Miss America Baton Twirlers
This collection is a work in progress
The following women competed in the Miss America pageant with baton twirling as their talent. Those with stars were the preliminary talent winners. This is not a comprehensive record. There are many years for which contestants’ talent is not listed. If you know someone who competed in Miss America between 1921-1999 and baton twirling was her talent, please email us, info@vintage-baton-twirler.org.
And I Quote
“This Saturday’s pageant was notable for baton twirling (Kelli Diane Krull of New York), the likes of which was never seen before, and which should permanently shut up people who rank twirling below hog-calling. Spectacular. (September 10, 1979)
GLORIA ANN BYRNS
Tap & Drum Major Dance Routine
EMMA HAMMERMEISTER
Dance & Baton Twirling (Top 10)
MURIEL ELIZABETH SMITH
Acrobatic Baton (1st Runner-Up)
PHYLLIS ANN KESSLER
Miss Wisconsin, 1949
Baton Twirling
KITTY PAGE
Tap Dance & Baton Twirling
JINX BURRUS
Miss Nebraska, 1951
Baton Twirling
MARLENE RIEB
Miss South Dakota, 1952
Baton Twirling
CAROL KOONTZ
Miss Ohio, 1953
Clairnet and Fire Baton
BARBARA MOORE
Miss Vermont, 1953
Baton Twirling and Dance
SANDRA HART
Miss South Dakota, 1953
Fire Baton
★ SANDRA WIRTH
Miss Florida, 1956
Fire Baton (Top 10)
★ JENNIE BLATCHFORD
Miss Pennsylvania, 1958
Baton Twirling (Top 10)
ALBERTA LOUISE FUTCH
Miss Nebraska, 1959
Fire Baton Twirling (Top 10)
PAULA LOU WELCH
Fire Baton Twirling (Non-finalist Talent Award)
★ MARY LEE JEPSEN
Miss Nebraska, 1963
Flaming Fire baton; “Ritual Fire Dance” (Top 10)
AUDREY CHAMBERS
Fire Baton, & Dance
D'ANN FULLERTON
Miss Oregon, 1964 Original Novelty Dance & Hula Baton
SHERRI RAAP
Jazz Baton Dance & Acrobatics
CHERIE MARTIN
Miss Louisiana, 1965 Toreador Dance & Baton Twirling
JOAN SELMER
Acro-Baton Routine
DAWN CASHWELL
Baton Twirling
ADRIA EASTON
Baton Twirling (Top 10)
RENEE STUEDEMANN
Baton Twirling
ELAINE CAMPANELLI
Fire Baton Twirling
SHERRI ANN LOWE
Baton Twirling/Variety Act
DONNA MARIE SILVESTRI
Baton Twirling/Variety Act
KRISTY DEAKIN
Baton Twirling
★ KELLI DIANE KRULL
Baton Twirling Exhibition
1st Place, Talent; (Top 10)
GALE THOMAS
Baton Twirling
LINDA SIMON
Baton Twirling
LAURIE ANN HIXENBAUGH
Baton Twirling
HOLLY MAYER
Dance/Baton Twirling
LINDA VANDECASTEELE
Miss New Hampshire, 1987 Dance/Baton Twirling
★ LAURIE JEAN BRODERICK
Baton / Dance/Twirl (Top 10)
MICHELE DAWN EATON
Baton Twirling (Non-finalist Talent Award)
HEATHER SMITH
Baton
MELANIE-LYNN GLASCOCK
Baton Twirling
★ DEBRA RENEA FRIES
Miss Florida, 1992
Baton (Top 10)
STACY CENEDESE
Miss Wyoming, 1993 Dance/Baton Twirling
KELLI MASTERS
Baton Twirling (Non-finalist Talent Award)
Oral Histories
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information using sound recordings of interviews with people having personal knowledge of past events. If you would like to share your personal oral history of baton twirling, please let us know. We are available to conduct interviews every Friday. Interviews will be available on this website. Once a substantial number of interviews have been conducted, they will be presented in podcast format. Nothing will be published without the interviewee’s written consent. Thank you for helping preserve the history of baton twirling.
Vintage Ephemera
Baton twirling ephemera refers to things like programs, posters, patches, stickers, magazines, newsletters, and other things typically written or printed that were used for a specific period of time.
Majorette Memories
We welcome high-quality scans of your vintage baton twirling ephemera. You can also receive items through the mail. We’ll digitally preserve your memories in high-quality scans. Thank you so much for supporting this project.
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Rare Merchandise
Once or twice a year we will offer a commemorative item or rare keepsake for sale such as a sticker, patch, pin or T-shirt, etc. All proceeds will help offset the cost of this project, which includes the cost to acquire rare and/or copyrighted materials.
We will offer our first piece of merchandise on World Baton Twirling Day, April 10, which is also the the official launch day for The Vintage Twirler. Please sign up for updates below so you don’t miss our annoucement. Thank you so much for your interest in this project.