The Miss Alabama competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

in the annual

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. Alabama has won four Miss America titles: Abbie Stockard in 2025, Deidre Downs in 2005, Heather Whitestone (the first deaf woman to win the Miss America crown) in 1995, and

Yolande Betbeze Yolande Margaret Betbeze Fox (November 28, 1928 – February 22, 2016) was an American singer, feminist activist, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss America 1951. Early life Betbeze was born on November 28, 1928, in Mobile, Al ...

in 1951. Betbeze is also known as the contestant who refused to pose in a swimsuit, causing swimsuit sponsor

Catalina Swimwear Catalina is a brand of women's swimwear. It was once one of the oldest clothing manufacturers in California. Their history began in 1907, as Bentz Knitting Mills, a small manufacturer of underwear and sweaters. The name was changed to Pacific Kni ...

to pull out and ultimately start the

Miss USA Miss USA is an American beauty pageant that has been held annually since 1952 to select the entrant from United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operated both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA, until 2020. ...

pageant. Abbie Stockard of Vestavia Hills was crowned Miss Alabama 2024 on June 29, 2024, at Samford University's Wright Center in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. The population was 200,733 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List ...

. She competed for the title of Miss America 2025 and later won the title, succeeding Madison Marsh of Colorado.

Gallery of past titleholders

File:Yolande_Betbeze_NYWTS.jpg,

,
Miss Alabama 1950 and

1951 File:Heatherphilippinevisit.jpg, Heather Whitestone,
Miss Alabama 1994 and Miss America 1995 File:Deidre Downs.jpg, Deidre Downs,
Miss Alabama 2004 and Miss America 2005 File:Abbie Stockard 03.jpg, Abbie Stockard,
Miss Alabama 2024 and Miss America 2025

Results summary

The following is a visual summary of the past results of Miss Alabama 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:

(

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the Uni ...

), Heather Whitestone (

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

), Deidre Downs (

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

), Abbie Stockard (

2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...

) * 1st runners-up: Teresa Cheatham (1979), Paige Phillips (1981), Scarlotte Deupree (2003), Lauren Bradford (2022) * 2nd runners-up: Frances Dorn (1945), Martha Ann Ingram (1948), Anne Stuart Ariail (1957), Pam Battles (1984), Alexa Jones (2006) * 3rd runners-up: Peggy June Elder (1947), Gwen Harmon (1953), Virginia McDavid (1954), Yolanda Fernandez (1983), Alison McCreary (1997) * 4th runners-up: Gloria Levinge (1936), Betty Jane Rase (1944), Angela Tower (1986), Jenny Jackson (1989), Melinda Toole (2007), Meg McGuffin (2016) * Top 7: Jessica Procter (2018), Tiara Pennington (2020) * Top 10: Marie Duncan (1942), Jeanne Moody (1952), Marilyn Tate (1955), Patricia Huddleston (1956), Lee Thornberry (1959), Teresa Rinaldi (1961), Delores Hodgens (1962), Judy Short (1964), Vickie Powers (1965), Linda Folsom (1966), Angie Grooms (1967), Dellynne Catching (1969), Angela Callahan (1987), Kalyn Chapman (1994), Leigh Sherer (1996), Julie Smith (2000), Jana Sanderson (2001), Caitlin Brunell (2015), Callie Walker (2019) * Top 12: Anna Laura Bryan (2013) * Top 13: Courtney Porter (2012) * Top 15: Tommy Marie Peck (1936), Mildred Oxford (1938), Florine Holt (1939), Virginia McGraw (1941), Catherine Crosby (2004), Amanda Tapley (2009)

Awards

Preliminary awards

* Preliminary Evening Gown: Brianna Burrell (2024) * Preliminary Lifestyle and Fitness: Marie Duncan (1942), Betty Jane Rase (1944), Peggy Elder (1947),

(1951), Gwen Harmon (1953), Judy Short (1964), Dellynne Catching (1969), Teresa Cheatham (1979), Angela Tower (1986), Heather Whitestone (1995), Ashley Davis (2011) * Preliminary Talent: Gloria Levinge (1936), Virginia McGraw (1941), Betty Jane Rase (1944), Frances Dorn (1945), Emma Dale Nunnally (1946), Jeanne Moody (1952), Patricia Huddleston (1956), Anne Stuart Ariail (1957), Lee Thornberry (1959), Teresa Rinaldi (1961), Judy Short (1964), Vickie Powers (1965), Linda Folsom (1966), Suzanne Dennie (1971), Teresa Cheatham (1979), Paige Phillips (1981), Heather Whitestone (1995)

Non-finalist awards

* Non-finalist Talent: Anna Stange (1958), Betty Lindstrom (1960), Patricia Bonner (1963), Kathy Pickett (1980), Tammy Little (1985), Chandler Champion (2014) * Non-finalist Interview: Resha Riggins (1991)

Other awards

* Miss Congeniality: Toula Hagestratou (1943), Melinda Toole (2007) * Children's Miracle Network (CMN) Miracle Maker Award: Hayley Barber (2017) * CMN Miracle Maker Award 2nd runners-up: Jamie Langley (2008), Callie Walker (2019) *Jean Bartel Social Impact Initiative Winner: Lauren Bradford (2022) *Jean Bartel Social Impact Initiative Finalists: Lindsay Fincher (2022) * Quality of Life Award Winners: Kim Wimmer (1993), Alison McCreary (1997), Catherine Crosby (2004), Deidre Downs (2005), Anna Laura Bryan (2013), Caitlin Brunell (2015), Hayley Barber (2017), Jessica Procter (2018) * Quality of Life Award 1st runners-up: Heather Whitestone (1995), Scarlotte Deupree (2000) Scarlotte Deupree (2003) Lindsay Fincher (2022) * Quality of Life Award 2nd runners-up: Julie Smith (2000), Alexa Jones (2006), Melinda Toole (2007), Amanda Tapley (2009), Meg McGuffin (2016) * Quality of Life Award Finalists: Resha Riggins (1991), Leigh Sherer (1996), Jamie Langley (2008), Liz Cochran (2010) * STEM Scholarship Award Winners: Hayley Barber (2017); Lauren Bradford (2022) *Top Fundraiser 1st runner-ups: Lauren Bradford (2022) * Women in Business Scholarship Award Finalists: Lauren Bradford (2022) * AHA Go Red for Women Leadership Award Regional Winner: Abbie Stockard (2025)

Winners

Notes

References

External links

Miss Alabama official website
{{Miss America state Alabama culture

Women in Alabama 1935 establishments in Alabama Recurring events established in 1935 Annual events in Alabama