Most everyone is aware of the statewide pageants for Miss (insert state here). The winners of each state go on to compete in the Miss America competition. Maya Schuhknecht was crowned the latest Miss Michigan on June 17, 2023 and will represent the state at this year’s Miss America.
When was the first Miss Michigan pageant?
The first Miss Michigan competition was held in 1939 and was won by Patricia Donnelly. Not only did she win the Miss Michigan award, but she also went on to be crowned Miss America that year!
How many Miss Americas has Michigan produced?
Thus far there have been five Miss Michigans who have gone on to be crowned Miss America. They are:
- Patricia Donnelly in 1939
- Nancy Fleming in 1961 (pictured below)
- Pamela Eldred in 1970
- Kaye Lani Rae Rafko in 1988
- Kirsten Haglund in 2008
All-time list of Miss Michigans
Below we’ve collected all of the historical winners of the event. You’ll notice that some years multiple winners were crowned, some years there were none, and sometimes when a Miss Michigan went on to become Miss America the runner-up would later assume the crown and duties.
| Year | Name | Hometown |
|---|---|---|
| 1923 | M. Beth Madson | Detroit |
| 1924 | None | n/a |
| 1925 | Jane Porter | n/a |
| 1926 | Gertrude Fisher | n/a |
| 1926 | Ruth Mae Fowler | n/a |
| 1926 | Joyce Jean Hurd | n/a |
| 1927 | Charlotte Jane Lowe | n/a |
| 1927 | Ruth Bushroe | n/a |
| 1927 | Florence Nina Clement | n/a |
| 1927 | Margherite Strang | n/a |
| 1927 | Margaret Tinney | n/a |
| 1927 | Charlotte Elaine Bowman | n/a |
| 1928 | None | n/a |
| 1929 | Loraine Budge McVey | n/a |
| 1930 | None | n/a |
| 1931 | None | n/a |
| 1932 | None | n/a |
| 1933 | Barbara Strand | n/a |
| 1934 | None | n/a |
| 1935 | None | n/a |
| 1936 | June Ursula Forbes | Flint |
| 1937 | None | n/a |
| 1938 | Marjorie Jackson | Detroit |
| 1939 | Patricia Donnelly | Detroit |
| 1940 | Monnie Drake | Detroit |
| 1941 | Gerry Marcoux | Detroit |
| 1942 | Patricia Hill | Detroit |
| 1943 | Ruby Jean Telfer | Detroit |
| 1944 | Iora June Victor | n/a |
| 1944 | Beverly Bennett | Detroit |
| 1945 | Barbara Lee Smith | Detroit |
| 1946 | Constance Liddicoat | Detroit |
| 1946 | Ruth Margaret Lenfestey | New Baltimore |
| 1947 | Jane Rose Foster | Detroit |
| 1947 | Peggy Ellsworth | Reed City |
| 1948 | Doris Evelyn Johnson | Detroit |
| 1948 | Linda Carroll | Grand Rapids |
| 1949 | Dolores Jane Motter | Dearborn |
| 1950 | Bette Lou Pittman | Owosso |
| 1951 | Delores Maria Berruezo | St. Clair Shores |
| 1952 | Karol Dragomir | Benton Harbor |
| 1953 | Velva Irene Robbins | Dowagiac |
| 1954 | Janice Hutton Somers | Lansing |
| 1955 | Margaret Devereaux | Howell |
| 1956 | Shirley Swanson | Muskegon |
| 1957 | Valerie Strong | Williamsburg |
| 1958 | Patience Pierce | Detroit |
| 1959 | Ann Penelope Marston | Wyandotte |
| 1960 | Donna Sheppard | n/a |
| 1960 | Nancy Fleming | Montague |
| 1961 | Karen Southway | Wyoming |
| 1962 | Carole Van Valin | Roscommon |
| 1963 | Kathleen McLaughlin | Ishpeming |
| 1964 | Sarah Jane Noble | East Lansing |
| 1965 | Esther Lynne Smith | Portage |
| 1966 | Nancy Ackert | Battle Creek |
| 1967 | Toni Jo Abbenante | East Grand Rapids |
| 1968 | Darlene Kurant | Muskegon |
| 1969 | Sandra Gillespie | Hastings |
| 1969 | Pamela Eldred | Birmingham |
| 1970 | Ginger Myers | Lincoln Park |
| 1971 | Linda Susan Kish | Allen Park |
| 1972 | Terri Cousino | Erie |
| 1973 | Sherry Agnello | St. Clair Shores |
| 1974 | Susan Lillian Short | Kalamazoo |
| 1975 | Julie Ann Beckers | Allegan |
| 1976 | Diane Kay Hansen | Berrien Center |
| 1977 | Holly Schmidt | Farmington Hills |
| 1978 | Suzanne Schemm | Essexville |
| 1979 | Bethany Jane Wright | Saginaw |
| 1980 | Heidi Hepler | Livonia |
| 1981 | Gwen Roberta Brown | Ishpeming |
| 1982 | Kathy Lou Pennington | Jackson |
| 1983 | Denise Gehman | Waterford |
| 1984 | Barbara Jean Crandall | Lawrence |
| 1985 | Alecia Rae Masalkoski | Muskegon |
| 1986 | Kelly Lynn Garver | Farmington Hills |
| 1987 | Melanie Ester Churella | Farmington Hills |
| 1987 | Kaye Lani Rae Rafko | Monroe |
| 1988 | Krista Ann Blomgren | Livonia |
| 1989 | Margaret Jan McIntyre | Monroe |
| 1990 | Victoria Lynn Fair | Jackson |
| 1991 | Sandra Kay Metiva | Saginaw |
| 1992 | Terri Sue Liford | Monroe |
| 1993 | Stacey Gail Heisler | Livonia |
| 1994 | Maria Malay Kamara | Zeeland |
| 1995 | Coni Lyn Hull Sullivan | Jackson |
| 1996 | Jennifer Lynn Drayton | Saginaw |
| 1997 | Kimberly Stec | Rochester |
| 1998 | Laura Welling | n/a |
| 1999 | Audrie Chernauckas | Livonia |
| 2000 | Che’vonne Burton | Detroit |
| 2001 | Stacy Essebaggers | Whitehall |
| 2002 | Erin Moss | Stevensville |
| 2003 | Madonna Kimberly Emond | Livonia |
| 2004 | Kelli Talicska | Auburn |
| 2005 | Octavia Reese | Detroit |
| 2006 | Angela Corsi | Farmington Hills |
| 2007 | Gina Valo | Ann Arbor |
| 2007 | Kirsten Haglund | Farmington Hills |
| 2008 | Ashlee Baracy | Westland |
| 2009 | Nicole Blaszczyk | Novi |
| 2010 | Katie Lynn LaRoche | Bay City |
| 2011 | Elizabeth Wertenberger | Dundee |
| 2012 | Angela Christine Venditti | Shelby Township |
| 2013 | Haley Williams | Saline |
| 2014 | KT Maviglia | Dundee |
| 2015 | Emily Kieliszewski | Alpena |
| 2016 | Arianna Quan | Bloomfield Hills |
| 2017 | Heather Kendrick | Marysville |
| 2018 | Emily Sioma | Grass Lake |
| 2019–20 | Mallory Rivard | Bay City |
| 2021 | Vivian Zhong | Northville |
| 2022 | Melissa Beyrand | Milford |
| 2023 | Maya Schuhknecht | Buchanan |
Miss Michigan Scholarship Program
As part of the Miss America organization the Miss Michigan competition also includes a scholarship program that is one of the largest in the world. You can learn more on the Miss Michigan website.