| Miss America 1984 | |
|---|---|
 Vanessa Williams in 1984 | |
| Date | September 17, 1983 |
| Presenters | Gary Collins Susan Powell (Miss America 1981) Deanna Fogarty |
| Venue | Boardwalk Hall,Atlantic City, New Jersey |
| Broadcaster | NBC |
| Winner | Vanessa Williams - September 17, 1983 – July 23, 1984 (resigned) Suzette Charles - July 23, 1984 – September 15, 1984 (succeeded) |
← 1983 1985 → | |
Miss America 1984, the 57thMiss America pageant, was held at theBoardwalk Hall inAtlantic City, New Jersey on September 17, 1983, onNBC Network. Miss America 1983,Debra Maffett (Miss California 1982) crowned her successor,Miss New York 1983,Vanessa Williams of Millwood, New York at the end of the nationally televised event. In July 1984, Williamswas forced to resign over the unauthorized publication of nude photographs and was succeeded by first runner-up,Miss New JerseySuzette Charles, who served as Miss America until September 15, 1984. Among the contestants who did not place among the ten finalists,Miss New Mexico 1983Mai Shanley, eventually went on to win theMiss USA 1984 pageant on May 17, 1984.
It began in the summer of 1982. I had finished my exams the first week of May at Syracuse University and came home to find a summer job. I saw an advertisement in a local newspaper reading "models wanted," so I called up and talked to Tom Chiapel, who was the photographer and part-owner of TEC studios. He said to come down for an interview ... When I returned later to pick up the proofs, Tom Chiapel indicated that he needed a makeup artist. He offered me an audition, so I came in and did a face. He decided to have me work for him as a makeup artist-receptionist ... I had worked there for a month and a half when Tom Chiapel mentioned several times that he'd like to shoot me in the nude. I had never posed nude and I was curious. I was 19 years old. I agreed. He assured me that none of the photographs would ever leave the studio. He assured me ... I trusted him not to do anything with the photographs. That was my error. I did not give my consent to him orPenthouse to ever have them published, used in any magazine or in any way. Nothing. I signed an application giving my height, weight, color of hair and my talents ... I never told anyone about the pictures, not even my parents. I did not think it was a concern. We had made an agreement they would never be published. I feel as if I were just a sacrificial lamb. The past just came up and kicked me. I felt betrayed and violated, like I had been raped.
During the preliminaries for the Miss America 1984 pageant,Vanessa Williams won "Preliminary Swimsuit" and "Preliminary Talent" (with a vocal performance of "Happy Days Are Here Again").[2] She was crowned Miss America 1984 on September 17, 1983 (becoming the first African American woman to win the title).[2][3] Williams later commented that she was one of five minority contestants that year, noting that ballet dancerDeneen Graham "had already had a cross burned on her front yard because she was the first blackMiss North Carolina [1983]."[4] She also pointed out that "Suzette Charles was the first runner-up, and she was biracial. But when the press started, when I would go out on the - on the tour and do my appearances, and people would come up and say they never thought they'd see the day that it would happen; when people would want to shake my hand, and you'd see tears in their eyes, and they'd say, I never thought I'd see it in my lifetime - that's when, you know, it was definitely a very special honor."[4] Williams' reign as Miss America was not without its challenges and controversies, however. For the first time in pageant history, a reigning Miss America was the target of death threats and hate mail.[4][5] In addition, ten months into her reign as Miss America, Williams received an anonymous phone call stating nude photos of her (taken before her pageant days) would be published inPenthouse. The publication of these photos ultimately led to her resignation as Miss America.
