Mrs. America Pageant is a beauty competition that was established to honor married women throughout the United States of America. Each of the contestants representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia ranges in age from their 20s to 50s and earns the right to participate in the national event by winning her state competition. These state events are under the direction of Mrs. America state directors. The winner goes on to compete in the Mrs. World pageant.
Mrs. America, Inc., celebrated its 45th anniversary in 2021. The pageant has been televised on networks including PAX and WE (Women's Entertainment); in May 2011, it was carried by the My Family TV network.
On August 29, 2014, the pageant was held in Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona. The pageant moved to its original pageant home, Las Vegas - Westgate Resort, Hotel and Casino. The pageant continues to be held in Las Vegas yearly.
During the 2014 pageant, Mrs. America, Inc., announced that it would be participating in a joint Russian-American contest to be held in Sevastopol, Crimea. This has caused some controversy, since Crimea is recognized by most countries in the world as Ukrainian territory that has been annexed by Russia. The 2015 joint pageant was supposed to mark the 25th anniversary of a joint U.S.-Soviet Mrs. America contest held in Moscow in 1989 to foster good will between the two countries; however, organizers announced that due to the devaluation of the ruble against the American dollar, the pageant would have to find a new site.
The Mrs. America 2026 Pageant was held on September 3, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Qadra Evans of Montana was crowned.
Contents
Events
1955: Ramona Deitemeyer, Mrs. America 1955, appeared on What's My Line?.
1993: Verna Martin, Mrs. District of Columbia, on Wednesday, May 12, 1993, the designation of Mrs. Washington, DC – America 1993 was conferred upon Verna Martin by the Mrs. America Pageant selection committee. She was the first African American contestant to win Mrs. Washington, DC title..
2004: Traci Clemens, Mrs. Rhode Island, competed while six months pregnant with twins. She was the first visibly pregnant woman to compete in the nationally televised event. Traci Clemens is also the first African American contestant to win the Mrs. Rhode Island title.
Titleholders
Titleholders are designated by year of title/reign; competitions are held the preceding fall.
Crossovers
Some contestants in the Mrs. America pageant have previously held state pageant titles in the Miss USA, Miss America, Mrs. United States, and Miss Teen USA pageants. They include:
Mrs. Delaware 1985 - Debi Teed Fenimore (née Dow) - Miss Delaware National Teenager 1972
Mrs. Hawaii 1991- Julie Larson-Taylor- Miss Hawaii USA 1989 and Miss Utah US Teen 1985
Mrs. North Carolina 1997 - Janice McQueen Ward - Mrs. United States 1999
Mrs. Texas 1999 - Edrienne (Carpenter) Edwards - Mrs. United States 2004, Mrs. Texas United States 2004, Miss Utah for America Strong 2021
Mrs. Indiana 2000 & Mrs. America 2001 - Nicole (Llewellyn) Brink - Miss Indiana Teen USA 1992 & Miss Indiana USA 1998
Mrs. South Carolina 2013-Jennifer Loveday-Donovan-Mrs South Carolina United States 2010 (Top 15 at Mrs United States)-Miss South Carolina United States 2004 (1st Runner-up Miss United States)-Miss South Carolina Teen United States 1999
Mrs. Virginia 2001 & Mrs. America 2002 - Laurett Ellsworth Arenz - Mrs. Virginia United States & Mrs. United States 1997
Mrs. Pennsylvania 2001 - Dr. Lori Sundberg - Mrs. Pennsylvania International 1999, Mrs. Pennsylvania United States 2000 & Mrs. District of Columbia United States 2014
Mrs. Colorado 2002 [2] - Emily (Weeks) Stark - Miss Colorado USA 1995
Mrs. Arizona 2004 - Britt (Powell) Boyse - Miss Missouri USA 1995 - Top 12 Miss USA 1995
Forerunner pageant
Prior to the active Mrs. America pageant, there was an earlier pageant of the same name. The pageant was created by public relations executive Bert Nevins in 1936 as a promotion for his client, Palisades Amusement Park. When Nevins sold the pageant in 1963, it was the only nationally televised beauty pageant for married women.
By 1964, participants were graded on cooking, sewing, ironing, party preparation and other homemaking abilities, family psychology, grooming, poise, personality, and general attractiveness. Winners included:
Source: online newspaper archives
1938: Margaret Chamberlain, Ohio (appeared on Family Feud in 1980)
1939: Theresa Papp, New Jersey
1940: Evelyn Schmitt, New Jersey
1941: Ruth Licklider, New York
1942: Peggie Diehl, Minnesota
1943–46: no pageant (World War II)
1947: Janice Pollock, Ohio; then Fredda Acker, South Carolina (after Pollock abdicated)
1948: Maria Strohmeier, Pennsylvania
1949: Frances Cloyd, California
1950: Betty McAllister, Pennsylvania
1951: Penny Duncan, New York City
1952: Peggy Creel, Florida
1953: Evelyn Joyce Schenk, New Jersey
1954: Erna Snyder, Pennsylvania
Hosts
Bobby Van
Richard Dawson
Florence Henderson
Christopher Knight
Alan Thicke