
Massachusetts - Deborah Neary
*
Michigan - Adriana Krambeck
*
Minnesota - Martha Mork
*
Mississippi - Carla Green
*
Missouri - Sandra Percival
*
Montana - Kristi Ogren
*
Nebraska - Joni Rundall
*
Nevada - Donna Lee McNeil
*
New Hampshire - Diane Gadoury
*
New Jersey - Diane Everett Qualter
*
New Mexico -
Mai Shanley
*
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
* '' ...
- Carolina Flury
*
North Carolina - Cookie Noak
*
North Dakota - Suzanne Lewis
*
Ohio - Rosi Erwin
*
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
- Julia Murdock
*
Oregon - Debbie Epperson
*
Pennsylvania - Tina Albright
*
Rhode Island - Debbie Mowry
*
South Carolina - Ginger Gree
*
South Dakota - Donna Smith
*
Tennessee - Desiree Daniels
*
Texas - Laura Shaw
*
Utah - Michele Lynn Brown
*
Vermont - Sue O'Brien
*
Virginia - Leah Rush
*
Washington - Sue Gerrish
*
West Virginia - Kelly Lea Anderson
*
Wisconsin - Tamara Su Schoff
*
Wyoming - Cheryl Rawson
''Special entries''
*
Miss Teen USA 1983
Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant formerly run, since 1983, by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. Unlike its sister pageants Miss Universe, which currently broadcasts on Fox and Miss USA, this pageant is webcast on the Mis ...
-
Ruth Zakarian
*
Miss Teen USA 1984
Miss Teen USA 1984, the 2nd Miss Teen USA pageant, was televised live from Memphis Cook Convention Center, Memphis, Tennessee on 3 April 1984. At the conclusion of the final competition, Cherise Haugen of Illinois was crowned by outgoing queen ...
- Cherise Haugen
Contestant notes
*Kelly Anderson (West Virginia), the first runner-up, went on to compete in
Miss World 1984
Miss World 1984, the 34th edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 15 November 1984 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, UK. The winner was Astrid Carolina Herrera from Venezuela. She was crowned by Miss World 1983, Sarah-Jane Hutt of the ...
, where she placed fifth overall.
*Additionally, Sandy Percival (Missouri), the third runner-up, competed at
Miss International 1984, where she placed in the Top 15.
*Three contestants previously competed 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 ...
pageant:
**
Mai Shanley (New Mexico) -
Miss New Mexico
The Miss New Mexico competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of New Mexico in the Miss America pageant.
Kaitlin Kerl of Albuquerque was crowned Miss New Mexico 2022 on June 11, 2022 at the Flickinger Center of ...
1983
**Desiree Daniels (Tennessee) -
Miss Tennessee
The Miss Tennessee competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Tennessee in the Miss America Scholarship Competition.
Lauren Dickson of Parsons was crowned Miss Tennessee 2022 on June 25, 2022 at the Cannon Center ...
1982 (first runner-up at Miss America 1983)
**Kelly Anderson (West Virginia) -
Miss West Virginia 1982
Judges
*
Jim Craig
*Anna Colon
*
Ralph Wolfe Cowan
Ralph Wolfe Cowan (December 16, 1931 – September 4, 2018) was an American portrait artist.
Personal life
Cowan was born in 1931 in Phoebus, Virginia. He was the son of Joseph Carl and Daphne (Pearce) Cowan.
Known as ''"RW"'' to his friends, ...
*Anne Kirstin Clenshaw
*
Billy Hufsey
Billy Hufsey (born December 8, 1958 in Brook Park, Ohio) is an American actor and singer.
Career
Billy Hufsey was on television from 1983 to 1987, playing the role of Christopher Donlon on the NBC/syndicated drama, '' Fame''. He went on to play ...
*
Kim Seelbrede
Kimberly Seelbrede is a former beauty queen from Ohio who held the title Miss USA 1981. Seelbrede is a licensed psychotherapist in the states of New York and New Mexico. Seelbrede holds a graduate degree from New York University.
Following the ...
,
Miss USA 1981 from
Ohio
*
Tony Dorsett
*David Mason Daniels
*
Catherine Hickland
*
Irving Mansfield
Irving Mansfield (July 23, 1908 – August 25, 1988) was an American producer, publicist and writer. He is best remembered as the husband of novelist Jacqueline Susann and for his promotion of Susann's popular books.
Early life and career
...
*
Vicki Lawrence
External links
Official website
{{United States representatives at Miss World
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...
May 1984 events in the United States
1984 beauty pageants
1984 in Florida
Lakeland, Florida
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...