Miss Chicago 1922
Georgia Hale
The first Miss Chicago set the bar high. Georgia Hale went on to become a successful actress in the silent film era. Pictured to the right with Charlie Chaplin, she appeared in The Gold Rush and played Myrtle Wilson in the first filmed version of The Great Gatsby.
(06/25/1900 - 06/17/1985)
1923 - Corinne Dellefield*
1924 - Margaret Leigh* - 4th Runner Up Miss America
(pictured)
1925 - Margarita Gonzales*
(pictured left)
1926 - Mae Greene*
(pictured right)
1927 - Myrtle Christine Valsted*
(pictured)
1936 - Genevieve Anderson*
1939 - Ethel Lorraine Lobdell* - Semi-Finalist Miss America
1942 - Bette Brunk - 1st Runner Up to Miss America and Swim Award Winner
Bette pursued a career in Hollywood as Suzi Crandall. She is known for Mark of the Lash (1948), Station West (1948), and That Way with Women (1947).
(pictured)
1943 - Marjorie Nelson - Semi-Finalist Miss America
1944 - Elaine Steinbach - Semi-Finalist Miss America
1945 - Lee Mercer Wieland - Semi-Finalist Miss America
Miss Chicago 1946
Cloris Leachman*
Top 16 Miss America
Cloris Leachman is by far the most famous Miss Chicago. In a career spanning over seven decades she has won nine Emmy Awards and an Academy Award for her role in The Last Picture Show (1971). She is well-known for her role as Phyllis Lindstrom on the sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off, Phyllis. She has played in numerous films and television shows since and can most recently be seen in the role of Zorya Vechernyaya on the Starz drama American Gods.
1947 - Joan Hiatt
1948 - Lois June Nettleton - Semi-Finalist Miss America
Lois went on to become a successful film, stage, radio, and television actress. She received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won two Daytime Emmy Awards.
(pictured)
1949 - Teresa Giogian- Semi-Finalist Miss America
1950 - Marjorie Adams - Semi-Finalist Miss America
(pictured left)
1951 - Adrianne Falcon - Semi-Finalist Miss America
(pictured right in front with Miss America 1951 in back)
1952 - Josephine Hoppe - 4th Runner Up at Miss America & Swim Award
1953 - Carol Joan Segermark
1954 - Regina Janine Dombeck - Semi-Finalist Miss America
(pictured left)
Regina Dombeck is an actress, known for So This Is Paris (1954) and Number Please (1961). She is pictured here with Tony Curtis.
1955 - Florence Gallagher - 2nd Runner Up at Miss America
(pictured right)
1956 - Sandra Jean Stuart - Semi-Finalist Miss America
(pictured left)
1957 - Bette Lieb
(pictured right)
1958 - Audre Cynthia Deckman - Non-Finalist Talent Award
1959 - Carol Lena Rubin
1960 - Margaret Newton McDowell - Non-Finalist Talent
1961 - Nancy Lee Kesler
(pictured left)
1962 - Donnalynn Freund - Non-Finalist Talent Award
(pictured right)
- Beginning in 1967, Miss Chicago started competing in the Miss Illinois Pageant rather than going directly to Miss America -
1967 - Sandra Mae Lekas - 2nd Runner Up at Miss Illinois & Swim Award
1968 - Norma Marvyne Bauer - Semi-Finalist & Swim Award
1969 - Karen Grannum - 1st Runner Up at Miss Illinois & Talent Award
1970 - Janice Wix
1971 - Anita Joyce Pankratz, Miss Illinois 1971, Talent Award
(pictured)
1972 - Helen Arnold
1973 - Cheryl Benish - 1st Runner Up at Miss Illinois
(pictured right)
1974 - Francis Skinner - Judges Award
(pictured left)
1975 - Maria Danly - Semi-Finalist & Swimwear Award
1976 - Nandia Black
1977 - Debbie Ann Niego - Semi-Finalist & Swimwear Award
(pictured right)
1978 - Frances Skinner
1979 - Brigitte Elbrecht - Judges Award
1980 - Blythe Elizabeth Sawyer, Miss Illinois 1980, Talent & Swim Awards
(pictured left)
1981 - Nanci Teresa Ponne - Judges Award
(pictured right)
1982 - Jalinda Davis - 1st Runner Up & Talent Award
1983 - Becky Bush, Miss Illinois 1983, Talent & Swim Awards
(pictured left)
1984 - Ruth Booker, Miss Illinois 1984, Swimwear Award
(pictured right)
1985 - Sarah Ann Altman - Semi-Finalist
1986 - Jan LaVonne Murray - 3rd Runner Up & Swimwear Award
1987 - Cindi Ann Hodgkins, Miss Illinois 1987, Swimwear Award, Non-finalist Talent Award at Miss America
(pictured)
Miss Chicago 1988
Marjorie Judith Vincent
Miss America 1991
Marjorie Vincent is the only Miss Chicago to ultimately win the national title of Miss America. Her win marked the first occasion in which there were back-to-back African American Miss America winners. She was the last Miss America to be serenaded by Bert Parks.
