The Miss California competition selects the representative for the state of

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

in the

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 18 and 28. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is judged on competition segments with scoring percentages: ''Priva ...

competition. The pageant began in Santa Cruz in 1924 and was held there in 1925. During the years 1926 through 1946 in years when the Miss California pageant was held, the competition was primarily in San Francisco and Venice, California. In 1947, it returned to Santa Cruz and was held there annually until 1985, after which it moved to

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

in response to years of protests and a "Myth California" counter pageant organized by local

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

activists led by Ann Simonton and Nikki Craft. It has been held in

Visalia, California Visalia ( ) is a city in the agricultural San Joaquin Valley of California. The population was 141,384 as per the 2020 census. Visalia is the fifth-most populous city in the San Joaquin Valley, the 38th most populous in California, and 183 ...

since 2023. Kimberly Vernon of Santa Clara was crowned Miss California 2024 on June 15, 2024, at the Visalia Convention Center

. She competed for the title of Miss America 2025.

Gallery of past titleholders

File:Rosemary LaPlanche Miss California 1940.jpg, File:Jean Bartel as Miss America 1943.jpg, File:Marilynbuferd.jpg, File:Lee Meriwether 2008.png, File:Sharon Terrill of Arlington, Texas, cheerleader at Arlington State College (10002354).jpg, File:Susan Anton cropped.jpg, File:MissAmerica1983.jpg, File:Rita Ng.jpg, File:Jacquelynne Fontaine in 2007.jpg, File:Melissa Chaty cropped.jpg, File:Kristen Cavinder cropped.jpg, File:Noelle Freeman at Great Wall of China.jpg, File:Leah Cecil Miss California 2012.jpg, File:Miss California 2013 Crystal Lee.jpg, File:2015 Miss California.jpg, File:Miss California 2016 .jpg,

Results summary

The following is a visual summary of the past results of Miss California titleholders at the national Miss America pageants/competitions. The year in parentheses indicates the year of the national competition during which a placement and/or award was garnered, not the year attached to the contestant's state title.

Placements

* Miss Americas:

Fay Lanphier Fay Elinora Lanphier (December 12, 1905 – June 21, 1959) was an American model and actress most noted for winning the title of Miss Santa Cruz in 1924 and then Miss California and Miss America in 1925. Early life Lanphier was born in E ...

(1925),

Rosemary LaPlanche Rosemary E. LaPlanche (October 11, 1923 – May 6, 1979) was an American beauty queen and actress. She won Miss California three years in a row (1939–1941), and won Miss America in 1941. Early life LaPlanche moved to southern California ...

(1941),

Jean Bartel Jean Bartel (born Jean Bartlemeh; October 26, 1923 – March 6, 2011) was Miss California and Miss America 1943. Early life Bartel was from Los Angeles, California. She was born Jean Bartlemeh; later her name was shortened to Bartel. Pageant ...

(1943),

Marilyn Buferd Marilyn Buferd (January 30, 1925 – March 27, 1990) was an American film and television actress as well as the winner of both the Miss California and Miss America pageants of 1946. During the latter half of the 1940s and throughout the 1950s, s ...

(1946),

Lee Meriwether Lee Ann Meriwether (born May 27, 1935) is an American actress and the winner of the 1955 Miss America pageant. She has appeared in many films and television shows, notably as Betty Jones, the title character's secretary and daughter-in-law in th ...

(1955),

Debra Maffett Debra Sue Maffett (born November 9, 1956) is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Cut and Shoot, Texas and was named Miss America 1983. Early life and education Maffett graduated from S.P. Waltrip High School in Houston, Texas, in 1975 ...

(1983) * 1st runners-up: Adrienne Dore (1925), Phyllis Dobson (1936), Claire James (1938),

(1940), Phyllis Mathis (1945), Suzanne Reamo (1961), Charlene Dallas (1967), Lucianne Buchanan (1975), Kristy Cavinder (2010),

Crystal Lee Crystal Lee is a co-founder of the Silicon Valley startup LifeSite. Lee was the first runner-up in the Miss America 2014 pageant, Miss California 2013, Miss Chinatown USA 2010 and Miss California's Outstanding Teen 2008. She is currently the ...

(2014) * 2nd runners-up:

(1924), Blanche MacDonald (1933), Jeanne Shores (1953),

Susan Anton Susan Anton is an American actress and singer. Her debut film, " Goldengirl," earned her a Golden Globe nomination, leading to a contract with NBC for her variety show, "Presenting Susan Anton." Later, ABC signed her for the drama series " ...

