FOREVER

MISS ILLINOIS

Louis
Delander

MISS ILLINOIS 1927 | MISS AMERICA 1927

Marjorie
Vincent

MISS ILLINOIS 1990 | MISS AMERICA 1991
Majorie Vincent-Tripp was the 4th African-American to be crowned the title of Miss America.

Vincent’s parents, Lucien and Florence Vincent of Cap-Haïtien, Haiti migrated to the United States in the early 1960s; Marjorie was the first of their children to be born in the United States. She grew up in Oak Park, Illinois, attending Catholic school and taking ballet and piano lessons. Vincent entered DePaul
University as a music major, switching to business in junior year and graduating in 1988.

After two unsuccessful pageant tries, she won Miss Illinois. At the Miss America pageant, she performed the Fantaisie-Impromptu (Op. posth.66) by Chopin. Vincent, who already had two years in law school at Duke University before becoming Miss America, changed her goal from international law to television journalism, becoming a news anchor at WGBC in Meridian, Mississippi in October 1993. She later worked at WHOI in Peoria, Illinois, and the Ohio News Network in Columbus, Ohio, for the next six-plus years.

In 2008, Vincent began work to complete her law degree at Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, Florida. She is currently the Assistant Attorney General for the state of Florida.

Judith
Ford

MISS ILLINOIS 1968 | MISS AMERICA 1969
In 1968 she won the title of Miss Boone County, held at the Boone County Fairgrounds. 

Still a talented athlete today, Judi was a worldclass trampolinist, having competed on both the national and international levels when she entered the Miss America Pageant as Miss Illinois. Her trampoline exhibition in the talent competition helped win her the title and helped change the image of women athletes. 

She used her Miss America scholarship to obtain her B.S. degree in physical education from the University of Illinois. She served as a member of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports for eight years, having been appointed by Presidents Nixon and Ford. 

After working for a number of years for various companies and organizations as their national spokesperson, she taught elementary school physical education and coached the high school girls’ golf team for 18 years. She also coached middle school basketball and track during her teaching tenure. 

Now retired, in her spare time she enjoys playing golf, rooting for the Fighting Illini, and spending time with family and friends.

Kate
Shindle

MISS ILLINOIS 1997 | MISS AMERICA 1998
During her studies at Northwestern University, Shindle earned the title of Miss America 1998, effectively using her position to advocate for HIV prevention and education. She was a panelist and moderator at the National Press Club, and was praised foe “shattering every ugly stereotype about Miss America.” She remains a dedicated AIDS activist and has been a vocal supporter of marriage equality and anti-discrimination laws for the LGBTQ community. 

Kate has been in four feature films and six Broadway shows, and has made numerous television appearances. 

In May of 2015, Kate was elected President of Actors’ Equity Association. She is the youngest member ever to hold the highest ranking position on Equity’s governing National Council and the third woman in Equity’s history elected to the office. 

Her analysis of both the personal and academic experience as Miss America, “Being Miss America: Behind the Rhinestone Curtain”, was published in 2014. 

Kate now lives in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York City with her two cats, Howark Roark and Vivvie.

Erika
Harold

MISS ILLINOIS 2002 | MISS AMERICA 2003
Erika Harold was born and raised in Urbana, IL and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Illinois. During her year, she promoted her platform, “Preventing Youth Violence and Bullying: Protect Yourself, Respect Yourself.” Having been bullied and subjected to racist remarks growing up, the platform was a very personal choice for Harold. 

Erika used the scholarship money she won as Miss America to pay for her legal education at Harvard Law School. 

Following graduation, Erika worked as an attorney in the litigation groups of Sidley Austin LLP and Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C., representing businesses in commercial disputes and advising religious institutions in matters involving First Amendment protections. 

