Miss America 1939, the 13th Miss America pageant, was the last pageant to be held at the famed Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey.[1] The finals were held on Saturday, September 9, 1939, and Miss Michigan, Patricia Donnelly, was crowned Miss America 1939.[2] The Miss Congeniality Award was also introduced at the 1939 competition.

Miss America 1939
DateSeptember 9, 1939
VenueSteel Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Entrants43
Placements15
WinnerPatricia Donnelly
 Michigan
← 1938
1940 →

Donnelly later became a singer and actress. Third runner-up Marguerita Skliris became the actress Margia Dean, who starred in such Hollywood films as Seven Women from Hell and The Quatermass Xperiment. Fourth runner-up Rose Marie Elliott had a successful musical career on the Broadway stage as Rose Marie Brown.

Results

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Placements

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Placement Contestant
Miss America 1939
1st Runner-Up
2nd Runner-Up
3rd Runner-Up
4th Runner-Up
Top 15

Awards

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Preliminary awards

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Award Contestant
Talent

Other awards

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Award Contestant
Miss Congeniality

Contestants

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Title Name Hometown Age Talent Placement Awards Notes
Birmingham Florine Holt Birmingham Vocal, "Moonglow" & "A Little Bit of Heaven" Top 15
  Arkansas Jean Thompson Helena
  California Marguerita Skliris San Francisco Dramatic Monologue, "The Poison Scene" from Romeo and Juliet 3rd Runner-up Preliminary Talent Award Later known as actress Margia Dean
Central Connecticut Catherine Harrison Derby
Charlotte Marguerite Taylor Charlotte
  Connecticut Frieda Lampar Bridgeport
Coney Island Grayce M. Reilly
  District of Columbia Evelyn Foster 19 Ballet en Pointe
Eastern New York Claire E. Foley Vocal Comedy & Dance Top 15
Eastern Ohio Maxine Drumm
Eastern Pennsylvania Emma Louise Knoell Philadelphia
  Florida Rose Marie Magrill Miami Tap Dance Top 15
  Georgia Mary Durrance Glennville Vocal
  Illinois Ethel Lorraine Lodbell Chicago Monologue, "From the Diary of a Contestant" Top 15
  Kansas Rosemary Winslow Salina
  Kentucky Louise Holman Pineville
Lexington Mattigene Palmore Lexington
  Maryland Elaine Pasqualla Crisfield
  Miami Irmigard Dietel Miami Vocal Medley, "See You Again", "Blue Evening", & "Solitude" Top 15
  Michigan Patricia Donnelly Detroit 19 Vocal/Bass Fiddle, "To You" & "Ol' Man Mose" Winner
  Minnesota Marion Rudeen Minneapolis Acrobatic Dance Top 15 Preliminary Talent Award
  Mississippi Doris Coggins Baldwyn Miss Congeniality
  Missouri Margaret Ley St. Louis
  Montana Lucille Chouinard Fort Peck
Montgomery Louise Robertson Montgomery
Myrtle Beach Mary Eleanor Parish Myrtle Beach
  New Hampshire Lois Marjorie Truax Nashua
  New Jersey Margo Lundgren Harrison Whistling Tunes Vocal, "Don't Worry About Me" Top 15
  New Orleans Frances Helen Anello New Orleans
  North Carolina Margaret Wood Vocal, "If I Didn't Care" Top 15 Preliminary Talent Award
  Ohio Jeanne Saboda Cleveland
  Oklahoma Bettye Cornelia Avert Oklahoma City Original Piano & Vocal, "Wondering & Dreaming" 1st Runner-up
  Pennsylvania Ruth Phyllis Willock Pittsburgh
  Philadelphia Nancy Lee Philadelphia
  South Carolina Margaret Allan Shealy Clinton Vocal, "Especially for You"
Staten Island Lillian Evelyn Hessen Annadale
Sun Valley Louise Fletchner Clarinet, "Stardust" Top 15
  Tennessee Judy Jones Tracy City Vocal Medley, "I Surrender" & "Come True"
  Texas Charmayne Smith Dallas Vocal, "Round Up Time in Texas" Top 15
  Virginia Rose Marie Elliot Sulfolk Vocal, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" 4th Runner-up Later known on Broadway as Rose Marie Brown
  Washington Anna Mae Schoonover Seattle Dramatic Monologue from Accent on Youth 2nd Runner-up
Western Tennessee Louise Bussart Etowah

References

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  1. ^ "Miss America History 1939". Archived from the original on September 24, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
  2. ^ "Miss America Seeks Ways To Mother's Bills". Ogden Standard. Associated Press. September 11, 1939. p. 8.

Secondary sources

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  • Saulino Osborne, Angela (1995). "Miss Americas and their Courts". Miss America The Dream Lives On. Taylor Publishing Company. ISBN 0-87833-110-7.
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