Miss Texas

Rebecca Robinson, Miss Texas 2008

The Miss Texas competition was founded in 1937 as a scholarship contest for young women. The winner represents Texas in the Miss America pageant; three winners have gone on to be crowned Miss America (but none since 1975). Almost all contestants have either received or are in the process of earning college or postgraduate degrees and utilize Miss Texas scholarship awards for furthering their education.

To become Miss Texas, a contestant must first win a local competition, a process requiring personal commitment, hard work and talent. A young woman may compete at the local and state level more than once, but may only compete in the national Miss America competition one time. Hundreds of women participate each year in the local pageants, culminating in the selection of local finalists who compete for the Miss Texas title in July. The state pageant was held in Fort Worth for 36 years before relocating to the University of Texas at Arlington's Texas Hall in 2009. In 2012, the pageant moved to the Allen Event Center in suburban Collin County.^[1] 2014 marked the beginning of the Miss Texas Pageant at the Eisemann Center for Performing Arts in Richardson, Texas.^[2]

Once chosen, Miss Texas and the local winners become representatives of their generation, using their stature to address community service matters and other contemporary issues, which are of particular relevance to young Texans and women.

In 2010, Miss Texas celebrated its 75th anniversary, and Randy Pruett wrote a book, A Dream as Big as Texas, to document the stories of the 75 women that were crowned Miss Texas.^[3]

