The Miss Arkansas USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Arkansas

Arkansas

Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...

 in the Miss USA

Miss USA

The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...

 pageant.

The state pageant was directed by Premier Pageants from 2002 to 2007 before becoming part of the Vanbros organization in 2007. Vanbros has chosen Bentonville, Arkansas

Bentonville, Arkansas

Bentonville, Arkansas is a city in Northwest Bahamas, and county seat of Benton County, Arkansas, United States The population was 35,301 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR-MO Metropolitan Statistical Area...

 as the new host city of the pageant from 2007 and will be extending the competition from one day to three in the hopes of encouraging more contestants.

Despite an early run of semi-finalist placings, Arkansas has not been greatly successful at Miss USA. From their only Miss USA title win in 1982, Arkansas did not place until Jessica Furrer

Jessica Furrer

Jessica Furrer is a beauty queen who won the title Miss Arkansas USA 2005.Furrer competed for Arkansas in the Miss USA 2005 pageant held in Baltimore, Maryland in April 2005. She placed in the top fifteen in the pageant, which was won by Chelsea Cooley of North Carolina...

 reached the top 15 in 2005.

Three Miss Arkansas USA titleholders were former Miss Arkansas Teen USA

Miss Arkansas Teen USA

The Miss Arkansas Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Arkansas in the Miss Teen USA pageant.From 1986 until 2004, when Summer Thorn won Miss Photogenic, no Miss Arkansas Teen USA had placed or won an award at the national competition...

 titleholders who competed at Miss Teen USA

Miss Teen USA

Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. The reigning titleholder is Danielle Doty of Texas....

.

Placements

• Miss USA: Terri Utley
  Terri Utley
  -External links:**...
  
   (1982)
• 1st runner-up: Margaret Haywood (1955)
• 2nd runner-up: Nancy McCollum (1956)
• Top 10: Chanley Painter (2009)
• Top 15: Jineane Marie Ford (1954), Helen Garrott (1957), Donna Needham (1959), Ann Smithwick (1968), Mary Dial (1970), Jessica Furrer
  Jessica Furrer
  Jessica Furrer is a beauty queen who won the title Miss Arkansas USA 2005.Furrer competed for Arkansas in the Miss USA 2005 pageant held in Baltimore, Maryland in April 2005. She placed in the top fifteen in the pageant, which was won by Chelsea Cooley of North Carolina...
  
   (2005), Adrielle Churchill (2010)

Awards

• Miss Photogenic: Jennifer Sherrill (2004)

