MMSP Fast Facts

 

• Miss Maine Scholarship Pageant is the official state preliminary to Miss America, one of the nation’s leading achievement programs and the largest source of scholarships for women in the world.
• Developed by the Miss America Organization, the Miss America and Miss Maine programs provide professional and personal opportunities to young women and help promote a voice in politics, culture, and the community.  The program provides a forum for today’s young women to express their viewpoints, talents, and accomplishments.
• The Miss Maine/Miss America Organizations are not-for-profit organizations that maintain a tradition of empowering American women to achieve professional and personal goals
• Miss Maine receives thousands of dollars in college scholarships and a paid trip to compete for the title of Miss America.
• Each contestant regardless of placement earns valuable college assistance.
• The Miss Maine Scholarship Pageant is comprised entirely of volunteers (100%).
• Miss Maine Scholarship Pageant mission statement – “As a not-for-profit organization, whose primary responsibilities are to raise and award scholarships, the Miss Maine Scholarship Pageant also provides the young women of Maine opportunities for growth and achievement.”
• Miss Maine contestants compete in the following categories: Private Interview (25%), Talent (35%), Lifestyle and Fitness (15%), Evening Wear (20%), On-stage Question (5%).
• The Miss America Pageant included talent for the first time in 1935.  Scholarships were introduced in 1945.
• Miss America crowned its first winner in 1921.  Miss Maine crowned its first “official” winner in 1935.  Prior to the first “official” Miss Maine in 1935, city titles as well as state titles were used for Miss America participants. 
• Miss Portland 1923, Winona Evelyn Drew and Miss Portland 1924 (name unknown) competed in the Miss America Pageant.
• Miss Maine 1933, Iva Stewart, was a semifinalist in the Miss America Pageant.  She was also selected as a semi-finalist for the title of “The Most Beautiful Girl in Evening Dress.”
• Miss Maine 1961, Dawne Frances Christie won Most Talented Musician Award (Non-Finalist Talent Award) at the Miss America Pageant.  She was a pianist.
• Miss Maine 1970 Karen Johanna Johnson was named Second Runner-up to Miss America.
• Miss Maine 1971 Allyn Warner was named Fourth Runner-up to Miss America.  She also won a Preliminary Talent Award.
• Miss Maines who have received Non-Finalist Talent Awards are Marilyn Lash (1972), Laurie Wathen (1987), Elizabeth Edgecomb (2003), Ami Vice (2004), Susie Stauble (2009).
• Miss Maine 1975 Patricia Cyr won a Dr. & Mrs. David B. Allman Scholarship (for women pursuing a career in the medical field).
• Miss Maine 1980 Valerie Crooker became the first contestant to hold both a Miss America State title (1980) and the Miss USA state title  (1979) title in the country.
• Prior to the 1990’s, Miss America organized a USO Troupe.  Among the Miss Maine participants were Miss Maine 1964 Ellen Warren, Miss Maine 1971 Allyn Warner, and Miss Maine 1975 Patricia Cyr.
• Miss Maine 2004 Ami Vice is the first Miss Maine to win the Bernie Wayne Award for the Performing Arts. 
• In 2004, Valerie Crooker Clemens, Miss Maine Scholarship Pageant President and Miss Maine 1980, was elected President of the National Association of Miss America State Pageants.  She was the first to hold that position from the State of Maine and held that position for 16 months, throughout the Atlantic City to Las Vegas transition.