Miss USA 1979


Miss USA 1979, the 28th Miss USA pageant, was televised live by CBS from the Gulf Coast Convention Center in Biloxi, Mississippi on April 30, 1979.
The pageant was won by Mary Therese Friel of New York, who was crowned by outgoing titleholder Judi Andersen of Hawaii. Friel was the second woman from New York to win the Miss USA title, and went on to place as a semi-finalist at Miss Universe 1979.

Results

Final ResultsContestant
Miss USA 1979
1st runner-upMiss World USA 1979
2nd Runner-Up
  • New York - Mary Therese Friel
    • 3rd Runner-Up
  • Washington - Tracey Goddard
    • 4th Runner-Up
  • Illinois - Debra Niego
    • Top 12
  • Arizona - Ana Maria Rubert
  • California - Linda Fogarty
  • Massachusetts - Monica Magnus
  • Mississippi - Laurie Kimbrough
  • North Carolina - Dianne Jamerson
  • Texas - Anne Hinnant
  • Virginia - Betsy Bott

    • Final Competition

    Special awards

    AwardContestant
    Miss Congeniality
    • Wyoming - Pam Williams
    Miss Photogenic
  • New Mexico - Michele Sandoval

    • Preliminary Swimsuit

    Historical significance

    • New York wins competition for the second time.
    • Washington earns the 1st runner-up position for the first time and reached its highest placement since Dorothy Anstett won in 1968.
    • Hawaii earns the 2nd runner-up position for the first time and reached its highest placement since Judi Andersen won in the previous year.
    • Illinois earns the 3rd runner-up position for the second time. The last time it placed this was in 1958. Also it was reached its highest placement since Karen Morrison won in 1974.
    • Mississippi earns the 4th runner-up position for the first time and surpasses its previous highest placement in 1964, becoming its highest placement of the state.
    • States that placed in semifinals the previous year were California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Texas and Virginia.
    • California placed for the twenty-third consecutive year. This is the longest streak of placements that a state has hold ever.
    • Texas placed for the fifth consecutive year.
    • Hawaii and Virginia placed for the third consecutive year.
    • Massachusetts made its second consecutive placement.
    • Arizona last placed in 1977.
    • Illinois and Washington last placed in 1976.
    • North Carolina last placed in 1975.
    • New York and Wisconsin last placed in 1974.
    • Mississippi last placed in 1964.
    • New Mexico breaks an ongoing streak of placements since 1976.

      Delegates

    The Miss USA 1979 delegates were:
    • Alabama - Rose Burch
    • Alaska - Kim Fidler
    • Arizona - Ana Maria Rubert
    • Arkansas - Cynthia Caldwell
    • California - Linda Fogarty
    • Colorado - Jene Nelson
    • Connecticut - Mary Beth Lombardi
    • Delaware - Lisa Toothman
    • District of Columbia - Cynthia Ramsay
    • Florida - Penny Sheridan
    • Georgia - Debbie Freeman
    • Hawaii - Leialoha Ma'a
    • Idaho - Lori Jukich
    • Illinois - Debra Niego
    • Indiana - Debbie Hayes
    • Iowa - Teri Rees
    • Kansas - Linda Shields
    • Kentucky - Linda Passmore
    • Louisiana - Lisa Anderson
    • Maine - Valerie Crooker
    • Maryland - Jean Bourne
    • Massachusetts - Monica Magnus
    • Michigan - Susan James
    • Minnesota - Cynthia Lee
    • Mississippi - Laurie Kimbrough
    • Missouri - Virginia Dean
    • Montana - Jurette Sindelar
    • Nebraska - Rhonda Lundberg
    • Nevada - Aleasha Magleby
    • New Hampshire - Patricia Brous
    • New Jersey - Robin Senatore
    • New Mexico - Michele Sandoval
    • New York - Mary Therese Friel
    • North Carolina - Dianne Jamerson
    • North Dakota - Renae Hermanson
    • Ohio - Carolyn Houlihan
    • Oklahoma - Susan Gibson
    • Oregon - Katie Fitzpatrick
    • Pennsylvania - Maureen Starinsky
    • Rhode Island - Theresa Patterson
    • South Carolina - Janice McDonald
    • South Dakota - Noelle de Saint Gall
    • Tennessee - Sandy Nuismer
    • Texas - Anne Hinnant
    • Utah - Vicky Scott
    • Vermont - Kathi Rechsteiner
    • Virginia - Betsy Bott
    • Washington - Tracey Goddard
    • West Virginia - Candy Boggs
    • Wisconsin - Kathryn Joy Wituschek
    • Wyoming - Pam Williams

      Judges

    • Maud Adams
    • Jim Davis
    • Eileen Ford
    • Alfred Allan Lewis
    • Kimberly Tomes
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