Miss Mississippi is a

scholarship A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. Scholarsh ...

pageant Pageant may refer to: * Procession or ceremony in elaborate costume * Beauty pageant, or beauty contest * Latter Day Saint plays and pageants, run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or by members local to the area of the pageant * ...

and a preliminary of

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 ...

. The contest began in 1934, has been held in

Vicksburg Vicksburg most commonly refers to: * Vicksburg, Mississippi, a city in western Mississippi, United States * The Vicksburg Campaign, an American Civil War campaign * The Siege of Vicksburg, an American Civil War battle Vicksburg is also the name of ...

since 1958, and provides more money than any other scholarship pageant in the Miss America Organization. Four Miss Mississippis have won the Miss America crown:

Mary Ann Mobley Mary Ann Mobley (February 17, 1937 – December 9, 2014) was an American actress, television personality, and Miss America 1959. Career Mobley was born in 1937 in Biloxi, Mississippi. After her reign as Miss America 1959, Mobley embarked on a c ...

(1959),

Lynda Lee Mead Lynda Lee Shea (née Mead; born April 17, 1939) is an American businesswoman and beauty pageant titleholder who was Miss Mississippi 1959 and Miss America 1960. Shea attended Natchez High School and the University of Mississippi, where she was ...

(1960),

Cheryl Prewitt Cheryl Salem (née Prewitt) (born February 15, 1957) is an American Christian evangelist, author, musician, and former beauty pageant titleholder, who was Miss Mississippi 1979 and Miss America 1980. She was married to gospel singer Terry Blackwo ...

(1980), and Susan Akin (1986). Emmie Perkins of

Hattiesburg Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County (where it is the county seat and largest city) and extending west into Lamar County. The city population was 45,989 at the 2010 census, with the populat ...

was crowned Miss Mississippi 2022 on June 25, 2022 at the Vicksburg Convention Center in

Vicksburg, Mississippi Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat, and the population at the 2010 census was 23,856. Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vic ...

. She competed for the title of

Miss America 2023 Miss America 2023 was the 95th edition of the Miss America pageant, which occurred at the Mohegan Sun on December 16, 2022. The 2023 calendar year, based on several sources, may be the final year at Mohegan Sun. Rather than being aired on mai ...

on December 15, 2022 where she was the Jean Bartel Social Impact Initiative winner.

Gallery of past titleholders

File:Carolyn Cochran, Miss Mississippi (1955).png, File:Mary Ann Mobley, Brandon. (Miss Miss. '58,) (Miss America, '58-'59,) (Photo at WLBT)..png, File:Lynda Lee Mead NYWTS.jpg, File:Pat McRaney, McComb, Miss., (Miss Miss., '60) crowning Annice Ray Jernigan, (Miss Miss. '61), photo at Vicksburg, Miss., Summer of '61.png, File:Charlotte Ann Carroll, Miss Mississippi (1962).png, File:Jan Nave, Miss Mississippi (1963).png, File:Patsy Puckett, Miss Mississippi (1965).png, File:Robbie Robertson, Miss Mississippi (1966).png, File:Susan Akin.jpg, File:1987 Miss Mississippi Toni Seawright (4th Runner-up Miss America).jpg, File:Kimberly Morgan cropped.jpg, File:Miss Mississippi 2013 Visits the MRC (cropped).jpg, File:Jasmine Murray, Miss Mississippi 2014.jpg,

Results summary

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

(

1959 Events January * January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...

( 1960),

( 1980), Susan Akin (

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

) * 1st runners-up: Katherine Wright (1949), Patricia Puckett (1966), Joan Myers (1968),

Hannah Roberts Hannah Roberts may refer to: * Hannah Roberts (Miss Mississippi) * Hannah Roberts (BMX cyclist) * Hannah Roberts (cellist) See also *Anna Roberts Anna Roberts (born November 11, 1957) is a Canadian politician who was elected to represent the ri ...

