- Miss Tennessee
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For the state pageant affiliated with Miss USA, see Miss Tennessee USA.
Stephanie Wittler, Miss Tennessee 2009
Kellye Cash, Miss Tennessee 1986 & Miss America 1987The Miss Tennessee competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Tennessee in the Miss America pageant.
Contents
History
The Miss Tennessee pageant was first held in 1938, although the winner, Isobel Carter, was unable to compete at Miss America due to illness and so the first 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 first runner-up representing the state at the national competition. The routine pageant was held in 1941, but from 1942-1946 representatives were appointed without a pageant being held, due to World War II. 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.
Kellye Cash, Miss America 1987, is the second Miss Tennessee to win the national title. Six titleholders have placed as runners-up to Miss America. Tennessee native Barbara Jo Walker was Miss America 1947 and represented the city of Memphis when she won the title.
In a rare occurrence, all three Miss Tennessees 1999-2001 later won the similar Miss Tennessee USA pageant, whose delegates represent Tennessee at Miss USA. More remarkable was that the three won the Miss Tennessee USA title in the order which they held their Miss Tennessee titles. Allison Alderson, one of the three, is a Triple Crown winner, having competed for Tennessee at Miss Teen USA 1994 as well.
Three other Miss Tennessees have won the Miss Tennessee USA title, Jean Harper, Desiree Daniels and Leah Hulan
Winners
Year Name Hometown Age Local Title Miss America Talent Placement at Miss America Special scholarships at Miss America Notes 2011 Erin Hatley Bartlett 20 Miss Collierville Classical Vocal 2010 Nicole Jordan Cordova 21 Miss Lexington Vocal "All by Myself" Miss University of Alabama 2009, Miss Henderson County 2008, Miss Memphis 2007 2009 Stefanie Wittler Soddy-Daisy 22 Miss Hamilton County Vocal "I Will Always Love You" 2nd runner-up at Miss America 2010 Quality of Life finalist 2008 Ellen Carrington Jackson 21 Miss Scenic City Vocal "Vole Mon Ange" from Svengali Top 7 at Miss America 2009 2007 Grace Gore Nashville 24 Miss Lexington Vocal "What a Wonderful Day" Top 16 Finalist Previously Miss Mississippi Teen USA 2002 2006 Blaire Pancake Chattanooga 24 Miss Metropolitan Vocal "Attitude" 2005 Tara Burns Nashville 22 Miss Music City Classical Vocal "Art Is Calling For Me" from The Enchantress by Victor Herbert Non-finalist Talent 2004 Ashley Eicher Nashville 24 Miss Murfreesboro Vocal "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" Non-finalist Talent 2003 Jamie Watkins Soddy-Daisy 23 Miss Scenic City Vocal "If I Can Dream" 4th runner-up to National Sweetheart 2001 2002 Valli Kugler Rutherford 22 Miss UT Martin Vocal "At Last" 2001 Stephanie Culberson Knoxville 21 Miss Cleveland Classical Piano "Fantaisie-Impromptu" 2nd runner-up Preliminary Swimsuit Award, Preliminary Evening Wear Award Later Miss Tennessee USA 2004 (4th runner-up at Miss USA) 2000 Beth Hood Cleveland 21 Miss Cleveland Vocal "Desperado" Non-Finalist Talent Later Miss Tennessee USA 2003 (4th runner-up at Miss USA) 1999 Allison Alderson Jackson 22 Miss Memphis Piano / Vocal Medley "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" & "River Deep – Mountain High" Waterford Scholarship for Business Marketing & Management Triple Crown winner, previously Miss Tennessee Teen USA 1994, finished 6th at Miss Teen USA 1994 later Miss Tennessee USA 2002; married to Rascal Flatts musician Jay DeMarcus, Correspondent for the 2007 Miss America Pageant broadcast on CMT 1998 Heather Heath Nashville 21 Miss Heart of Tennessee Vocal "Think of Me" Previously Missouri's Junior Miss 1995 1997 Lanna Keck Knoxville 23 Miss