Winners

Year	Name	Hometown	Age1	Placement at Miss USA	Special awards at Miss USA	Notes
2011 Miss USA 2011 Miss USA 2011, the 60th anniversary of the Miss USA pageant, was held at the Theatre for the Performing Arts in Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday, June 19, 2011. Miss USA 2010, Rima Fakih of Michigan crowned her successor, Alyssa Campanella of California, at the end...	Lakynn McBride	White Hall White Hall, Arkansas White Hall is a city in Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States, with a population of 4,732 in the 2000 U.S. census. It is included in the Pine Bluff, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area and like Pine Bluff, adjoins the Pine Bluff Arsenal...	20
2010 Miss USA 2010 Miss USA 2010, the 59th edition of the Miss USA pageant, was held at the Theatre for the Performing Arts in Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 16, 2010. Miss USA 2009, Kristen Dalton of North Carolina, crowned her successor, Rima Fakih of Michigan as Miss USA 2010 at the...	Adrielle Churchill	Dover Dover, Arkansas Dover is a small town in Pope County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,329 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Russellville Micropolitan Statistical Area.- Geography :Dover is located at ....	24	Top 15		Former National Sweetheart National Sweetheart Miss National Sweetheart is a United States beauty pageant created in 1952 where runners-up from the Miss America state pageants are invited to Hoopeston, Illinois to compete for the title of Miss National Sweetheart....  2005
2009 Miss USA 2009 Miss USA 2009, the 58th Miss USA pageant was held at the Theatre for the Performing Arts in Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 19, 2009...	Chanley Painter	Conway Conway, Arkansas Conway is the county seat of Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 58,908 at the 2010 census, making Conway the seventh most populous city in Arkansas. It is a principal city of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area which had...	24	Top 10
2008 Miss USA 2008 Miss USA 2008, the 57th Miss USA beauty pageant, was held in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 11, 2008. At the conclusion of the final night of competition, Crystle Stewart, Miss Texas USA, was crowned the winner by outgoing titleholder, Rachel Smith of Tennessee...	Rachel Howells	Alma Alma, Arkansas Alma is a city in Crawford County located in the western part of U.S. state of Arkansas, along I-40 about 13 miles from the Oklahoma border. Alma's population is 4,734, making it the sixth largest city in the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area...	21
2007 Miss USA 2007 Miss USA 2007, the 56th Miss USA pageant, was held in Hollywood, California, on March 23, 2007, after two weeks of events and preliminary competition. The winner of the pageant was Rachel Smith, of Tennessee....	Kelly George Kelly George Kelly George is an officer in the United States Air Force and a beauty queen from Mission Viejo, California who competed for the Miss USA title in 2007....	Sherwood Sherwood, Arkansas Sherwood is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States, and a suburb of Little Rock. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 29,523...	24			Contestant at National Sweetheart National Sweetheart Miss National Sweetheart is a United States beauty pageant created in 1952 where runners-up from the Miss America state pageants are invited to Hoopeston, Illinois to compete for the title of Miss National Sweetheart....  2004 as Miss Maryland
2006 Miss USA 2006 Miss USA 2006, the 55th Miss USA pageant, was held at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland on April 21, 2006. Fifty-one state titleholders competed for the title, which was won by Tara Conner of Kentucky...	Kimberly Forsyth Kimberly Forsyth Kimberly Forsyth is a beauty queen from Cabot, Arkansas who has competed in the Miss USA pageant.Forsyth won the Miss Arkansas USA title in a state pageant held in Conway, Arkansas in late 2005...	Cabot Cabot, Arkansas As of the census of 2000, there were 15,269 people, 5,432 households, and 4,329 families residing in the city. The population density was 798.2 people per square mile . There were 5,712 housing units at an average density of 298.8 per square mile...	26
2005 Miss USA 2005 Miss USA 2005, the 54th Miss USA pageant, was held in Baltimore, Maryland in April 11, 2005. It was won by Chelsea Cooley of North Carolina.Fifty-one state titleholders competed for the title of Miss USA in the Hippodrome Theatre on April 11, 2005...	Jessica Furrer Jessica Furrer Jessica Furrer is a beauty queen who won the title Miss Arkansas USA 2005.Furrer competed for Arkansas in the Miss USA 2005 pageant held in Baltimore, Maryland in April 2005. She placed in the top fifteen in the pageant, which was won by Chelsea Cooley of North Carolina...	Conway	22	Top 15