Williams believed the photographs were private and had been destroyed; she claims she never signed a release permitting the photos to be used.[6] The black-and-white photos dated back to 1982 (the year before she won the Miss America Pageant), when she worked as an assistant and makeup artist forMount Kisco, New York photographer Tom Chiapel. According to Williams, Chiapel said that "he had a concept of having two models pose nude for silhouettes. Basically to make different shapes and forms. The light would be behind the models. I was reluctant, but since he assured me that I would be the only one to see them and I would not be identifiable in the photographs, I agreed. He had also gotten another model to agree to this."[1]Hugh Hefner, the publisher ofPlayboy, was initially offered the photos, but turned them down, stating: "The single victim in all of this was the young woman herself, whose right to make this decision was taken away from her. If she wanted to make this kind of statement, that would be her business, but the statement wasn't made by her."[7][8]Penthouse published the photos without her permission in 1984, however, in what thePBS documentaryMiss America described as "the most successful issue ofPenthouse magazine ever printed, netting publisherBob Guccione a windfall profit of $14 million."[5]
According toEssence magazine, Williams "was forced to resign from her title as she facedpublic shaming and bullying from the public at large."[9] Williams herself later described these events as "the betrayal, and the humiliation, that happened to me on a grand scale."[4] She also noted that her parents experienced "an incredible amount of shame and humiliation" and were equally the subject of harassment at the time.[10] After being given 72 hours to make a decision,[10] Williams formally announced her decision to resign in a press conference on July 23, 1984[8][10][11] and the title subsequently went to the first runner-up, Miss New JerseySuzette Charles (who served out the final seven weeks of Williams' reign).[8][10][11] On September 7, 1984, Williams filed a $500 million lawsuit against Chiapel and Guccione. She eventually dropped the suit a year later, explaining that she wanted to put the scandal behind her and move on.[12][13]
Williams returned to the Miss America stage on September 13, 2015, for theMiss America 2016 pageant, when she served as head judge and performed "Oh How the Years Go By."[10][14] The pageant began with then-Miss America CEO Sam Haskell issuing an apology to Williams, telling her that although "none of us currently in the organization were involved then, on behalf of today's organization, I want to apologize to you and to your mother, Miss Helen Williams. I want to apologize for anything that was said or done that made you feel any less the Miss America you are and the Miss America you always will be."[15][16][17]
Suzette Charles (Williams' replacement) said in an interview withInside Edition that she was perplexed over the apology and suggested that it was given for the purpose of ratings.[18] Williams also commented on the events surrounding her return, stating in an interview with ABC News reporterRobin Roberts that "there's a lot of people who feel I should return, so the people who harbor the resentment I understand it but realize that all of those people that were part of the old guard are no longer there."[10]
| Placement | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss America 1984 |
|
| 1st Runner-Up |
|
| 2nd Runner-Up |
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| 3rd Runner-Up |
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| 4th Runner-Up |
|
| Top 10 |
| Awards | 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) |
| Awards | Contestant |
|---|---|
| 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) |
| State | Name | Hometown | Age | Talent | Placement | Special Awards | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Alabama | Pam Battles | Muscle Shoals | 21 | Piano, Medley ofGeorge Gershwin | 2nd runner-up | ||
 Alaska | Jennifer Smith | Soldotna | 19 | Vocal, "Le Jazz Hot!" fromVictor/Victoria | |||
 Arizona | Jennifer Nichols | Tempe | 22 | Classical Vocal, "Glitter and Be Gay" | |||
 Arkansas | Regina Hopper | Springdale | 24 | Popular Vocal, "You're Gonna Hear from Me" | Non-finalist Talent Award | Formerly on theMiss America Board of Directors | |
 California | Shari Moskau | Mission Viejo | 19 | Popular Vocal, "Greatest Love of All" | |||
 Colorado | Melanie Scott | Littleton | 21 | Jazz Acrobatic Dance, "Junkaroo Holiday" | |||
 Connecticut | Dakeita Vanderburg | Westport | 25 | Popular Vocal, "I Can See It" | |||
 Delaware | Tammy Renee Copeland | Newark | 21 | Vocal, "Cry Me a River" | |||
 Florida | Kim Boyce | Bradenton | 22 | Popular Vocal, "Rainbow Connection" & "Over the Rainbow" | Top 10 | ||
 Georgia | Tammy Fulwider | Columbus | 24 | Tap Dance/Vocal, "42nd Street" | |||
 Hawaii | Wendy Sue Nelson | Kihei | 21 | Vocal, "Hit Me with a Hot Note" fromSophisticated Ladies | |||
