Miss America 1959, the 32nd Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 6, 1958 on CBS.[1] 
Mary Ann Mobley, the first winner from Mississippi, became an actress, featured in two Elvis Presley films and many television series. Second runner-up Anita Bryant later gained fame as a singer, television spokesperson, and Christian activist against gay rights in the United States. 
  Results
 Placements
   | Placement | Contestant | 
  | Miss America 1959 |  | 
  | 1st Runner-Up |  | 
  | 2nd Runner-Up |  | 
  | 3rd Runner-Up |  | 
  | 4th Runner-Up |  | 
  | Top 10 |  | 
 Awards
 Preliminary awards
  Other awards
   | Awards | Contestant | 
  | Miss Congeniality |  | 
  | Non Finalist Classical/Semi Classical Vocalist Talent |  | 
  | Non Finalist Instrumental Talent |  Idaho - Bonnie Leila Baird
 | 
  | Non Finalist Dancer |  | 
  | Non Finalist Popular Vocal Talent |  | 
  | Overall Non Finalist Talent |  | 
 Contestants
      | State | Name | Hometown | Age | Talent | Placement | Awards | Notes | 
  |  Alabama | Lee Thornberry | Birmingham |  | Vocal/Dance, "Honey Bun" from South Pacific | Top 10 | Preliminary Talent Award |  | 
  |  Alaska | Stuart Johnson | Douglas City |  | Piano, "Alaska's Flag" |  |  |  | 
  |  Arizona | Donna Riggs | Phoenix |  | Vocal/Dance, "Teacher's Pet" |  | Unspecified Special Scholarship |  | 
  |  Arkansas | Sally Miller | Pine Bluff |  | Classical Vocal, "Caro Nome" from Rigoletto | Top 10 |  |  | 
  |  California | Sandra Jennings | Riverside |  | Piano, "Clair de Lune" | 3rd runner-up | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award |  | 
  | .svg.png) Canada | Danica d'Hondt | Vancouver | 19 |  |  |  |  | 
  |  Chicago | Audra Deckmann | Chicago |  | Dance |  | Non-finalist Talent Award |  | 
  |  Colorado | Cynthia Cullen | Boulder |  | Drama, "Queen on Being Sentenced to Death" |  |  |  | 
  |  Connecticut | Billie June Turner | New Canaan | 20 | Ballet en Pointe from Les Sylphides | Top 10 | Preliminary Talent Award |  | 
  |  Delaware | Nancy M. Williams | Wilmington |  | Dance to musical selections from Gone with the Wind |  |  |  | 
  |  District of Columbia | Lee Berkow | Washington, D.C. | 21 | Vocal, "Come Rain or Come Shine" |  |  |  | 
  |  Florida | Dianne Tauscher | Orlando |  | Ballet, "Canadian Sunset" |  |  |  | 
  |  Georgia | Jeanette Ardell | Marietta | 18 | Archery |  |  |  | 
  |  Hawaii | Georgietta Kahalelaukoa Parker | Honolulu |  | Hula |  |  |  | 
  |  Idaho | Bonnie Leila Baird | Heyburn |  | Clarinet |  | Non-finalist Talent Award |  | 
  |  Illinois | Anita Ruth Olson | River Forest |  | Piano, "Rhapsody in G Minor" by Johannes Brahms |  |  |  | 
  |  Indiana | Anita Hursh | Goshen |  | Piano, "Polonaise" by Frédéric Chopin |  | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award |  | 
  |  Iowa | Joanne MacDonald | Ames | 20 | Dramatic Recitation from The White Cliffs of Dover | 1st runner-up |  |  | 
  |  Kansas | Sharon Whitacre | Mission | 18 | Accordion, "3rd Movement of Concerto in A" by Pietro Deiro |  |  |  | 
  |  Kentucky | Sandra Sue Smith | Harlan |  | Pantomime/Dance, "Tweedle Dee" |  |  |  | 