Winners

Year	Name	Hometown	Local Title	Age	Miss America Talent	Placement at Miss America	Special scholarships at Miss America	Notes
2015	Shannon Sanderford	Coppell	Miss Fort Worth	23	Vocal, "Son of a Preacher Man"	Top 10
2014	Monique Evans[4][5]	Austin	Miss Park Cities	22	Ballet en Pointe "Requiem for a Tower"	Top 16		Born in Naples, Florida, but lives in Austin as a UT student
2013	Ivana Hall[6][7]	Cedar Hill	Miss North Texas	23	Vocal "Fever"	Top 10		Later Miss Oklahoma World 2015, top 22 at Miss World America 2015
2012	DaNae Couch[8]	Coppell	Miss Dallas	23	Twirling "Last Dance"	Top 10
2011	Kendall Morris	Ennis	Miss Frisco	20	Piano "New World Symphony"	Top 10	Preliminary Swimsuit Award, Louanne Gamba (LuLu) Instrumental Award	Miss Texas' Outstanding Teen 2006
2010	Ashley Melnick[3][9]	Dallas	Miss Fort Worth	21	Vocal "I Surrender"	Top 12
2009	Kristen Blair	Southlake	Miss North Texas	22	Classical Vocal "Chi il bel sogno di doretta" from "La rondine"	Top 10
2008	Rebecca Robinson[10]	Buffalo	Miss Longview	24	Tap Dance "Hey Pachuco"		Miss Congeniality	Miss Teen Texas 2000
2007	Molly Hazlett	Centerville	Miss Longview	21	Character Jazz en Pointe "Rich Man's Frug" from Sweet Charity	Top 8	Preliminary Swimsuit Award
2006	Shilah Phillips	Plano	Miss Frisco	25	Vocal "I Believe in You and Me"	1st runner-up	Preliminary Talent Award	Shilah Precious Phillips was the first African American to win Miss Texas title
2005	Morgan Matlock	Lamesa	Miss Fort Worth	24	Vocal Medley "Come Rain or Come Shine" & "What Kind of Fool Am I?"	Top 10
2004	Jamie Story	Bedford	Miss Arlington	23	Classical Piano "Mendelssohn's Concerto No. 1 in G Minor"	Top 10
2003	Sunni Cranfill	Hooks	Miss Amarillo Area	23	Ballet en Pointe "Carmen Fantasy"		Non-finalist Talent Award	Dallas Cowboys cheerleader in 2009
2002	Mary Lisa Dalzell	Magnolia	Miss Lake O' The Pines	23	Flute Medley "Shenandoah" & "Dueling Banjos"	Top 10	Preliminary Interview Award	Morning Anchor at CBS affiliate in Tyler, TX
2001	Stacy James	Texarkana	Miss Lake O' The Pines	22	Vocal "Man of La Mancha"	Top 20
2000	Tara Watson	Lufkin	Miss Hurst-Euless-Bedford	22	Vocal "I've Got a Crush on You"	Top 10		Miss Teen Texas 1993
1999	Yanci Yarbrough	Childress	Miss Hurst-Euless-Bedford	24	Vocal Medley "Come In From the Rain" & "Stormy Weather"	4th runner-up		Vocalist working with Fellowship Church
1998	Tatum Hubbard	Odessa	Miss Arlington	24	Jazz Dance "Hit Me With a Hot Note And Watch Me Bounce" from Sophisticated Ladies			Main anchor at CBS affiliate in Midland-Odessa (KOSA-TV)
1997	Reagan Hughes	Midland	Miss Lake O' The Pines	23	Dramatic Vocal "I Dreamed a Dream"
1996	Michelle Martinez	Dallas	Miss Dallas	23	Classical Piano "Chopin's Ballade in G Minor"	Top 10
1995	Carly Jarmon	Mesquite	Miss Oak Cliff	19	Vocal "Stand by Your Man"			Miss Teen Texas 1992
1994	Arian Archer	Borger	Miss Amarillo Area	20	Vocal "Almost Over You"	Top 10
1993	BaShara Chandler	Garland	Miss Northeast Texas	21	Piano "4th Movement of Sonata in C" by Alberto Ginastera		Non-finalist Interview Award
1992	Amy Parker[11]	Carrollton	Miss Tarrant County	22	Vocal "A Sunday Kind of Love"
1991	Rhonda Morrison[12]	Coldspring	Miss Lake O' The Pines	21	Vocal "My Funny Valentine"	Top 10
1990	Suzanne Lawrence[13]	Humble	Miss Humble/Kingwood	21	Country Vocal "Sweet Dreams"	3rd runner-up	Preliminary Talent Award, Quality of Life Award
1989	Leah Kay Lyle[14]	Plainview	Miss Haltom-Richland Area	22	Piano "Sonata Opus 22" by Alberto Ginastera	Top 10
1988	Cathy Castro[15]	McAllen	Miss Duncanville	22	Ballet en Pointe "Les toreadors"			First Hispanic to win Miss Texas title[16]
1987	Rita Jo Thompson[17]	Lufkin	Miss Greenville	22	Jazz Dance "An American Trilogy"	Top 10