After her year as Miss America 1991, she focused on journalism and became a news anchor in Mississippi, Ohio, and Illinois.
1989 - Karyn Wilhelmina Dillard - 4th Runner Up
1990 - Tammy Renee Harris - 2nd Runner Up
1991 - Cheryl Lynn Majercik, Miss Illinois 1991, Talent Award, Non-finalist Talent Award at Miss America
(pictured)
1992 - Debbie Lynn Hill - 1st Runner Up & Swimwear Award
1993 - Chuti Tiu - 1st Runner Up, Swimwear & Talent Awards
(pictured)
Chuti Tiu has a successful acting career. Her work includes guest and recurring roles in shows such as 24, The Closer, Dragnet, Charmed, General Hospital and Days of Our Lives.
1994 - Rosa Blasi - 1st Runner Up & Talent Award
(pictured left)
Rosa is an actress best known for her roles as Luisa Delgado in Strong Medicine, and as Barb Thunderman on the Nickelodeon series The Thundermans.
1995 - Molie Anne Kleeberger - 1st Runner Up
1996 - Monta Monique Dixson - 3rd Runner Up, Swimwear & Talent Awards
1997 - Claudine Keating Cappelle - 1st Runner Up
(pictured right)
1998 - Deanna Marie Riddle - Semi-Finalist
1999 - Jade Smalls, Miss Illinois 1999, Talent Award
1st Runner Up at Miss America
Known as Jade Simmons now, Jade is an accomplished classical concert pianist, author, arts presenter, lecturer, and arts entrepreneur branded by the Washington Post as "A clear, powerful pianist with a magnetic personality... worth seeing any time."
2000 - Deanna Marie Riddle
2001 - Bethany Von Behren
(pictured left)
2002 - Jodi Marie Kurtze - Semi-Finalist
2003 - Andrea Beth Fritz, Miss Illinois 2003, Swimwear
(pictured right)
2004 - Michelle Lane LaGroue, Miss Illinois 2004
(pictured left)
2005 - Portia Renee Peters - Judges Award
2006 - Stephanie Lynne Sharpe
(pictured right)
2007 - Christine Susan Boll - Top Ten, Talent Award, People's Choice Award
(pictured left)
2008 - Kathryn Lorenz, Miss Illinois 2008
(pictured right)
2009 - Imani Josey - Top Ten
(pictured left)
2010 - April Strong - 1st Runner Up
(pictured right)
2011 - Erika Uhlig - 3rd Runner Up
(pictured left)
2012 - Marisa Buchheit - Top Ten
(pictured right)
2013 - Savannah Teegarden - 1st Runner Up
(pictured left)
2014 - Marisa Buchheit, Miss Illinois 2014, Talent Award
(pictured right)
2015 - Whitney Wandland - Top Eleven
Miss Illinois USA 2017, Top Five Miss USA 2017
(pictured left)
2016 - Kristen One - 4th Runner Up
(pictured right)
2017 - Alexandria Strother - 4th Runner Up
(pictured left)
2018 - Grace Etzkorn - 2nd Runner Up
(pictured right)
2019 - Megan Magee - 1st Runner Up
(pictured left)
2020 - Monica Nia Jones - 2nd Runner Up, Talent Award
Miss Illinois 2022
(pictured right)
2022 - Makalyn Heaslett - Top 11
(pictured left)
2023 - Elise O'Connell - 3rd Runner Up, Preliminary Performance/HERStory (Talent) - Omega Group, Miss Illinois Vocalist Award; Carolyn Paulus Talent Award-Miss Illinois 2023
(pictured right)
Forever Chicago Titleholders
- There was no Miss Chicago competition for 2021 due to the global Covid-19 Pandemic -
2011 Miss Windy City - Hannah Smith, Miss Illinois 2011
Top Ten Miss America
(pictured left)
2012 Miss Windy City - Jennifer Carr - 1st Runner Up
(pictured right)
2013 Miss Windy City - Ariel Fuller - Top 10 Finalist
(pictured left)
2014 Miss Windy City - Amanda Goerlitz - 1st Runner Up
(pictured right)
2014 Miss Gold Coast - Kogan Murphy - 3rd Runner Up