  |  Louisiana | Alberta Louise Futch | Hammond |  | Fire Baton Twirling |  |  |  | 
  |  Maine | Terry Suzanne Tripp | Lewiston |  | Ballet |  |  |  | 
  |  Maryland | Mary Roberta Page | Bethesda |  | Chalk Sketch |  |  |  | 
  |  Massachusetts | Patricia Nordling | Lexington |  | Vocal/Piano, "Exactly Like You" |  |  |  | 
  |  Michigan | Patience Pierce | Detroit |  | Drama, "Meet Christobel" |  |  |  | 
  |  Minnesota | Diane Albers | St. Paul |  | Piano, "Allegro de Concierto" by Enrique Granados |  |  |  | 
  |  Mississippi | Mary Ann Mobley | Brandon | 21 | Vocal Medley & Dance, "Un Bel Di" & "There'll be Some Changes Made" | Winner | Preliminary Talent Award |  | 
  |  Missouri | Marjorie Critten | Kansas City |  | Tap Dance, "Opus No. 1" |  |  |  | 
  |  Nebraska | Sherry Johnson | Omaha |  | Monologue |  | Non-finalist Talent Award |  | 
  |  Nevada | Judy Wadsworth | Sparks |  | Dramatic Monologue from The Lark |  |  |  | 
  |  New Hampshire | Mary Morin | Manchester |  | Pantomime Routine |  | Non-finalist Talent Award |  | 
  |  New Jersey | Marilyn Beryl Rockafellow | New Monmouth |  | Vocal |  | Non-finalist Talent Award |  | 
  |  New Mexico | Lois Wilson | Hobbs | 18 | Vocal |  |  |  | 
  |  New York | Miriam Sanderson | Rensselaer |  | French Vocal, "Serenade" by Sigmund Romberg |  |  |  | 
  |  New York City | Bette June Piller | New York City |  | Speech on Art |  |  |  | 
  |  North Carolina | Betty Evans | Greenville |  | Vocal, Piano, Skit, & Dance, "Wait 'til You See Her" | 4th runner-up | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award |  | 
  |  North Dakota | Helen Korfhage | Grand Forks |  | Classical Vocal, "If Thou Lov'st Me" |  |  |  | 
  |  Ohio | Margaret Putman | Ada |  | Dramatic Sketch, "Student Nurse" |  |  |  | 
  |  Oklahoma | Anita Bryant | Tulsa | 18 | Vocal, "When the Boys Talk About the Girls" | 2nd runner-up | Popular singing star |  | 
  |  Oregon | Mary Ellen Vinton | McMinnville |  | Piano & Tap Dance, "I Won't Dance" |  |  |  | 
  |  Pennsylvania | Rosalie Samley | Bethlehem |  | Ballet, "I Won't Dance" |  |  |  | 
  |  Rhode Island | Ann Willis | Cranston |  |  |  | Miss Congeniality |  | 
  |  South Carolina | Gene Wilson | Charleston | 18 | Vocal, "If I Loved You" |  | Non-finalist Talent Award |  | 
  |  South Dakota | Carolee Nelson | Irene |  | Drama |  |  |  | 
  |  Tennessee | Patricia Eaves | Cookeville |  | Dramatic Monologue, "Viola's Ring Scene" from Twelfth Night |  |  |  | 
  |  Texas | Mary Nell Hendricks | Arlington |  | Vocal, "Getting to Know You" | Top 10 |  |  | 
  |  Utah | Janet Carolyn Secor | Salt Lake City |  | Classical Ballet, "The Waltz" from The Sleeping Beauty | Top 10 |  |  | 
  |  Vermont | Sandra Sinclair | South Burlington |  | Vocal & Dance, "Getting to Know You" |  |  |  | 
  |  Virginia | Barbara Guthrie | Martinsville |  | Drama |  |  |  | 
  |  Washington | Anne Henderson | Spokane |  | Pantomime & Charleston Dance |  |  |  | 
  |  West Virginia | Sandra Boyd | Fairmont |  | Vocal, "Money Honey" |  |  |  | 
  |  Wisconsin | Kay Ross | West Allis | 24 | Art Presentation with Vocal & Dance |  |  |  | 
 References
  External links