Milan No-Till Gospel Vocal "Go Light Your World" 1996 Jeni Stephens Memphis 23 Miss Memphis Popular Vocal "Operator" 1995 Alison Shumate Union City 21 Miss Knoxville Vocal Medley "Crazy for You" & "I Got Rhythm" Non-Finalist Interview daughter of Miss Tennessee 1967 1994 Lori Smith Ocoee 21 Miss Tennessee Tech Piano Solo "The Firefly" by Anton Bilotti 1993 Kathleen Brang Greeneville 24 Miss Historic Jonesborough Popular Vocal "Dare to Dream" 1992 Leah Hulan Murfreesboro 24 Miss Knoxville Clogging "Can't Stop Now" Later Miss Tennessee USA 1994 1991 Jill Horn Memphis 23 Miss Memphis Vocal "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" 1990 Dana Brown Memphis 25 Miss Frontier Days Vocal & Piano "The Glory of Love" & "I Can't Give You Anything but Love, Baby" 2nd runner-up 1989 Lisa Robertson Collegedale 23 Miss Cleveland Violin Solo "Orange Blossom Special" QVC Host 1988 Carrie Folks New Johnsonville 20 Miss Bluegrass Festival A Capella Vocal "Sweet Dreams" Non-Finalist Talent 1987 Regina Athnos Clarksville 23 Miss Tennessee Peach Festival Flute Medley "I'll Fly Away" & "Amazing Grace" 1986 Kris Beasley* Memphis Miss Memphis Kellye Cash Milan 21 Miss Milan Crown and Scepter Piano / Vocal "I'll Be Home" Winner Preliminary Swimsuit; Preliminary Talent 1985 Sonya Pleasant Mountain City 22 Miss Wautauga Valley Vocal "I Fall to Pieces" former White House staff member 1984 Shelly Mangrum Nashville 23 Miss West Tennessee State Fair Vocal "And the World Goes 'Round" Top 10 Semi-Finalist 1983 Moira Kaye Oak Ridge 23 Miss Roane County Vocal "Memory" Non-finalist Talent Previously Tennessee's Junior Miss 1978 1982 Desiree Daniels Chattanooga 22 Miss Hamilton County Popular Vocal "Don't Cry Out Loud" 1st runner-up Preliminary Swimsuit Later Miss Tennessee USA 1984 (second runner-up at Miss USA); daughter was first runner-up to Miss Tennessee Teen USA 2006 1981 Angelina Johnson Jackson 20 Miss Madison Ventriloquism "Laverne & Shirley" 1980 Sarah Leonard Jonesborough 20 Miss Historic Jonesborough Popular Vocal "We Could Have Had It All" 1979 Elise Neal Paris 21 Miss Okra Piano Solo "Prelude in C minor by Rachmaninoff" Non-finalist Talent 1978 Jill Beshears Memphis 22 Miss Memphis State University Vocal Medley "You'll Never Walk Alone" & "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" 1977 Linda Moore Madison 22 Miss Nashville Vocal "Evening Gowns Are Not For Children" Top 10 Semi-Finalist Preliminary Swimsuit 1976 Terry Alden Memphis 21 Miss Memphis Classical Piano "Toccata" 1975 Marion Burgess Memphis 21 Miss Bells Tap Dance "I'm Gonna Live Till I Die" Toured with Miss America USO Troupe 1974 Deborah Kincaid Memphis 21 Miss Memphis State University Vocal Medley "Once In a Lifetime" "In My Own Lifetime" & "This Is My Life" Top 10 Semi-Finalist Preliminary Talent 1973 Anne Randle Galloway Knoxville 20 Miss Memphis Piano "Rhapsody in Blue" 1972 Debbie Cathey Nashville 20 Miss Nashville Semi-Classical Vocal "Amazing Grace" 1971 Marsha McDonald Nashville 21 Miss Memphis State University Ballet "Over And Over Again" 1970 Carol Ferrante Memphis 21 Miss Memphis Vocal Medley of Popular Songs 1969 Mary Cox Johnson City 20 Miss Johnson City Semi-Classical Vocal "One Kiss" from The New Moon Non-finalist Talent Toured with Miss America USO Troupe 1968 Brenda Seal Kingsport 19 Miss East Tennessee State University Popular Vocal "What Now My Love" Top 10 Semi-Finalist Featured performer on 1969 Miss America telecast; Competed in the 1967 National Sweetheart Pageant 1967 Linda Workman Martin 18 Miss UT Martin Vocal "I Don't Care" 1966 Vicki Hurd Kingsport 19 Miss Carter County Original Vocal "I'm In a Pageant" 2nd runner-up Also winner of the National Sweetheart Pageant in 1965, Featured Performer on the 1967 Miss America telecast 1965 Marcia Murray Paris 19 Miss Paris Popular Vocal "Spellbound" 1964 Rita Munsey New Tazewell 20 Miss Knoxville Vocal Medley & Accordion "You Don't Know Me" & "Walkin' After Midnight" Crowned Miss Dixie 1965 1963 Martha Truett Tiptonville Miss Bells Piano Solo "Rhapsody In Blue" 3rd runner-up competed in Miss Dixie 1964 1962 Margaret Petty Nashville 19 Miss Nashville Vocal "Something Wonderful" 1961 Rita Wilson Humboldt 20 Miss Bells Vocal "I'm Doing Alright For a Mountain Gal" Previously was the winner of the 1959 National Sweetheart Pageant. Crowned Miss Dixie 1962, competed in Miss Dixie 1960 as Miss National Sweetheart. 