Miss Alabama

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For the state pageant affiliated with Miss USA, see Miss Alabama USA

Miss America 2005/Miss Alabama 2004 Deidre Downs

The Miss Alabama competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the U.S. state of Alabama in the Miss America pageant.

Miss Alabama's have performed strongly at the Miss America pageant, particularly in the early twenty-first century, when the state produced only their third Miss America, a first runner-up, third runner-up and two semi-finalists.

Alabama has won three Miss America titles: Deidre Downs in 2005, Heather Whitestone in 1994 and Yolande Betbeze in 1951. Betbeze is well known as the Miss America who refused to pose in a swimsuit, causing swimsuit sponsors Catalina to pull out and start the Miss USA pageant. Another notable Miss Alabama is Heather Whitestone, the first deaf woman to win the Miss America crown.

1 Local pageants
2 Winners
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Local pageants

As with many other Miss America state pageants, delegates first must qualify by winning a local pageant. Local titles that have produced more than one Miss Alabama are:

Miss Homewood Area - Catherine Crosby (2003), Kelly Jones (2001)
Miss Samford University - Melinda Toole (2006), Jana Sanderson (2000), Alison McCreary (1996), Amie Beth Dickinson* (1994)
Miss Cullman Area - Ashley Halfman (1998), Heather Whitestone (1994)

[edit] Winners

Year	Name	Hometown	Local Title	Placement at Miss America	Special scholarships at Miss America	Notes
2006	Melinda Toole^[1]	Birmingham	Miss Samford University	4th runner-up at Miss America 2007	Quality of Life 1st runner-up	Miss Congeniality
2005	Alexa Jones^[2]	Andalusia	Miss Mobile	2nd runner-up at Miss America 2006	Quality of Life 2nd runner-up
2004	Shannon Camper*^[3]	Gadsden	Miss West Central Alabama
2004	Deidre Downs^[4]	Birmingham	Miss Leeds Area	Winner of Miss America 2005^[5]	Quality of Life Award
2003	Catherine Crosby^[6]	Brewton	Miss Homewood Area	Semi-finalist	Quality of Life award; Active International For Business & Marketing
2002	Scarlotte Deupree^[7]	Birmingham	Miss Camellia	1st runner-up	1st runner-up Quality of Life award
2001	Kelly Jones^[8]	Birmingham	Miss Homewood Area
2000	Jana Sanderson^[9]	Gadsden	Miss Samford University	Semi-finalist
1999	Julie Smith^[10]	Birmingham	Miss Chattahoochee Valley	Semi-finalist		She and her younger twin sisters Jill and Jennifer competed in the Miss Alabama 1997 pageant, the first time three sisters had competed in the same year.^[11]
1998	Ashley Halfman^[12]	Birmingham	Miss Cullman Area			Former Alabama's Junior Miss 1993^[13]
1997	Beth Stomps ^[14]	Mobile	Miss Alabama Music Hall of Fame
1996	Alison McCreary	Florence	Miss Samford University	3rd runner-up	Quality of Life award
1995	Leigh Sherer	Jasper	Miss Walker County	Semi-finalist
1994	Amie Beth Dickinson*		Miss Samford University
1994	Heather Whitestone	Birmingham	Miss Point Mallard	Winner^[15]	Preliminary swimsuit award; Preliminary Talent Award	First deaf Miss Alabama and Miss America^[16]
1993	Kalyn Chapman	Mobile	Miss Leeds Area	Semi-finalist		First African-American woman to become Miss Alabama^[17]
1992	Kim Wimmer	Mobile	Miss Point Mallard	Quality of Life Award Winner		Former Alabama's Junior Miss 1989
1991	Wendy Neuendorf	Birmingham	Miss Auburn University			Former Miss Georgia Teen USA 1986^[18]
1990	Resha Riggins	Trussville	Miss Alabama Music Hall of Fame		Nonfinalist Interview Award
1989	Julie Coons	Birmingham
1988	Jenny Jackson	Auburn	Miss Auburn University	4th runner-up
1987	Kym Williams	Birmingham	Miss All-American Bowl
1987	Julie Hitt					Resigned because she felt she would not be able to fulfill the responsbilities of the title and wanted to get on with her life and career.^[19]
1986	Angela Callahan	Birmingham	Miss All-American Bowl	4th runner-up	Semi-finalist
1985	Angela Tower	Birmingham	Miss Jefferson County	4th runner-up	Preliminary Swimsuit Award	Toured with 1986 Miss America Gillette Show Troupe
1984	Tammy Little	Section	Miss Hoover Area		Nonfinalist Talent Award
1983	Pam Battles	Muscle Shoals	Miss Dixie	2nd runner-up
1982	Yolanda Fernandez	Troy	Miss Troy State University	3rd runner-up		Former Florida's Junior Miss 1980; reporter for WFLA Channel 8^[20]
1981	Phoebe Stone	Huntsville	Miss Eastwood
1980	Paige Phillips	Leeds	Miss Leeds Area	1st runner-up	Preliminary Talent Award
1979	Kathy Pickett	Mulga				Toured with Miss America USO Troupe
1978	Teresa Cheatham	Wellington	Miss Point Mallard	1st runner-up	Preliminary Swimsuit Award; Preliminary Talent Award
1977	Julie Houston	Heflin	Miss Oak Mountain
1976	Denise Davis	Russellville				Toured with Miss America USO Troupe
1975	Susie Vaughn	Florence	Miss University of North Alabama
1974	Pam Long	Florence	Miss Florence State University			Screenwriter of soap opera Guiding Light
1973	Jane Rice	Huntsville	Miss Jacksonville State University
1972	Freita Fuller	Opelika
1971	Ceil Jenkins	Birmingham
1970	Suzanne Dennie	Birmingham			Preliminary Talent Award
1969	Ann Fowler	Birmingham				Former Alabama's Junior Miss 1966
1968	Dellynne Catching	Birmingham		Semi-finalist	Preliminary Swimsuit Award
1967	Becky Alford	Birmingham
1966	Angie Grooms	Birmingham		Semi-finalist		Toured with Miss America USO Troupe
1965	Linda Folsom	New Brockton		Semi-finalist	Preliminary Talent Award
1964	Vickie Powers	Mobile		Semi-finalist	Preliminary Talent Award	Featured Performer on the 1965 Miss America telecast
1963	Judy Short	Birmingham		Semifinalist	Preliminary Swimsuit Award; Preliminary Talent Award	Former Alabama's Junior Miss 1962
1962	Patricia Bonner	Camden			Nonfinalist Talent Award
1961	Delores Hodgens	Bessemer		Semi-finalist
1960	Teresa Rinaldi	Birmingham		Semi-finalist	Preliminary Talent Award
1959	Betty Lindstrom	Birmingham			Nonfinalist Talent Award
1958	Lee Thornberry	Birmingham		Semi-finalist	Preliminary Talent Award
1957	Anna Stange	Birmingham			Nonfinalist Talent Award
1956	Anne Stuart Arial	Birmingham		2nd runner-up	Preliminary Talent Award
1955	Patricia Huddleston	Clanton		Semi-finalist	Preliminary Talent Award
1954	Marilyn Tate	Haleyville		Semi-finalist
1953	Virginia McDavid	Birmingham		3rd runner-up
1952	Gwen Harmon	Birmingham		3rd runner-up	Preliminary Swimsuit
1951	Jeanne Moody	Cherokee			Preliminary Talent Award
1950	Yolande Betbeze	Mobile		Winner	Preliminary Swimsuit	Betbeze's refusal to pose in a swimsuit lead to the pull-out of swimsuit sponsors Catalina and the creation of the Miss USA pageant
1949	Freida Roser	Birmingham
1948	Martha Ann Ingram	Tarrant City		2nd runner-up
1947	Peggy Elder	Gadsden		3rd runner-up	Preliminary Swimsuit
1946	Emma Dale Nunnally	Gadsden			Preliminary Talent
1945	Frances Dorn	Birmingham		2nd runner-up	Preliminary Talent
1944	Betty Jane Rase	Birmingham		4th runner-up
1943	Toula Hagestratou	Birmingham				Miss Congeniality
1942	Marie Duncan	Birmingham		Semi-finalist	Preliminary Swimsuit
1941	Virginia McGraw	Birmingham		Semi-finalist	Preliminary Swimsuit
1940	Evelyn Motlow	Birmingham
1939	Florine Holt	Birmingham		Semi-Finalist
1938	Mildred Oxford	Birmingham		Semi-Finalist
1937	Almeda Ingram Starkey	Montgomery
1936	Tommy Marie Peck			Semi-Finalist
1935	Adelynn Owen	Birmingham

