Miss USA 1977

Miss USA 1977, the 26th Miss USA pageant, was televised live by CBS from the Gillard Municipal Auditorium in Charleston, South Carolina on May 14, 1977.

Miss USA 1977
Date	May 14, 1977
Presenters	Bob Barker and Helen O'Connell
Entertainment	Bobby Vinton
Venue	Gillard Municipal Auditorium, Charleston, South Carolina
Broadcaster	CBS, WCSC-TV
Entrants	51
Placements	12
Winner	Kimberly Tomes Texas
Congeniality	Linda Lefevre
Photogenic	Elizabeth Curran

The pageant was won by Kimberly Tomes of Texas, who was crowned by outgoing titleholder Barbara Peterson of Minnesota. Tomes was the first woman from Texas to win the Miss USA title, and went on to place as a semi-finalist at Miss Universe 1977.

Results

Final Results	Contestant
Miss USA 1977	Texas – Kimberly Tomes
1st Runner-Up	Nevada – Mary O'Neal Contino
2nd Runner-Up	Minnesota – Deborah Cossette
3rd Runner-Up	California –Pamela Gergely
4th Runner-Up	Virginia – Lynn Herring
Top 12	Arizona – Toni Abranovic District of Columbia – Sharon Sutherland Georgia – Linda Kerr Hawaii – Cely de Castro Maine – Tina Brown New Jersey – Juanita McCarty New Mexico – Denise Funderburk

Special awards

Award	Contestant
Miss Congeniality	Florida –Linda Lefevre
Miss Photogenic	Illinois –Elizabeth Curran

Historical significance

• Texas wins competition for the first time and surpasses its previous highest placement in 1971. Also becoming in the 19th state who does it for the first time.
• Nevada earns the 1st runner-up position for the first time, becoming its highest placement of the state until 2014.
• Minnesota earns the 2nd runner-up position for the first time.
• California earns the 3rd runner-up position for the fourth time. The last time it placed this was in 1974.
• Virginia earns the 4th runner-up position for the first time and it reaches the highest placement since Deborah Shelton won in 1970.
• States that placed in semifinals the previous year were California, Georgia, Minnesota, New Mexico and Texas.
• California placed for the twenty-first consecutive year.
• Texas placed for the third consecutive year.
• Georgia, Minnesota and New Mexico made their second consecutive placement.
• District of Columbia, Hawaii, New Jersey and Virginia last placed in 1975.
• Arizona and Nevada last placed in 1974.
• Maine last placed in 1970.
• Missouri breaks an ongoing streak of placements since 1974.

Delegates

The Miss USA 1977 delegates were:

Alabama - Cheryl Burgess Alaska - Edith Baker Arizona - Toni Abranovic Arkansas - Debra Duree California - Pamela Gergely Colorado - Mary Anne Genzel Connecticut - Susan Crone Delaware - Debby Faulkner District of Columbia - Sharon Sutherland Florida - Linda Lefevre Georgia - Linda Kerr Hawaii - Cely de Castro Idaho - Leslie Kingon Illinois - Elizabeth Curran Indiana - Lynn Flaherty Iowa - Cindy Woodard Kansas - Sherry Brane Kentucky - Sandy Smith Louisiana - Patti Rosenbalm Maine - Tina Brown Maryland - Twyla Littleton Massachusetts - Carolyn Marcil Michigan - Jenny Pinks Minnesota - Deborah Cossette Mississippi - Leigh Tapley Missouri - Connie Ast

Montana - Theresa Rose Bajt Nebraska - Debbie Ridge Nevada - Mary O'Neal Cantino New Hampshire - Belinda Bridgeman New Jersey - Juanita McCarty New Mexico - Denise Funderburk New York - Deborah Martin North Carolina - Vikki Verbyla North Dakota - Barbara Redlin Ohio - Lesa Rummell Oklahoma - Kathy Malchar Oregon - Charisse Charlton Pennsylvania - Lorraine Lincoski Rhode Island - Susan Carten South Carolina - Pam Hoover South Dakota - Ginger Thomson Tennessee - Rene Jean Smith Texas - Kimberly Tomes Utah - Michele Miner Vermont - Anne Kent Virginia - Lynn Herring Washington - Ivy Lynn Reed West Virginia - Pat Brown Wisconsin - Vicki Payne Wyoming - Michele Fisser

External links

• Miss USA official website