Erika currently is a litigation attorney at Meyer Capel, P.C. in Champaign, where she handles complex commercial and civil litigation matters. Harold is a two-time Republican candidate for the 13th Congressional District seat in the state of Illinois. She serves on the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Equality and is a commissioner on the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism. 
FOREVER MISS ILLINOIS
1927 - Lois Eleanor Delander
- Miss America 1927
1933 - Lillian M. Kroner
1936 - Virginia Louis Moeller
1936 - Arlene E. Causey
- Miss America 3rd Runner Up
1942 - Patricia Hayes
- Miss America Top 10 Semi-Finalist
1943 - Dorothy Belle Kohrt
1944 - Betty June King
- Miss America Semi-Finalist
1945 - Beverly Ann Long
1946 - Patricia Jean Frey
- Miss America Semi-Finalist
1947 - Beverly Ann Long
1948 - Viola Ruth Hutmacher
1949 - Trudy Germi
- Miss America 2nd Runner Up,
Preliminary in Lifestyle & Fitness
1950 - Catherine Kleinschmidt
1951 - Doris Mae King
1952 - Glenna Marie Pohly
1953 - Jacquelyn Dumbauld
1954 - Patsy Bruce
- Miss Congeniality at Miss America
1955 - Marian Elizabeth Cox
1956 - Tillie Jean Micheletto
1957 - Jeannie Beacham
1958 - Anita Ruth Olsen
1959 - Suzanne Ingeborg Johnson
- Miss America Semi-Finalist,
Preliminary in Talent
1960 - Vicky Joyce Nutter
- Miss America Non-Finalist Talent
1961 - Jacqueline Kaye Bingert
1962 - Pamela Bilbert
- Preliminary in Lifestyle & Fitness at Miss America
1963 - Judith Sheryl Schiper
1964 - Patricia Louise Quilen
1965 - Kathleen Marie Oros
1966 - Mary Lee Inzerello
1967 - Kathryn Jean Myers
1968 - Judith Anne Ford
- Miss America 1969, Preliminary in Talent and Lifestyle & Fitness
1969 - Dulcie Elizabeth Scripture
- Miss America Non-Finalist Talent
1970 - Lynn Ann Alexander
1971 - Anita Joyce Pankratz
1972 - Carolyn Kay Paulus
1973 - Colleen Ann Matternick
- Miss America Semi-Finalist,
MAO USA Troupe
1974 - Jean Celeste Ahern
- Miss America 2nd Runner Up,
Preliminary in Talent
1975 - Jean Ann Waters
1976 - Betsy Jamison
1977 - Nancy Rae Beatty
1978 - Debra Sue Carlson
- Miss America Non-Finalist Talent
1979 - Shanna Jean McNeil
1979 - Elizabeth Ann Russell
1980 - Blythe Elizabeth Sawyer
1981 - Sandra Lynn Truitt
- Miss America 1st Runner Up,
Preliminary in Talent
1982 - Jaleigh Jeffers
1983 - Rebecca G. Bush
1984 - Ruth Ann Booker
1985 - Karen Marie Moncrieff
1986 - Lisa Ann Heussner
1987 - Cindy Ann Hodgkins
1988 - Dawn Michelle Spicuzza
1989 - Jeri Lynn Zimmerman
- Miss America 3rd Runner Up,
Preliminary in Lifestyle & Fitness
1990 - Marjorie Judith Vincent
- Miss America 1991, Preliminary in Talent
1990 - Jaclyn Dayna Greer
1991 - Cheryl Lynn Majerck
- Miss America Non-Finalist Talent
1992 - Kathleen Emily Farrell
- Miss America Non-Finalist Talent
1993 - Sara Helena Martin
- Miss America Non-Finalist Talent
1994 - Chuti Lynn Therese Tiu
- Miss America Non-Finalist Talent
1995 - Tracy Kathleen Hayes
- Miss America 4th Runner Up,
Preliminary in Lifestyle & Fitness
1996 - Tania Joy Gibson
1997 - Katherine Renee Shindle
- Miss America 1998, Preliminary in Talent
1997 - Ashley Ann Eisenhauer
1998 - Amanda Jo Meadows
- Miss America Non-Finalist Talent
1999 - Jade Artise Smalls
- Miss America 1st Runner Up
2000 - Jennifer Diane Powers
- Miss America Preliminary in Talent
2001 - Kristen Marie Castillo
2002 - Erika Natali Louise Harold
- Miss America 2003
2002 - Michelle Lane Lagroue
2003 - Andrea Beth Fritz
2004 - Michelle Lane Lagroue
2005 - Lauren Elizabeth Allen
2006 - Heidi Beth Ekstrom
2007 - Ashley Nicole Hatfield
2008 - Katie Nicole Lorenz
2009 - Erin Ann O’Conner
2010 - Whitney Lynn Thorpe-Klinsky
2011 - Hannah Elizabeth Smith
- Miss America Top 10 Semi-Finalist
2012 - Megan Jo Ervin
- Miss America Top 10 Semi-Finalist,
Preliminary in Lifestyle & Fitness
2013 - Brittany Serra Smith
2014 - Marisa Therese Buchheit
2015 - Crystal Dianne Davis
2016 - Jaryn Rochelle Franklin
- Miss America STEM Award
2017 - Abby Jo Foster
- Miss America People’s Choice,
Top 16 Semi-Finalist
2018 - Grace Khachaturian
2019 - Ariel Beverly*
2020 - No competition was held
*Ariel Beverly continued her reign
throughout the year 2020
2021 - Isabelle Hanson
- Miss America Top 10 Finalist and Preliminary Talent Winner
2022 - Monica Nia Jones
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