(1970), Janet Carr (1976), Rita Ng (2001) * 3rd runners-up: Lillian Knight (1924), Phyllis Randall (1937) (tie), Marguerite Skliris (1939), Lorna Anderson (1958), Sandra Jennings (1959), Susan Bronson (1960), Linda Mouron (1977), Marlise Ricardos (1989), Tiffany Stoker (1996) * 4th runners-up:

Lucille Lambert Lucille Lambert was Miss Hollywood and Miss California 1942. She finished fourth runner up at Miss America 1942 Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 18 and 28. Originating i ...

(1942), Laura Emery (1947), Jone Pedersen (1949), Rebekah Ann Keller (1998), Nicole Lamarche (2004), Veena Goel (2005),

Noelle Freeman Noelle Hope Freeman (born August 16, 1989) is an American entrepreneur and founder oThe DMS Agency Early life and education Freeman was born in San Diego County, California on August 16, 1989. She graduated from Carlsbad High School and is an a ...

(2012) * Top 7: Jackie Geist (2009) * Top 8:

Melissa Chaty Melissa Ivonne Chaty (born January 23, 1984) is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Ukiah, California. She was Miss Mendocino is 2002, held the titles of Miss Teenage California 2003 and Miss California 2007 and finished in the top 8 at ...

(2008) * Top 10: Patricia Johns (1954), Joan Beckett (1957), Susan Henryson (1962), Wendy Douglas (1964), Susan Shipley (1974), Connie Lee Haugen (1978),

Jacquelynne Fontaine Jacquelynne Noelle Fontaine (born September 20, 1982) is an American opera singer, actress, and beauty pageant titleholder. She held the title of Miss California 2006, finished in the top 10 and won a preliminary talent award at Miss America in 2 ...

(2007),

Arianna Afsar Arianna Ayesha Afsar (born October 22, 1991) is an American singer, composer, beauty queen, and activist best known for her starring role in ''Hamilton'', as the songwriter of the musical ''Jeannette'', and as a top contestant on ''American Idol' ...

(2011), Jessa Carmack (2017) * Top 12: Virginia Donham (1935), Shirley Ballard (1944) * Top 13: Polly Ellis (1945) * Top 15: Ruby Smith (1927), Bertha Weizel (1927), Eileen Kim (2020) * Top 16: Joanne Durant (1951) * Top 20: Stephanie Baldwin (2002)

Awards

Preliminary awards

* Preliminary Lifestyle and Fitness:

(1940 and 1941),

(1943),

(1946), Jone Pedersen (1950), Joanne Durant (1951), Jeanne Shores (1953), Patricia Johns (1954),

(1955), Joan Beckett (1957), Sandra Jennings (1959), Sherri Raap (1965),

Charlene Dallas Charlene Diane Dallas (born April 13, 1947) is a former beauty queen contestant who was Miss California for 1966, as well as first runner-up to Miss America for 1967. Early life and education Dallas is from Danville in Contra Costa County, Calif ...

(1967), Carolyn Stoner (1972), Lucianne Buchanan (1975), Janet Carr (1976),

(1983), Lisa Michelle Duncan (1994), Tiffany Stoker (1996), Rebekah Ann Keller (1998), Nicole Lamarche (2004) * Preliminary Talent: Phyllis Dobson (1936), Phyllis Randall (1937), Marguerite Skliris (1939),

(1943), Polly Ellis (1945), Susan Henryson (1962),

(1967),

(1983), Rita Ng (2001), Veena Goel (2005), Dustin-Leigh Konzelman (2006),

(2007), Kristy Cavinder (2010)

Non-finalist awards

* Non-finalist talent: Sandra Lynne Becker (1966), Sharon Terrill (1969), Karin Kascher (1971), Christine Acton (1979), Lisa Kahre (1987), Maria Ostapiej (1991),

Jennifer Hanson Jennifer Kathleen Hanson (born August 10, 1973) is an American country music artist, songwriter and record producer. She made her artist debut in 2002 with the release of her single “ Beautiful Goodbye”. The song went on to become a top 20 h ...

(1995), Danielle Coney (1999), MaryAnne Sapio (2000), Dustin-Leigh Konzelman (2006), Catherine Liang (2023)

Other awards

Miss Congeniality Miss Congeniality may refer to: * ''Miss Congeniality'' (film), 2000 film, directed by Donald Petrie, starring Sandra Bullock and Benjamin Bratt **'' Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous'', a 2005 sequel *A special award, the "Miss Congeniality A ...

: Susan Henryson (1962) * Final Night Swimsuit: Nicole Lamarche (2004) * Miss America Scholar: Rita Ng (2001) * STEM Scholarship Award Winners:

(2014) * Waterford Business Scholarship: Danielle Coney (1999) * Women in Business Finalists: Catherine Liang (2023)

Winners

References

External links

* {{Miss America state

California culture Women in California Recurring events established in 1924 1924 establishments in California Annual events in California