1960 Jenny Thomas Nashville 19 Miss Nashville Modern Ballet "Porgy and Bess" 1959 Marion "Mickey" Wayland Knoxville 18 Miss Knoxville Piano / Vocal "Près des remparts de Séville" from Carmen & "I Cain't Say No" Top 10 Semi-Finalist 1958 Patricia Eaves Cookeville Miss Putnam County Dramatic Monologue "Viola's Ring Scene" from Twelfth Night Competed in the 1960 Miss Dixie Pageant 1957 Amanda Whitman Nashville Miss Davidson County Trampoline / Tumbling "The Third Man Theme" 1956 Shelby Bailey Humboldt Miss Gadsden Vocal "It Takes Two To Tango" 1955 Patty William Jackson Miss Lambuth College Vocal "The Student Prince" 1954 Gerry Johnson Nashville Miss Nashville Vocal / Character Pantomime "The Deadwood Stage" Semi-Finalist 1953 Ruth Ann Barker Trenton Miss Gibson County Vocal 1952 Gloria Williams Chattanooga Miss Chattanooga Vocal "Lover When You're Near Me" 1951 Jean Harper Memphis Miss Shelby County Vocal "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" Placed among the Top 15 Future Miss Tennessee USA 1952 (3rd Runner-up at Miss USA) 1950 Greta Graham Memphis Miss Memphis Organ Solo 1949 Adelyn Sumner Knoxville Modeling / Speech 1948 Dorothy Free Chattanooga Miss Chattanooga Vocal Medley "Let My Song Fill Your Heart" by Ernest Charles & "Embraceable You" Preliminary Talent Lois Jeanette Welch Memphis Vocal & Fashion Design "Gianni Mia" Semi-Finalist Competed as Miss Memphis in the Miss America Pageant 1947 Georgia Cunningham Chattanooga Tap Dance Semi-Finalist Won the title of Miss Tennessee with her twin sister. At Miss America they flipped a coin to decide who would compete as Miss Tennessee. Dorothy Cunningham Chattanooga Tap Dance Competed at Miss America as "Miss Chattanooga" Barbara Jo Walker Memphis 21 Art Display & Vocal Medley "One Kiss" & "Un Bel Di" from Madama Butterfly Winner Preliminary Talent Award Competed at Miss America as "Miss Memphis" 1946 Wilda Bowman Chattanooga 1945 Lee Henson Chattanooga Vocal Medley "Dreams" & "I Didn't Know the Gun Was Loaded" Semi-finalist Preliminary Swimsuit Award 1944 Marian Weller Chattanooga Vocal "Some Day I'll Find You" 1943 Frances Eakes Chattanooga competed as Miss Chattanooga in the Miss America Pageant 1941 Martha McKinney Nashville Miss Candyland Acrobatic / Tap Dance Katherine Gammon Knoxville competed as Miss Knoxville in the Miss America Pageant 1940 Christine Webb Centerville Miss Centerville Dramatic Monologue "The Waltz" Thelma McGhee Knoxville competed as Miss Knoxville in the Miss America Pageant 1939 Judy Jones Tracy City Vocal Medley "I Surrender" & "Come True" Louise Bussart Etowah competed as Miss West Tennessee in the Miss America Pageant 1938 Victoria Ann Motlow Mulberry Miss Fayetteville Vocal "You Turned the Tables on Me" 1935 Sarah Beard Dickson 1924 No Miss Tennessee There was a Miss Nashville who competed but her name is not known 1923 No Miss Tennessee Elizabeth Mallory competed as Miss Memphis and was a semi-finalist 1922 No Miss Tennessee Sue Burton competed as Miss Nashville and finished as 1st runner-up in the pageant. Ruth Doughty competed as Miss Memphis References
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Categories:- Miss America state pageants
- Tennessee culture
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