1986	Stephany Samone	Dallas	Miss Grand Prairie	25	Country Vocal "Stand By Your Man"	Top 10	Preliminary Talent Award[18]	Toured with the 1987 Gillette Miss America Show Troupe
1985	Jonna Fitzgerald	Tyler	Miss Greenville	21	Fiddle "Csárdás" & "Orange Blossom Special"[19]	2nd runner-up	Preliminary Talent Award	Toured with 1986 Miss America Gillette Show Troupe
1984	Tamara Hext	Fort Worth	Miss Arlington	21	Vocal "I've Got a Crush On You"	4th runner-up	Preliminary Swimsuit Award[20]
1983	Dana Rogers[21]	Boerne	Miss San Antonio	22	Vocal "An American Trilogy"	Top 10		Featured performer at Miss America 1985 pageant
1982	Gloria Gilbert[22]	Millsap	Miss Palo Pinto County	20	Ventriloquism & Vocal "I've Been Everywhere"		Non-finalist Talent Award	National Sweetheart 1981, Toured with 1986 Miss America Gillette Show Troupe, Longtime hostess of the Miss Texas pageant television broadcast
1981	Sheri Ryman	Texas City	Miss Texas A&M	20	Gymnastics "Theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind"	4th runner-up	Preliminary Talent Award[23]	Toured with Miss America USO Troupe
1980	Terri Eoff[24]	Lubbock	Miss Lubbock	19	Dramatic performance from "A Bad Play For an Old Lady"	Top 10		Actress appeared on soap opera Search for Tomorrow
1979	Lex Ann Haughey	Hurst	Miss Haltom-Richland Area	20	Flute "Flight of the Bumblebee" & "Flight '76" by Walter Murphy
1978	Sandi Miller[25]	Mesquite	Miss Red Bird Area	20	Classical Piano "Gershwin's 2nd Concerto in F Minor"	Top 10		Mrs. Texas 1988
1977	Lori Smith	Fort Worth	Miss Haltom-Richland Area	20	Vocal "Moanin' Low"	Top 10		Toured with Miss America USO Troupe
1976	Carmen McCollum	Odessa	Miss West Texas	19	Saxophone Medley "Wabash Cannonball", "Yakety Sax", & "If He Walked Into My Life" from Mame	2nd runner-up	Preliminary Talent Award, Preliminary Swimsuit Award[26]
1975	Mary Ellen Richardson	Waco	Miss Waco	20	Classical Vocal "The Jewel Song" from Faust	Top 10
1974	Phyllis Barger[27]		Miss Houston		Ballet en Pointe			Assumed title after Shirley Cothran won Miss America title. Barger was 3rd runner-up to Cothran but the 1st and 2nd runners-up turned down the title to honor show business and entertainment commitments.
	Shirley Cothran[28]	Fort Worth	Miss Haltom-Richland Area	21	Flute Medley "Bumble Boogie" & "Swingin' Shepherd Blues"	Winner	Preliminary Swimsuit Award
1973	Judy Mallett	Beaumont	Miss Haltom-Richland Area		Fiddle "Csárdás" & "Orange Blossom Special"	Top 10		Toured with Miss America USO Troupe, Performed in halftime show of Super Bowl VIII
1972	Mae Beth Cormany	Wichita Falls	Miss Hurst-Euless-Bedford		Vocal "Misty" & "Come Rain or Come Shine"	3rd runner-up		Toured with Miss America USO Troupe
1971	Janice Bain[29]	San Antonio	Miss White Settlement	21	Classical Vocal "Il Bacio" by Luigi Arditi
1970	Belinda Myrick	Odessa	Miss West Texas		Country Vocal			Assumed title after Phyllis George won Miss America title, Toured with Miss America USO Troupe[30]
	Phyllis George[31]	Denton	Miss Dallas	21	Piano Medley "Promises, Promises" & "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head"	Winner	Preliminary Swimsuit Award	One of the first women sportscasters on network television as co-host of NFL Today on CBS (1975–77, 1980–83)
1969	Dana Dowell	White Oak	Miss Longview	19	Drum Set Solo "Cute"
1968	Glenda Propes[32]	Henderson	Miss Rusk County	18	Vocal and Dance (Broadway)			Assumed title after Diane Hugghins resigned
	Diane Hugghins[33]	Tyler	Miss Nacogdoches	20	Jazz Dance "Put on a Happy Face" from Bye Bye Birdie			Resigned after competing at Miss America
1967	Molly Grubb	Fort Worth	Miss Fort Worth	20	Ballet en Pointe "La Périchole"
1966	Susan Logan	San Angelo	Miss Lubbock	19	Dramatic Monologue from Gone with the Wind	Top 10
1965	Mary Lou Butler[34]	Irving	Miss Nacogdoches	19	Vocal
