Miss Alabama

For the state pageant affiliated with Miss USA and Miss Universe, see Miss Alabama USA.

Miss Alabama is an annual beauty pageant which is used as a qualifier for the Miss America pageant.

The pageant was originally sponsored by the Birmingham News, which already sponsored a Miss Birmingham pageant. In 1936, 1946 and 1948 both contests sent representatives to the Miss America pageant. Miss Alabama became the primary qualifier in 1949, the first year it was held in the Alabama Theatre. Similarly the "Miss Mobile" and "Miss Montgomery" pageants became qualifiers for Miss Alabama between 1926 and 1941. Since 1971 all entrants must have been crowned in a preliminary local pageant. The pageant competition is currently held at Samford University's Wright Center auditorium.

Since 1921, Alabama has produced three Miss Americas, 21 top-five finalists and 46 top-15 semi-finalists. Two Miss Alabamas have been named "Miss Congeniality" at the national pageant.

Local pageants

To compete in Miss Alabama, contestants must first win one of many local pageants held around Alabama. The following is a list of local pageants in the Birmingham District.

Miss Birmingham Miss Center Point Miss Gardendale Magnolia Festival Miss Homewood Miss Hoover Miss Jefferson County

Miss Leeds Miss North Jefferson County Miss Samford University Miss Shelby County Miss Springville Miss Talladega County

Miss Trussville Miss Tuscaloosa Miss University of Alabama Miss UAB Miss Walker County

Winners

1921: Lois Wilson 1922: Elise Sparrow 1935: Adelynn Owen 1936: Gloria Lavenge/Tommy Marie Peck 1937: Josephine Beall/Ingram Starkey 1938: Mildred Oxford/Patricia McDaniel 1939: Florine Holt/Louise Robertson 1940: Evelyn Motlow/Carolyn Foreman 1941: Virginia McGraw 1942: Marie Duncan 1943: Toula Hagestratou 1944: Betty Jane Rase 1945: Frances Dorn 1946: Dale Nunnelly/Sue Donegan 1947: Peggy Elder 1948: Martha Ann Ingram/Marjorie Orr 1949: Freida Roser 1950: Yolande Betbeze (Miss America 1951) 1951: Jeanne Moody 1952: Gwen Harmon 1953: Virginia McDavid 1954: Marilyn Tate 1955: Patricia Huddleston 1956: Anne Stuart Arial

1957: Anna Strange 1958: Lee Thornberry 1959: Betty Lindstrom 1960: Teresa Rinaldi 1961: Delores Hodgens 1962: Patricia Bonner 1963: Judy Short 1964: Vickie Powers 1965: Linda Folsom 1966: Angie Grooms 1967: Becky Alford 1968: Dellynne Catching 1969: Ann Fowler 1970: Suzanne Dennie 1971: Ceil Jenkins 1972: Freita Fuller 1973: Jane Rice 1974: Pam Long 1975: Susie Vaughn 1976: Denise Davis 1977: Julie Houston 1978: Teresa Cheatham (1st runner up) 1979: Kathy Pickett 1980: Paige Phillips (1st runner up) 1981: Phoebe Stone 1982: Yolanda Fernandez 1983: Pam Battles 1984: Tammy Little 1985: Angela Tower 1986: Angela Callahan 1987: Kym Williams (after Julie Hitt stepped down)

1988: Jenny Jackson 1989: Julie Coons 1990: Resha Riggins 1991: Wendy Neuendorf 1992: Kim Wimmer 1993: Kalyn Chapman 1994: Heather Whitestone (Miss America 1995)/Amie Beth Dickenson 1995: Leigh Sherer 1996: Alison McCreary 1997: Beth Stomps 1998: Ashley Halfman 1999: Julie Smith 2000: Jana Sanderson 2001: Kelly Jones 2002: Scarlotte Deupree (1st runner up) 2003: Catherine Crosby 2004: Dierdre Downs (Miss America 2005)/Shannon Camper 2005: Alexa Jones 2006: Melinda Toole 2007: Jamie Langley 2008: Amanda Tapley 2009: Liz Cochran 2010: Ashley Davis 2011: Courtney Porter 2012: Anna Laura Bryan 2013: Chandler Champion

Gallery

• 

  Lois Wilson

• 

  Marie Duncan

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  Betty Jane Rase

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  Yolande Betbeze

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  Julie Hitt

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  Heather Whitestone

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  Deidre Downs

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  Alexa Jones

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  Melinda Toole

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  Jamie Langley

• 

  Amanda Tapley

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  Liz Cochran

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  Ashley Davis

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  Courtney Porter

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  Anna Laura Bryan

References

• "[htts://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Alabama Miss Alabama]" (October 5, 2013) Wikipedia - accessed November 8, 2013

External links

• Miss Alabama official website