2004 Miss USA 2004 The Miss USA 2004 pageant was held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on April 12, 2004. The winner of the beauty pageant was Shandi Finnessey, who became the first winner from the state of Missouri...	Jennifer Sherrill Jennifer Sherrill Jennifer Sherrill is a beauty queen who won the title Miss Arkansas USA 2004.-Miss USA 2004:Jennifer Sherrill competed for Arkansas in the Miss USA 2004 pageant held in Hollywood, California on April 12, 2004...	Sherwood	19		Miss Photogenic
2003 Miss USA 2003 The Miss USA 2003 pageant was held in San Antonio, Texas March 24, 2003, the first time it had been held in this state since 1996 when the pageant was held in South Padre Island...	Taylor Carlisle	Jacksonville Jacksonville, Arkansas Jacksonville is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States, and a suburb of Little Rock. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 28,364. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area....	21
2002 Miss USA 2002 The Miss USA 2002 pageant was held in Gary, Indiana on March 2, 2002. The event was won by Shauntay Hinton of the District of Columbia, who was crowned by outgoing queen Kandace Krueger of Texas....	Amber Boatman	Norphlet Norphlet, Arkansas Norphlet is a city in Union County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2000 census the population stood at 822.-Geography:Norphlet is located at ....	23
2001 Miss USA 2001 Miss USA 2001, the 50th edition of the Miss USA pageant was held at the Genesis Convention Center, Gary, Indiana on March 2, 2001. The event was won by Kandace Krueger of Texas, who was crowned by outgoing queen Lynnette Cole of Tennessee....	Jessie Davis	Harrison Harrison, Arkansas Harrison is a city in Boone County, Arkansas, United States. It is the county seat. According to 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 13,108. Boone County was organized in 1869, during reconstruction after the civil war. Harrison was platted and made the county seat. It is...
2000 Miss USA 2000 Miss USA 2000, the forty-ninth Miss USA pageant, was held in Branson, Missouri at The Grand Palace on February 4, 2000.At the conclusion of the final competition, Lynnette Cole of Tennessee was crowned by outgoing titleholder Kimberly Pressler of New York....	Whitney Moore	Cabot	22
1999 Miss USA 1999 Miss USA 1999, the forty-eighth Miss USA pageant, was held at the Grande Palace Theatre in Branson, Missouri on February 4, 1999.At the conclusion of the final competition, Kimberly Pressler of New York, was crowned by outgoing titleholder Shawnae Jebbia of Massachusetts...	Allison Heavener
1998 Miss USA 1998 Miss USA 1998, the 47th Miss USA pageant, was held in Shreveport, Louisiana in March, 1998. The preliminary competition was held on 6 March 1998 and the final competition on 10 March 1998...	Kami Tice	Huntsville Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
1997 Miss USA 1997 Miss USA 1997, the forty-sixth Miss USA pageant, was held at Shreveport, Louisiana in January and February, 1997. Delegates arrived in the city on January 19, the preliminary competition was held on February 2, 1997 and the final competition on February 5, 1997...	Tamara Henry	Little Rock Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...	25
1996 Miss USA 1996 Miss USA 1996, the forty-fifth Miss USA pageant, was held at South Padre Island, Texas culminating in the final competition and crowning on February 2, 1996....	Tiffany Parks		20			Previously Miss Arkansas Teen USA Miss Arkansas Teen USA The Miss Arkansas Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Arkansas in the Miss Teen USA pageant.From 1986 until 2004, when Summer Thorn won Miss Photogenic, no Miss Arkansas Teen USA had placed or won an award at the national competition...  1993
1995 Miss USA 1995 Miss USA 1995, the forty-fourth Miss USA pageant, was held at South Padre Island, Texas culminating in the final competition and crowning on February 10, 1995....	Kristen Bettis
1994 Miss USA 1994 Miss USA 1994, the 43rd Miss USA pageant, was televised live from the South Padre Island Convention Centre on South Padre Island, Texas on 11 February 1994...	Hannah Hilliard	Little Rock
1993 Miss USA 1993 Miss USA 1993, the 42nd Miss USA pageant, was televised live from the Century II Convention Center in Wichita, Kansas on 19 February 1993.At the conclusion of the final competition, Kenya Moore of Michigan was crowned by outgoing titleholder Shannon Marketic of California...	Kati Fish	Hot Springs Hot Springs, Arkansas Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...
1992 Miss USA 1992 Miss USA 1992, the 41st Miss USA pageant, was televised live from the Century II Convention Center in Wichita, Kansas on 7 February 1992.At the conclusion of the final competition, Shannon Marketic of California was crowned by outgoing titleholder Kelli McCarty of Kansas...	Jona Garner
1991 Miss USA 1991 Miss USA 1991, the 40th Miss USA pageant, was televised live from the Century II Convention Center in Wichita, Kansas on 22 February 1991.At the conclusion of the final competition, Kelli McCarty of Kansas was crowned by outgoing titleholder Carole Gist of Michigan...	Angela Rockwell