(pictured left)
2015 Miss Windy City - Michela Moe - 2nd Runner Up
(pictured right)
2015 Miss Gold Coast - Jori Parys
(pictured left)
2016 Miss Windy City - Alexandra Kono - Top Ten Finalist
(pictured right)
2016 Miss Gold Coast - Isha Jog
(pictured left)
2017 Miss Windy City - Mariah May
(pictured right)
2018 Miss Windy City - Madeline McGowan -
Top Ten Finalist
(pictured left)
2018 Miss Gold Coast - Hanna Poitras
(pictured right)
2018 Miss Heart of Illinois - Charlotte Roberts -
Top Ten Finalist
(pictured left)
2019 Miss Windy City - Isha Jog - 2nd Runner Up
(pictured right)
2020 Miss Windy City - Megan Magee-Top Ten Finalist
(pictured left)
2020 Miss Gold Coast - Allison Harrison
(pictured right)
2020 Miss Cook County - Hannah Huyck
(pictured left)
2022 Miss Cook County - Brianna Lewis
Non-Finalist Talent Award, Special Judges Award
(pictured right)
2022 Miss Gold Coast - Sheridan Hurtig
Top 11
(pictured left)
2022 Miss Windy City - Monica Nia Jones
Miss Illinois 2022
(pictured right)
2023 Miss Windy City - Imani P Muse
Top 11 - Miss Illinois 2023
Preliminary Community Service Initiative Award - Alpha Group
(pictured left)
2023 Miss Gold Coast - Annie Kamps
(pictured right)
2023 Miss Cook County - Madelyn Steurer
Top 11 - Miss Illinois 2023
(pictured left)
2023 Miss Cicero - Natalie Baeza
(pictured right)
Forever Outstanding Teens
2012 Miss Chicago's Outstanding Teen - Keely Sawyer
(pictured left)
2013 Miss Chicago's Outstanding Teen - Grace Etzkorn
(pictured right)
2014 Miss Chicago's Outstanding Teen - Abby Foster
2nd Runner Up Miss Illinois' Outstanding Teen
2017 Miss Illinois
Top 15 Miss America
(pictured left)
2014 Miss Windy City's Outstanding Teen - Grace Etzkorn
2014 Miss Illinois' Outstanding Teen
(pictured right)
2015 Miss Chicago's Outstanding Teen - Sheridan Hurtig
(pictured left)
2015 Miss Chicago's Outstanding Teen - Peyton Tucker
2015 Miss Illinois' Outstanding Teen
(pictured right)
2016 Miss Chicago's Outstanding Teen -
Cassidy Raasch
(pictured left)
2016 Miss Windy City's Outstanding Teen -
Samantha Pokorny
(pictured right)
2017 Miss Chicago's Outstanding Teen - Maddie Mazzella
2017 Miss Illinois' Outstanding Teen
(pictured left)
2018 Miss Chicago's Outstanding Teen - Peyton Newman
2018 Miss Illinois' Outstanding Teen
2019 Miss America's OT Non-Finalist Evening Wear and Onstage Question Award
(pictured right)
2019 Miss Chicago's Outstanding Teen - Imani Muse
2019 Miss Illinois' Outstanding Teen
2020 Miss America's OT Non-Finalist Interview Award
(pictured left)
2020 Miss Chicago's Outstanding Teen - Eden Wilson
(pictured right)
2020 Miss Windy City's Outstanding Teen - Kylie Ryder
2021 Miss Illinois' Outstanding Teen
(pictured left)
2022 Miss Chicago's Outstanding Teen - Mia Fritsch-Anderson
2022 Miss Illinois' Outstanding Teen
(pictured right)
2023 Miss Chicago's Teen - Sharron Kagan
Performance/HERstory Overall Winner
Miss Congeniality
2nd Runner Up - Miss Illinois' Teen 2023
(pictured left)
2023 Miss Windy City's Teen - Alyssia Duda
(pictured right)
2023 Miss Gold Coast's Teen - Lily Troyan
Non-Finalist Community Service Initiative Award
(pictured left)
* indicates deceased
Made possible by:
Lacy Crawford - Miss Chicago Board
Daryl Schabinger Collection
Chicago Tribune
Family & Friends of all former titleholders