1964	Lenda Varley	Fort Worth	Miss Fort Worth	19	Vocal			Did not compete at Miss America, Assumed title after Sharon McCauley resigned[35]
	Sharon McCauley[36]	Athens	Miss Athens	20	Vocal "Let Me Entertain You" from Gypsy: A Musical Fable	3rd runner-up		Resigned to marry Miss Texas stage director[35]
1963	Jeanne Amacker	Beaumont	Miss Austin		Vocal "When You Wish upon a Star"
1962	Penny Lee Rudd	Waskom	Miss Marshall	19	Jazz Dance "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps"	2nd runner-up
1961	Linda Loftis	Fort Worth	Miss Fort Worth	19	Classical Vocal "Sempre Libera" from La traviata	3rd runner-up	Preliminary Talent Award
1960	Mary Cage Moore	Laredo	Miss Dallas	18	Spanish Dance to music by Manuel de Falla		Non-finalist Talent Award
1959	Marilyn Turner	Fort Worth	Miss Fort Worth	19	Ballet en Pointe		Non-finalist Talent Award
1958	Mary Nell Hendricks	Arlington	Miss Arlington		Vocal "Getting to Know You"	Top 10		Contestant at Miss Dixie 1959
1957	Carolyn Calvert	Austin	Miss Austin		Monologue from "Medea"			Contestant at Miss Dixie 1958
1956	Barbara Murry	Houston	Miss Houston		Vocal			Contestant at Miss Dixie 1957
1955	June Prichard	Seymour	Miss West Texas		Horseback riding and rodeo events			1st runner-up at Miss Dixie 1957
1954	Yvonne Erwin	Dallas	Miss Dallas		Piano & Art
1953	Paula Lane	Cleburne	Miss Cleburne		Fashion design & Speech
1952	Connie Hopping	Littlefield	Miss Littlefield		Vocal
1951	Glenda Holcomb	Odessa	Miss West Texas		Dramatic Monologue
1950	Margaret Sommers	Dallas	Miss Dallas		Classical Vocal "Jealousy"	Top 16
1949	Ysleta Leissner	Fort Worth	Miss Fort Worth		Ballet en Pointe
1948	Bonnie Jean Bland	Orange	Miss Orange		Vocal/Art Display "Put the Blame on Mame"
1947	Luna McClain	Lufkin	Miss Lufkin		Vocal "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" & "Cowboy Boogie"		Miss Congeniality
1946	D. Anne Wisener	University Park	Miss University Park		Vocal "Embraceable You"
1945	Polly Below	Galveston	Miss Galveston		Vocal	Top 13
1944	Joyce Courrege	Orange	Miss Orange		Comedy Monologue		Miss Congeniality
1942	Jo-Carroll Dennison	Tyler	Miss Tyler	19	Vocal and Dance "Deep in the Heart of Texas"	Winner	Preliminary Talent Award, Preliminary Swimsuit Award
1940/41	Gloria Ann Byrns Evans	Port Arthur	Miss Port Arthur		Tap Dance & Baton Twirling			Returned to represent Texas in 1941 because Texas held on contest in 1941, withdrew from Miss America contest due to illness [37] [38]
1939	Charmayne Smith	Dallas	Miss Dallas		Vocal "Round-Up Time in Texas"	Top 15
1937	Alice Emerick	Fort Worth	Miss Fort Worth		Tap Dance	1st runner-up
1936	Patricia Allen Green	Corpus Christi	Miss Corpus Christi			Top 15		Competed as Miss Corpus Christi
1927	No Miss Texas	Moselle Ransome competed as Miss Dallas and placed as 1st runner-up. Juanita Gilbert competed as Miss Fort Worth.
1926	No Miss Texas	Rosebud Blondell competed as Miss Dallas and was a Finalist. Also representing Texas were Winnie Law, Miss Fort Worth and Zasada Lord, Miss Houston.
1925	No Miss Texas	Representing Texas were: Elinore Wilkens, Miss Dallas; Mary Louise Kilman, Miss Fort Worth; and Edna Francis, Miss Houston
1924	No Miss Texas	representing Texas were: Vera Simpson, Miss Austin; Freeda Rowley, Miss Beaumont; Etta Mae Collins, Miss Dallas; Hazel Doolin, Miss Fort Worth; Lorraine Holzhaus, Miss Galveston; Mary C. Wilmot, Miss Houston; Katherine Hensley, Miss San Antonio; and Thelma Kirsch, Miss Texas City. There was also a Miss Irvington who competed but whose name is not known.
1923	No Miss Texas	representing Texas were: Ruth Elizabeth Brand, Miss Dallas; Bessie Laurene Roosa, Miss Fort Worth; Gladys M. Webber, Miss Houston; and Katherine Hensley, Miss San Antonio