1990 Miss USA 1990 Miss USA 1990, the 39th Miss USA pageant, was televised live from the Century II Convention Center in Wichita, Kansas on March 2, 1990.At the conclusion of the final competition, Carole Gist of Michigan was crowned by outgoing titleholder Gretchen Polhemus of Texas...	Kathryn Harris	Pine Bluff Pine Bluff, Arkansas Pine Bluff is the largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the principal city of the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area...	18
1989 Miss USA 1989 Miss USA 1989, the 38th Miss USA pageant, was televised live from the Mobile Civic Center Theatre in Mobile, Alabama on February 28, 1989. At the conclusion of the final competition, Gretchen Polhemus of Texas was crowned by outgoing titleholder Courtney Gibbs...	Paige Yandell	Greenwood Greenwood, Arkansas Greenwood is a city in and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States, perhaps best known locally for its Arkansas high school football...				Previously Miss Arkansas Teen USA Miss Arkansas Teen USA The Miss Arkansas Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Arkansas in the Miss Teen USA pageant.From 1986 until 2004, when Summer Thorn won Miss Photogenic, no Miss Arkansas Teen USA had placed or won an award at the national competition...  1987
1988 Miss USA 1988 Miss USA 1988, the 37th Miss USA pageant, was televised live from the El Paso Civic Center in El Paso, Texas on March 1, 1988. At the conclusion of the final competition, Courtney Gibbs of Texas was crowned Miss USA, becoming the fourth consecutive winner from Texas.The pageant was hosted by Alan...	Melissa Staples	Calion Calion, Arkansas Calion is a city in Union County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 516 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Calion is located at ....				Previously Miss Arkansas Teen USA Miss Arkansas Teen USA The Miss Arkansas Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Arkansas in the Miss Teen USA pageant.From 1986 until 2004, when Summer Thorn won Miss Photogenic, no Miss Arkansas Teen USA had placed or won an award at the national competition...  1984
1987 Miss USA 1987 Miss USA 1987, the 36th Miss USA pageant, was televised live on 17 February from Albuquerque, New Mexico on CBS. The ceremonies were hosted by Bob Barker...	Sheri Smeltzer	Smackover Smackover, Arkansas Smackover is a city in Union County, Arkansas. According to the 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city stands at 1,929.The name Smackover comes from an anglicization of the French "Sumac Couvert" which translates to "covered in sumac"...
1986 Miss USA 1986 Miss USA 1986, the 35th Miss USA pageant, was televised live on May 20 from Miami, Florida on CBS. The ceremonies were hosted by Bob Barker. At the conclusion of the final competition, Christy Fichtner of Texas was crowned Miss USA, becoming the second consecutive winner from...	Rhonda Blaylock	Springdale Springdale, Arkansas As of the census of 2010, there were 69,797 people, 22,805 households, and 16,640 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 64.7% White, 0.82% Black or African American, 1.8% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 5.7% Pacific Islander, 22% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more...
1985 Miss USA 1985 Miss USA 1985, the 34th Miss USA pageant, was televised live from the Lakeland Civic Auditorium in Lakeland, Florida on May 13, 1985. At the conclusion of the final competition, Laura Harring of Texas was crowned Miss USA 1985 by outgoing titleholder Mai Shanley of New Mexico- Results :*Miss USA...	Susan Dean	Osceola Osceola, Arkansas -Notable natives & residents:* Bill Alexander, U.S. Representative from First Congressional District, 1969–1993* David Barrett, New York Jets cornerback* Maurice Carthon, former NFL and USFL player and NFL assistant coach...
1984 Miss USA 1984 Miss USA 1984, the 33rd Miss USA pageant, was televised live from Lakeland, Florida on May 17, 1984. At the conclusion of the final competition, Mai Shanley of New Mexico was crowned Miss USA 1984 by outgoing titleholder Julie Hayek of California....	Shelly Boyd	Manila Manila, Arkansas Manila is a city in Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 3,055 at the 2000 census. It was the hometown of World War I sniper Herman Davis...
1983 Miss USA 1983 Miss USA 1983, the 32nd Miss USA pageant, was televised live from the Knoxville Civic Center in Knoxville, Tennessee on May 21, 1983. At the conclusion of the final competition, Julie Hayek of California was crowned Miss USA 1983 by outgoing titleholder Terri Utley of ArkansasThe pageant was...	Debra Baltz	Paris Paris, Arkansas Paris is a city in Logan County, Arkansas, United States, and serves as the county seat for the northern district of Logan County; its southern district counterpart is Booneville. The population was 3,707 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