 Idaho | Elaine Pack | Rexburg | 20 | Harp, "Spanish Fantasy" | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 Illinois | Rebecca Bush | Chicago | 24 | Vocal, "It's My Turn" | Played Detective Katie Grant onJake and the Fatman | ||
 Indiana | Teri Schultz | Bloomington | 21 | Ballet, "Sylvia" | |||
 Iowa | Karri Nussle | Des Moines | 19 | Vocal, "Minute Waltz" | |||
 Kansas | Laura Lynn Watters | Colby | 22 | Trumpet Medley, "Sugar Blues" & "Woodchopper's Ball" | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 Kentucky | Lynn Whitney Thompson | Lexington | 24 | Popular Vocal, "Yesterday When I Was Young" | Top 10 | ||
 Louisiana | Miriam Gauthier | Shreveport | 19 | Piano, "Toccata" by Antonio Tauriello | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 Maine | Brenda Theriault | Presque Isle | 22 | Vocal, "Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey" | |||
 Maryland | Amy Elizabeth Keys | Lanham | 26 | Popular Vocal, "I'll Never Love This Way Again" | |||
 Massachusetts | Holly Mayer | Brookline | 26 | Dance/Baton Twirling, Music fromGypsy: A Musical Fable | Non-finalist Talent Award | PreviouslyNational Sweetheart 1982 Mother ofMiss New York's Outstanding Teen 2011 andMiss New York 2019, Lauren Molella Sister-in-law ofMiss New York 1989, Lisa Molella | |
 Michigan | Denise Gehman | Waterford | 20 | Vocal Medley, "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing" & "Show Me" fromMy Fair Lady | |||
 Minnesota | Vicki Plaster | St. Paul | 23 | Vocal Medley, "Just You Wait" & "I Could Have Danced All Night" fromMy Fair Lady | Mother ofMiss Minnesota 2019, Kathryn Kueppers | ||
 Mississippi | Wanda Gayle Geddie | Hattiesburg | 24 | Vocal, "More Than You Know" | 3rd runner-up | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | |
 Missouri | Barbara Ann Webster | Jefferson City | 21 | Violin Medley, "Listen to the Mocking Bird" & "Orange Blossom Special" | Top 10 | Preliminary Talent Award | LaterMiss Missouri USA 1986 |
 Montana | Laurie Nelson | Billings | 19 | Classical Piano,L'isle joyeuse byClaude Debussy | |||
 Nebraska | Kristin Leigh Lowenburg | Kearney | 20 | Jazz Dance, "What a Feeling" | Top 10 | ||
 Nevada | Kim Pacini | Incline Village | 24 | Vocal, "You're the Top" | |||
 New Hampshire | Monica Jean Rastallis | Newport | 22 | Ballet, Theme fromSummer of '42 | |||
 New Jersey | Suzette Charles | Mays Landing | 20 | Popular Vocal, "Kiss Me in the Rain" | 1st runner-up | Preliminary Talent Award | Named Miss America in July 1984 whenVanessa Williams relinquished title |
 New Mexico | Mai Shanley | Alamogordo | 20 | Vocal, "I Feel Pretty" fromWest Side Story | LaterMiss New Mexico USA 1984 CrownedMiss USA 1984 Top 10 atMiss Universe 1984 | ||
 New York | Vanessa Williams | Millwood | 20 | Popular Vocal, "Happy Days are Here Again" | Winner | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award Preliminary Talent Award | First African AmericanMiss America Resigned on July 23, 1984, afterPenthouse was to publish nude photos of Williams without her consent |
 North Carolina | Deneen Graham | North Wilkesboro | 19 | Jazz Dance, "Sing, Sing, Sing" | First African AmericanMiss North Carolina | ||
 North Dakota | Phyllis Hankey | Park River | 22 | Vocal, "If You Believe" fromThe Wiz | |||
 Ohio | Pamela Helean Rigas | Canfield | 22 | Vocal/Dance, "Shine it On" | 4th runner-up | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | Previously Ohio's Junior Miss 1978 PreviouslyMiss Alabama USA 1980 3rd runner-up atMiss USA 1980 |
 Oklahoma | Trelynda Kerr | Moore | 21 | Country Vocal Medley, "Stand by Your Man" | |||
 Oregon | Stephanie "Jill" Wymer | Sutherlin | 22 | Popular Vocal, "Out Here on My Own" fromFame | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 Pennsylvania | Jennifer Eshelman | Hegins | 23 | Classical Vocal, "Adele's Laughing Song" fromDie Fledermaus | |||
 Rhode Island | Pamela Hoff | Providence | 21 | Vocal, "For Once in My Life" | |||
 South Carolina | Dalia Mercedes Garcia | Columbia | 21 | Vocal, "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" | |||
 South Dakota | LaRonda Lundin | Revillo | 20 | Classical Piano, "Polichinelle" bySergei Rachmaninoff | |||
 Tennessee | Moira Alice Kaye | Oak Ridge | 23 | Vocal, "Memory" fromCats | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 Texas | Dana Rogers | Boerne | 22 | Vocal, "An American Trilogy" | Top 10 | Mother ofMiss Nevada's Outstanding Teen 2019, Molly Martin | |
 Utah | Lynn Lambert | Provo | 21 | Classical Piano, "Concerto No. 2, 3rd Movement" byRachmaninoff | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 Vermont | Juliet Lambert | Middlebury | 19 | Vocal, "Don't Rain on My Parade" | |||
 Virginia | Lisa Aliff | Roanoke | 23 | Vocal & Dance, "Manhattan" & "Broadway Rhythm" | |||
 Washington | Jennifer Havlin | Bellingham | 25 | Character Ballet, "On Golden Pond" | |||
 West Virginia | Andrea Lynn Patrick | Morgantown | 23 | Tap Dance, "Malagueña" & "España cañí" | PreviouslyMiss Pennsylvania USA 1980 | ||
 Wisconsin | Wendy Lynn Wagner | Menomonie /Des Plaines Illinois | 22 | Vocal, "Mira" fromCarnival! | |||
 Wyoming | Heather Wallace | Cheyenne | 21 | Vocal, "New York, New York" |