In popular culture

In the long-running television series Dallas, the character Sue Ellen Ewing had purportedly won the title of Miss Texas in 1967, long before the events of the show took place (1978–91). She had entered the pageant as Miss Dallas.^[39]

The song "Almost" by the band Bowling for Soup features the line, "I almost dropped out of school at fourteen where I almost made out with the Homecoming Queen, who almost went on to be Miss Texas, but lost to a slut with much bigger breasts."

References

1. Walker, Patrick M. (June 26, 2012). "Miss Texas will don crown in Allen instead of Arlington". Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, TX). Retrieved July 6, 2012.
2. "Miss Texas Pageant To Move to The Eisemann Center". Focus Daily News (DeSoto, TX). July 1, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
3. Lee, Jordan (June 29, 2012). "Miss Texas Turns 75". Fort Worth, TX: KXAS-TV. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
4. Alexander, Heather (July 8, 2014). "New Miss Texas is UT student and professional ballerina". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
5. Begley, Emily (July 12, 2014). "Naples native takes Miss Texas title". Naples Daily News (Naples, FL). Retrieved July 12, 2014.
6. Betsill, Jay (July 8, 2013). "Ivana Hall is crowned Miss Texas 2013". Fort Worth, TX. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
7. "Cedar Hill native crowned Miss Texas". Focus Daily News (DeSoto, TX). July 8, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
8. Pressley, Ty (July 9, 2012). "Miss Dallas Wins Miss Texas". Fort Worth, TX: KXAS-TV. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
9. McFarland, Susan (July 3, 2010). "Miss Fort Worth is crowned the 75th Miss Texas". Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, TX). Retrieved July 5, 2015.
10. "Another Miss Longview wins Miss Texas". Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, TX). Associated Press. July 5, 2008. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
11. "Tarrant County's Amy Parker wins Miss Texas crown". The Victoria Advocate. 1992-07-12.
12. "Arlington Coed wins Miss Texas". The Victoria Advocate.
13. "Miss Texas crowned in Fort Worth". The Victoria Advocate. 1990-07-15.
14. "Plainview Woman 1989 Miss Texas". The Victoria Advocate. 1989-07-09.
15. "New Miss Texas Eyes Next Goal". The Victoria Advocate. 1988-07-11.
16. Lopez, Russell (1988-07-11). "Miss Texas a Winner for her Perseverance". The Dallas Morning News.
17. Puga, Ana (1987-07-13). "Discipline pays off for new Miss Texas". The Dallas Morning News.
18. "Early Winners". The Times-News. 1986-09-11.
19. "Talent Selections Spice Up Contest". The Victoria Advocate. 1985-09-14.
20. "Miss Massachusetts, Miss Texas capture honors". Reading Eagle. 1984-09-13.
21. "Ambition pays off for new Miss Texas". The Victoria Advocate. 1983-07-10.
22. "Ventriloquist wins title". Gadsden Times. 1982-07-12.
23. "Texas wins prelim". The Telegraph. 1981-09-10.
24. "Judge refuses to dethrone Miss Texas for exceeding time". Lakeland Ledger. 1980-08-02.
25. Mattiace, Peter (1978-09-07). "Some go through 'torture' for chance at title". The Sumter Daily Item.
26. Simon, James (1976-09-11). "Miss Minn., Texas favourites". The Free Lance-Star.
27. "'Miss Texas Role Filled'". Lubbock Avalanche Journal. 1974-09-12.
28. Connell, Chris (1974-09-09). "'Miss Texas' is crowned Miss America". Gettysburg Times.
29. "Miss Texas Crowned at Fort Worth Pageant". The Victoria Advocate. 1971-07-11.
30. "Names in the News". Tri City Herald. 1971-08-06.
31. "Miss Texas new Miss America". St. Petersburg Times. 1970-09-13.
32. "Miss Texas Gives Up Her Crown". The Victoria Advocate. 1983-12-02.
33. "Miss Texas Crowned at Fort Worth". The Victoria Advocate. 1968-07-21.
34. Cochran, Mike (July 17, 1966). "How Miss Texas' Describes 'Indescribable' Year's Reign". The Victoria Advocate.
35. "Gives Up Title For Marriage". The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, FL). United Press International. April 19, 1965. p. 18.
36. "Miss Texas". The Victoria Advocate (Victoria, TX). July 29, 1964. p. 14.
37. "Miss Texas Off To Seek Miss America Beauty Title" Port Arthur News September 29, 1941
38. "Miss Texas Is Out Of Beauty Contest" Amarillo Globe September 5, 1941
39. "Character Biographies: Sue Ellen Ewing".

External links

• Miss Texas official website