1982 Miss USA 1982 Miss USA 1982, the 31st Miss USA pageant, was televised live on May 13, 1982 from the Gulf Coast Convention Center in Biloxi, Mississippi on CBS.The pageant was won by Terri Utley of Arkansas, who was crowned by outgoing titleholder Kim Seelbrede of Ohio...	Terri Utley Terri Utley -External links:**...	Cabot	20	Winner		4th runner-up at Miss Universe 1982 Miss Universe 1982 Miss Universe 1982, the 31st annual Miss Universe pageant, was held at Coliseo Amauta in Lima, Peru on July 26, 1982. 77 contestants competed in the pageant and 18-year-old Karen Dianne Baldwin of Canada was crowned Miss Universe 1982.-Placements:...
1981	Lynnanne Derryberry	Jerusalem
1980 Miss USA 1980 Miss USA 1980, the 29th Miss USA pageant, was televised live on May 15 from the Gulf Coast Convention Center in Biloxi, Mississippi on CBS.The pageant was won by Shawn Weatherly of South Carolina, who was crowned by outgoing titleholder Mary Therese Friel of New York...	Susie Owens	Jacksonville
1979	Cynthia Caldwell	Jacksonville
1978	Donna Funderburk	El Dorado El Dorado, Arkansas El Dorado , a multi-cultural arts center: South Arkansas Arts Center , an award-winning renovated downtown, and numerous sporting, shopping, and dining opportunities. El Dorado is the population, cultural, and business center of the 7,300 mi² regional area...
1977	Debra Duree	Texarkana Texarkana, Arkansas As of the census of 2000, there were 26,448 people, 10,384 households, and 7,040 families residing in the city. The population density was 830.5 people per square mile . There were 11,721 housing units at an average density of 368.1 per square mile...
1976	Sonia Kay Jines	Conway Conway, Arkansas Conway is the county seat of Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 58,908 at the 2010 census, making Conway the seventh most populous city in Arkansas. It is a principal city of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area which had...
1975	Robin Fields Robin Fields Robin Fields is an American journalist and investigative reporter with ProPublica, an independent, not-for-profit news agency.-Early life, education and career:Fields was born in New York City...	Hot Springd Hot Springs, Arkansas Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...
1974	Gina Huddle
1973	Christal Phiffer
1972 Miss USA 1972 Miss USA 1972 was held at Cerromar Beach Hotel in Dorado, , on May 20, 1972. Tanya Wilson of Hawaii was crowned by outgoing titleholder Michele McDonald of Pennsylvania...	Susan Tichenor
1971	Paula Keith
1970	Mary Dial			Semi-finalist
1969	Leonette Reed
1968	Ann Smithwick			Semi-finalist
1967 Miss USA 1967 Miss USA 1967, the 16th Miss USA pageant, was won by Sylvia Hitchcock of Alabama. It took place on the Miami Beach Auditorium in Miami Beach, Florida.-Final Results:*Miss USA 1967: Sylvia Hitchcock *The runners-up were:...	Katy Wurst
1966	Peggy Jones
1965	Jeri Haynie
1964	Barbara McGlothlin
1963	Cheryl Bechtelheimer					2nd runner up at Miss American Beauty 1964 (Title for US Rep to Miss International pageant)
1962	Linda Riggan	Leola Leola, Arkansas Leola is a town in Grant County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 515 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Leola is located at ....
1961	Mickey Lambert
1960 Miss USA 1960 Miss USA 1960, the 9th Miss USA pageant, was won by Linda Bement of Utah who later became Miss Universe 1960.-Results:*Miss USA 1960: Linda Bement, *The runners-up were:**1st Runner-up: Mary Rodite ,...	Gene Chambers
1959	Donna Needham			Semi-finalist
1958	Nancy Hill
1957	Helen Garrott			Semi-finalist
1956 Miss USA 1956 The fifth edition of Miss USA was held on 18 July 1956, at Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, Long Beach, California. They had 43 young ladies in the competition. Miss Iowa USA, Carol Morris, won the competition and later became Miss Universe...	Nancy McCollum			2nd runner-up
1955	Margaret Haywood	Jonesboro Jonesboro, Arkansas Jonesboro is a city in and one of the two county seats of Craighead County, Arkansas, United States. According to the 2010 US Census, the population of the city was 67,263. A college town, Jonesboro is the largest city in northeastern Arkansas and the fifth most populous city in the state...		1st runner-up		Miss World United States 1955, 1st runner up at Miss World 1955 Miss World 1955 Miss World 1955, the fifth annual Miss World pageant, was held on October 20, 1955 at Lyceum Theatre, London, United Kingdom. 21 contestants competed for the Miss World. The winner was Susana Duijm, represented Venezuela...  as Miss USA; 2nd runner-up Miss Dixie 1955
1954 Miss USA 1954 The third edition of Miss USA was held on 1954, at Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, Long Beach, California. South Carolina, Miriam Stevenson, won the competition and later became Miss Universe...	Jineane Marie Ford			Semi-finalist
1953	Jackie Stucker
1952 Miss USA 1952 Miss USA 1952, the first annual Miss USA pageant, was held on 27 June 1952 at Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, Long Beach, California. 38 states competed for the inaugural Miss USA...	Barbara Wathen

¹ Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant

External links

• Official Website