Miss USA 1978

Miss USA 1978, the 27th Miss USA pageant, was televised live by CBS from the Gillard Municipal Auditorium in Charleston, South Carolina on April 29, 1978.

Miss USA 1978
Date	April 29, 1978
Presenters	Bob Barker Helen O'Connell
Entertainment	Jack Jones
Venue	Gillard Municipal Auditorium, Charleston, South Carolina
Broadcaster	CBS WCSC-TV
Entrants	51
Placements	12
Winner	Judi Andersen  Hawaii
Congeniality	Nancy Wierzbicki  Vermont
Photogenic	Suzanna Timberlake  Tennessee

The pageant was won by Judi Andersen of Hawaii, who was crowned by outgoing titleholder Kimberly Tomes of Texas. Andersen was the third woman from Hawaii to win the Miss USA title, and went on to place as 1st runner-up to Margaret Gardiner of South Africa at Miss Universe 1978.

Results

Placements

Final results	Contestant
Miss USA 1978	Hawaii – Judi Andersen
1st Runner-Up	Massachusetts – Diane Pollard
2nd Runner-Up	Texas – Barbra Horan
3rd Runner-Up	Indiana – Jayme Buecher
4th Runner-Up	New Mexico – Marlena Garland
Top 12	Alaska – Barbara Samuelson California – Donna Adrian Florida – April Shaw Oklahoma – Nancy Lippold Pennsylvania – Sandy Dell Utah – Margo Flynn Virginia – Robin Shadle

Special awards

Award	Contestant
Miss Congeniality	Vermont – Nancy Wierzbicki
Miss Photogenic	Tennessee – Suzanna Timberlake

Historical significance

• Hawaii wins competition for the third time.
• Massachusetts earns the 1st runner-up position for the first time.
• Texas earns the 2nd runner-up position for the first time.
• Indiana earns the 3rd runner-up position for the first time.
• New Mexico earns the 4th runner-up position for the second time. The last time it placed this was in 1968.
• States that placed in semifinals the previous year were California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Texas and Virginia.
• California placed for the twenty-second consecutive year.
• Texas placed for the fourth consecutive year.
• New Mexico placed for the third consecutive year.
• Hawaii and Virginia made their second consecutive placement.
• Florida and Indiana last placed in 1975.
• Alaska last placed in 1972.
• Pennsylvania last placed in 1971.
• Massachusetts and Utah last placed in 1966.
• Oklahoma last placed in 1965.
• Georgia and Minnesota break an ongoing streak of placements since 1976.

Delegates

The Miss USA 1978 delegates were:

Alabama - Eva Jo Stancil Alaska - Barbara Samuelson Arizona - Jacquie Crutchfield Arkansas - Donna Funderburk California - Donna Adrian Colorado - Linda Potestio Connecticut - Martha Szabo Delaware - Donna Lewis District of Columbia - Wanda Clineman Florida - April Shaw Georgia - Larinda Matthews Hawaii - Judi Andersen Idaho - Suzette Sanford Illinois - Suzanne Piche Indiana - Jayme Buecher Iowa - Michelle Daley Kansas - Diddy Bell Kentucky - Linda Woodruff Louisiana - Tauny Hanes Maine - Catherine Ledue Maryland - Rhonda Koch Massachusetts - Diane Pollard Michigan - April Patrick Minnesota - Janey Gohl Mississippi - Wanda Gatlin Missouri - Paula Taylor

Montana - Susan Riplett Nebraska - Shari Reimers Nevada - Rochelle Jameson New Hampshire - Barbara Miller New Jersey - Sheryl Ann Hoehn New Mexico - Marlena Garland New York - Darlene Javits North Carolina - Kathryn Norman North Dakota - Theresa Olson Ohio - Sheila Anderson Oklahoma - Nancy Lippold Oregon - Julie Heater Pennsylvania - Sandy Dell Rhode Island - Sharon McGarry South Carolina - Kathryn Threatt South Dakota - Nadene Oppold Tennessee - Suzanna Timberlake Texas - Barbra Horan Utah - Margo Flynn Vermont - Nancy Wierzbicki Virginia - Robin Shadle Washington - Barbara Bogar West Virginia - Deborah Davis Wisconsin - Cynthia Paulson Wyoming - Kathryn Flitner

Judges

• LeRoy Neiman
• Barbara Peterson
• Theodore Bikel
• Eileen Ford

External links

• Miss USA official website