Actress Grace Elizabeth Ward (who later changed her name to Elizabeth Gracen) of Cabot was crowned as Miss America in 1982, and Donna Axum of El Dorado won the pageant in 1964.
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The 96th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Sunday, September 11, 2016.
During her year as Miss Arkansas 2016, Savannah will make appearances across the Natural State serving as Arkansas’ spokesperson for the Children’s Miracle Network and the Arkansas Children’s Hospital and promoting her personal platform of “Speak Up Now: Suicide Prevention and Awareness”.
She is the 2011 Miss Kentucky Djuan Trent who finished in the Miss America top 10 that year, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
She topped a field of 52 contestants to win the crown and the title of Miss America 2017, succeeding the outgoing Miss America Betty Cantrell.
21 year old Savvy Shields, took home the crown with a jazz routine during the talent portion, which won her the preliminary talent competition. They were: Kentucky; Washington; Massachusetts; Arkansas; South Carolina; Idaho; Iowa; Texas; California; Oklahoma; Maryland; New York; Tennessee; Louisiana, and Mississippi. She came out as a lesbian in 2014.
When she was crowned the first openly gay Miss Missouri in June, O’Flaherty told reporters: ‘I don’t know that I meant to be the first but I am, so I’m very excited about it’. Numerous contestants noted the solemn anniversary, professed strong support for America’s armed forces and struck patriotic themes.
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The pageant began in Atlantic City in 1921 as a way to extend the summer tourist season beyond Labor Day weekend.