* Succeeded to the crown after Miss Alabama won Miss America

[edit] References

^ "Melinda Toole crowned Miss Alabama", Associated Press, 2006-06-11.
^ "Andalusia's Alexa Jones crowned Miss Alabama 2005", Associated Press, 2005-06-12.
^ "On seventh try, UA student from Gadsden becomes Miss Alabama", Associated Press, 2004-09-23.
^ "Birmingham's Deidre Downs crowned Miss Alabama 2004", Associated Press, 2004-06-13.
^ Curran, John. "Miss Alabama Deidre Downs wins Miss America beauty pageant", Associated Press, 2004-09-18.
^ "Brewton native named Miss Alabama", Associated Press, 2003-06-14.
^ "Birmingham's Scarlotte Deupree named Miss Alabama", Associated Press, 2002-06-02.
^ "UA's Kelly Jones new Miss Alabama", Associated Press, 2001-06-17.
^ "New Miss Alabama crowned in Birmingham", Associated Press, 2000-06-17.
^ "Miss Chattahoochee Valley wins two preliminaries heading into finals", Associated Press, 1999-06-19.
^ "Three sisters vying for title of Miss Alabama", Associated Press, 1997-06-09.
^ "Miss Cullman Area crowned Miss Alabama 1998", Associated Press, 1998-06-20.
^ "Former Alabama Jr. Miss wins Miss Alabama crown on fourth try", Associated Press, 1998-06-22.
^ "Mobile woman wins Miss Alabama crown", Associated Press, 1997-06-14.
^ "Deaf dancer from Ala. wins hearts, Miss America crown", The Commercial Appeal, 1994-09-18, p. A2.
^ "Deaf woman aims for pageant crown", The Cincinnati Post, 1994-09-06, p. 10A.
^ Associated Press. "Miss Alabama Is First Black", Tulsa World, 1993-07-06, p. A12.
^ Yardley, Jim. "BRAINS ON PARADE? Miss Alabama pageant trying to boost image", Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 1991-06-20, p. A/3.
^ Associated Press. "New Miss Alabama yields title, crown to student from Slidell", The Baton Rouge State Times, 1987-06-15, p. 18-C.
^ Holsten, Christine. "Anchorwomen hope to come of age", St. Petersburg Times, 1993-01-13, p. 5B.

[edit] External links

Miss Alabama

Alabama Pageantry
Miss America Miss Alabama	Miss USA Miss Alabama USA
Miss America's Outstanding Teen Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen	Miss Teen USA Miss Alabama Teen USA