(2016) * 2nd runners-up: Donna Pope (1981) (tie), Dianne Evans (1983), Kathy Manning (1985), Myra Barginear (1998) * 3rd runners-up: Christine McClamroch (1971), Wanda Geddie (1984), Christy May (2001),

Taryn Foshee Taryn Leigh Foshee (born April 3, 1985), a Clinton, Mississippi native, is a beauty queen who won the 2003 Miss Clinton pageant while a pupil at Hillcrest Christian School and received a commendation from the Mississippi Legislature. Subsequent ...

(2007) * 4th runners-up: Suzanne Dugger (1954),

Toni Seawright Toni Deniece Seawright (born June 25, 1964) is an American actress and singer-songwriter. In 1987, Seawright made history as the first African American to become Miss Mississippi and was the fourth runner-up in 1988's Miss America pageant. ...

(1988), Mary Allison Hurdle (1992), Laura Lee Lewis (2017) * Top 10: Charlotte Ann Carroll (1963), Karen Hopson (1982), Kimberly McGuffee (1987), Carla Haag (1989), Rebecca Blouin (1995),

Monica Louwerens Monica Renee Louwerens (born October 27, 1973 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) is a Canadian-American actress and beauty queen who has competed in the Miss America pageant and has appeared on numerous episodes of ''Power Rangers''. Early ...

(1996), Kari Litton (1997), Jennifer Adcock (2003), Jasmine Murray (2015) * Top 15: Laurice McFarland (1925), Jessie Morgan (1952), Chelsea Rick (2014) * Top 16: Kimberly Morgan (2008) * Top 18: Dorothy Ely (1933) * Top 20: Becky Pruett (2002)

Awards

Preliminary awards

* Preliminary Lifestyle and Fitness: Patricia Puckett (1966), Cheri Brown (1979) (tie),

(1980), Donna Pope (1981), Karen Hopson (1982), Wanda Geddie (1984), Kathy Manning (1985), Susan Akin (1986), Carla Haag (1989), Beth Howell (1991), Christy May (2001), Jennifer Adcock (2003),

Christine Kozlowski Christine Kozlowski is an American beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Mississippi on June 28, 2008. Kozlowski, a native of D'Iberville, is of Polish and Latina descent and is the first Miss Mississippi of Latina heritage. Kozlowski ...

(2009), Chelsea Rick (2014) * Preliminary Talent:

(1959), Charlotte Ann Carroll (1963), Dianne Evans (1983), Lenena Holder (1994), Becky Pruett (2002)

Non-finalist awards

* Non-finalist Talent: Lennie Nobles (1946), Patricia McRaney (1961), Robbie Robertson (1967), Lenena Holder (1994), Heather Soriano (2000),

Sarah Beth James Miss Mississippi is a scholarship pageant and a preliminary of Miss America. The contest began in 1934, has been held in Vicksburg since 1958, and provides more money than any other scholarship pageant in the Miss America Organization. Four ...

(2011), Marie Wicks (2013)

Other awards

* Miss Congeniality: Doris Coggins (1939), Dorothy Fox (1942) * Dr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship: Myra Barginear (1998) *Jean Bartel Social Impact Initiative Winner: Emmie Perkins (2023) *Jean Bartel Social Impact Initiative Finalist: Holly Brand (2022) * Louanne Gamba Instrumental Award:

(2016) * Quality of Life Award 2nd runners-up: Becky Pruett (2002),

Asya Branch Asya Danielle Branch (born May 5, 1998) is an American beauty pageant titleholder who was Miss USA 2020 and represented her country at Miss Universe 2020 where she placed Top 21. Early life and education Branch was born on May 5, 1998, in Detr ...

(2019) * Quality of Life Award Finalists: Jasmine Murray (2015),

(2016), Laura Lee Lewis (2017), Anne Elizabeth Buys (2018) * Rembrandt Mentor Award:

(1996) * STEM Scholarship Award Winners: Chelsea Rick (2014),

(2016)

Winners

Notes

References

External links

Miss Mississippi official website
{{Miss America state Recurring events established in 1934

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

Mississippi culture Women in Mississippi 1934 establishments in Mississippi