Miss America 1937

Miss America 1937, the 11th Miss America pageant, was held at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday, September 11, 1937.[1] Shortly after being presented as Miss America, the newly crowned 17-year-old winner, Bette Cooper, left Atlantic City and returned home. Once there, she missed scheduled appointments on her first day as Miss America, as well as a theater appearance and a trip to Hollywood.[2] Her father cited illness as the reason.[3] Though not placing in the top five, representatives from different areas of New York captured three of the semi-finalist positions.

Miss America 1937
DateSeptember 11, 1937
PresentersKing Neptune
VenueSteel Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Entrants49
Placements16
WinnerBette Cooper
Bertrand Island

Results
Final results Contestant
Miss America 1937
1st runner-up
2nd runner-up
3rd runner-up (tie)
4th runner-up
Top 16

Awards

Best Evening Gown

Preliminary awards
Awards Contestant
Talent

Contestants
Title Name Hometown Age Talent Placement Awards Notes
Atlanta Lorraine Mayfield Atlanta
Augusta Olga Strickland
Baltimore May Vivian Miller Baltimore
Bertrand Island Bette Cooper Hackettstown 17 Vocal, "When the Poppies Bloom Again" Winner Best Evening Gown Award
Birmingham Josephine Beall
Bronx Helen Fleiss The Bronx Top 16
Buckeye Lake Evelyn Townley Top 16
California Phyllis Randall Hollywood 20 Vocal/Dance 3rd Runner-up Preliminary Talent Award Sister of Miss North Carolina 1941, Joey Augusta Paxton
Charlotte Betty Hunneycutt Charlotte Top 16
Cincinnati Sally Lillian Frank Cincinnati
Connecticut Frances Greene Milford
Delaware Nickey Harriet Harrington
Delray Beach Mary P. Hollran Delray Beach
District of Columbia Helen Greene 24 Blues Vocal & Piano
Eastern Pennsylvania Beryl Kober Chalfont
Eastern Shores Margaret Myers Rock Hall
Empire State Dorothy Armstrong Whitesboro
Jacksonville Frances Powell
Kansas Lucia Benton Norton Top 16
Kentucky Audrey Catherine Flaig Bellevue
Louisiana Gertrude Rissie Miller Winnsboro Top 16
Maine Cornelia Campbell South Portland
Massachusetts Claire Nevulis South Boston Vocal/Tap Dance Top 16 Preliminary Talent Award
Miami Irmigard Dietel Vocal 4th Runner-up
Minnesota Cecelia Rodge Minneapolis
Mississippi Virginia Riley West Point
Moberly Mary Sue Klein Moberly
Montgomery Ingram Starkey Montgomery
Nebraska Ruth Lenore Jones Nebraska City
New York City Grace Travis New York City Vocal Top 16 Preliminary Talent Award
North Carolina Ruth Covington Tap Dance, "Gonna Go" 2nd Runner-up
Ohio Jean Fadden Cleveland Top 16
Philadelphia Kathryn Crase Philadelphia
Puerto Rico Malen Pietrantoni
Rhode Island Dorothy May Eden East Providence 18 Dr. Dorothy May Eden Trayner Erinakes died at 97 on March 20, 2017 in San Luis Obispo, California.
Riverside Helen Frances Murphy Riverside
San Antonio Oliver Henderson
Savannah Beach Carolyn Cumbie
South Carolina Wayring Smathers Columbia
South Jersey Margaret Julia Jardon Burlington
St. Louis Wauneta Bates St. Louis Top 16
Sunnybrook Kathryn H. Kendrick Sunnybrook
Texas Alice Emerick Fort Worth Tap Dance 1st Runner-up
Troy Irene Alice Vanderburgh Watervliet
Virginia Frances Lee Sultan Kecoughtan Top 16
Washington Juliana Bernhardt Seattle
Westchester County Evelyn Raye New Rochelle Top 16
Wyoming Mary Ann McLaughlin Riverton

References
  1. United Press (1937-09-12). "17-Year-Old Jersey Blond is Miss America for 1937". Syracuse Herald. p. Two A.
  2. Hetrick, Christian (July 18, 2015). "The curse of Miss New Jersey". The Press of Atlantic City. Pleasantville, NJ: BH Media. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  3. Associated Press (1937-09-13). "Bette Cooper, Tired and Ill, Leaves Atlantic City with First Boyfriend". Lewiston Daily Sun. p. 13.

Secondary sources
  • Saulino Osborne, Angela (1995). "Miss Americas and their Courts". Miss America The Dream Lives On. Taylor Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-87833-110-9.
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