| Miss America 1940 | |
|---|---|
| Date | September 7, 1940 |
| Presenters | Bob Russell |
| Venue | Boardwalk Hall,Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Entrants | 44 |
| Placements | 15 |
| Winner | Frances Marie Burke Philadelphia |
← 1939 1941 → | |
Miss America 1940, the 14thMiss America pageant, was held at theBoardwalk Hall inAtlantic City, New Jersey for the first time since 1933. The finals were held on September 7, 1940.[1] Aside from the winner,Frances Burke,Miss Philadelphia, two other contestants fromPennsylvania placed among the Top 15, one representing Eastern Pennsylvania and the other from Western Pennsylvania.
The runner-up,Rosemary LaPlanche, would becomeMiss America 1941, before the pageant instituted rules preventing contestants from competing more than once.
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(March 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Placement | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss America 1940 | |
| 1st Runner-Up | |
| 2nd Runner-Up |
|
| 3rd Runner-Up |
|
| 4th Runner-Up |
|
| Top 15 |
|
| This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(March 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Award | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Lifestyle and Fitness |
|
| Talent |
|
| This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(March 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Title | Name | Hometown | Age | Talent | Placement | Awards | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Arizona | Anna Marie Barnett | Bisbee | |||||
 Arkansas | Betty Benson | Forrest City | |||||
| Birmingham | Evelyn Motlow | Birmingham | Vocal | ||||
 California | Rosemary LaPlanche | Los Angeles | 17 | Dance | 1st Runner-up | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness | |
| Central Ohio | Bette Jane Hart | ||||||
 Colorado | Eileen Hoskins | Denver | |||||
 Connecticut | Dorothy Pickard | New Haven | |||||
 Delaware | Peggy Insolo | Wilmington | Piano | Top 15 | |||
| Delaware County | Dorothy A. Wall | Lansdowne | |||||
 District of Columbia | Catherine Howe | 22 | Dance, "The Yam" | Top 15 | Preliminary Talent Award | ||
| Eastern New York | Geraldine Anne Racine | ||||||
| Eastern Pennsylvania | Mildred Saha | Secane | Top 15 | ||||
| Huntington | Juanita Park Wright | Huntington | Top 15 | ||||
 Indiana | Carolyn Akin | Evansville | Tap Dance | ||||
| Kansas City | Gloria Kathleen Gipson | Kansas City | |||||
 Kentucky | Dorothy Slatten | Lexington | 4th Runner-up | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness | |||
| Knoxville | Thelma McGhee | Knoxville | |||||
 Maine | Shirley Edith Houston | Augusta | |||||
 Maryland | Marie Beiser | Baltimore | |||||
 Massachusetts | Polly Connors | Bedford | 3rd Runner-up | ||||
 Miami | Mitzie Strother | Miami | Top 15 | ||||
 Michigan | Monnie Drake | Detroit | Vocal, "Bill" | 2nd Runner-up | Preliminary Talent Award | ||
 Minnesota | Virginia Kepler | Minneapolis | |||||
 Mississippi | Carolyn Simon | Greenville | |||||
 Missouri | Virginia Morrison | St. Louis | Top 15 | ||||
 Montana | Kay Kittendorf | Missoula | Classical Vocal, "Un bel dì, vedremo" fromMadama Butterfly | Top 15 | Preliminary Talent Award | ||
| Montgomery | Carolyn Foreman | Montgomery | |||||
| Myrtle Beach | LaBruce Sherill | Myrtle Beach | Tap Dance, "Cocktails for Two" | Top 15 | Preliminary Talent Award | ||
 New Jersey | Mildred Marie Selko | Kearny | |||||
 New Orleans | Pauline Powell | New Orleans | |||||
 North Carolina | Jeanne Wofford | Forest City | |||||
 Ohio | Violet Berze | Steubenville | |||||
 Oklahoma | Ada Martyne Wood | Oklahoma City | Top 15 | ||||
 Philadelphia | Frances Marie Burke | Philadelphia | Vocal/Dance, "I Can't Love You Anymore" | Winner | |||
 South Carolina | Vanadora Baker | Dillon | Recitation | ||||
 St. Louis | LeFern Mueller | St. Louis | |||||
 Tennessee | Christine Webb | Centerville | Dramatic Monologue, "The Waltz" | ||||
 Texas | Gloria Ann Byrns | Port Arthur | Tap Dance & Baton Twirling | ||||
 Virginia | Virginia Campbell | Charlottesville | |||||
 Washington | Peggy Mason | Tacoma | |||||
 West Virginia | Mary Schlarmann Bowles | Montgomery | |||||
| Westchester County | Constantine Gray | Yonkers | |||||
| Western Kentucky | Violet Owen | ||||||
| Western New York | Gloria Elizabeth Sheehan | Buffalo | |||||
| Western Pennsylvania | Alberta Louise Carts | Pittsburgh | Top 15 |
