Mansolillo crowned Miss Rhode Island 2022
The Rhode Island WIFFLE® Ball League is proud to celebrate and highlight Abby Mansolillo, Miss Rhode Island 2022, Gillian Johnston, Miss Rhode Island's Outstanding Teen 2022, the Miss Rhode Island organization, and all families and friends who have supported the great women of the Ocean State.
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PROVIDENCE, RI (RIWBL) -- Smithfield native Abby Mansolillo won the title and role of Miss Rhode Island on Sunday, fulfilling a lifelong dream to represent the Ocean State at the national level. She will do just that at the Miss America Pageant, to be held on Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT later in 2022.
She took to social media to announce, "I have dreamed about representing Rhode Island since I was 14 years old. After making me wait for 8 years, God decided it was my time. I am humbled and honored beyond belief to FINALLY ANNOUNCE that I am YOUR Miss Rhode Island 2022!" Mansolillo participated in her first pageant at the age of 14 and has competed in the Miss Rhode Island pageant almost uninterruptedly since 2017, building a maturity, determination, and resilience that she says puts her in an optimal place to succeed at Miss America. For her talent, Mansolillo performed a monologue from "On the Basis of Sex", the 2018 biographical movie of former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In representing her home state, Mansolillo will use her new job to raise awareness for her personal social health initiative, "Trust Your Gut: Be Your Own Health Advocate". She said she hopes to encourage and empower women to speak up for themselves about their health and to health providers. |
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According to reporting by Jacquelyn Moorehead in the Valley Breeze, Mansolillo said her mom felt ill two years ago and received a diagnosis that did not seem right. After speaking up and getting another opinion, her mother was diagnosed with a small cancerous tumor on her small intestine, which when caught early has a high chance of survival.
As a result, Mansolillo said she wants to give back to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute that treated her mother, while encouraging people to talk openly about health advocacy to providers. “Especially young women, we’re told we’re fine and there is nothing wrong. We can say ‘I know my body well enough to push for advocacy for myself,’” she said in the report. Mansolillo is in her second year of law school at the Roger Williams University School of Law, intending to become a criminal prosecutor and the second female attorney general in Rhode Island. Upon earning her law degree, she said she will attend Salve Regina University for her master’s degree. The Miss Rhode Island Pageant awarded Mansolillo a scholarship that will go towards her law school degree. She is thankful for such an organization as Miss America for its focus on scholarship and helping women access higher education. |
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2022
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Abby Mansolillo (Smithfield, RI)
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2021
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Leigh Payne (Barrington, RI)
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2019
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Molly Andrade (Middletown, RI)
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2018
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Alexandra Coppa (Cranston, RI)
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2017
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Nicolette Peloquin (Newport, RI)
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2016
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Shruti Nagarajan (Providence, RI)
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2015
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Alexandra Curtis (East Greenwich, RI)
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2014
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Ivy DePew (Providence, RI)
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2013
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Jessica Marfeo (Exeter, RI)
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2012
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Kelsey Fournier (Pawtucket, RI)
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2011
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Robin Bonner (West Hampton, NY)
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2010
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Deborah Saint-Vil (Providence, RI)
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2009
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Julianna Claire Strout (Watch Hill, RI)
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2008
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Francesca Anne Simone (North Smithfield, RI)
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2007
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Ashley Nicole Bickford (Newport, RI)
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2006
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Allison Iris Rogers (Providence, RI)
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2005
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Jessica Sampson (Newport, RI)
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2004
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Aimee Christine Belisle (North Smithfield, RI)
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2003
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Dr. Laurie Beth Gray (Warwick, RI)
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2002
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Gianine Marie Teti (Providence, RI)
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2001
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Jennifer Leigh D'Ambrosio (Providence, RI)
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2000
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Jennifer Ann St. Laurent (Bristol, RI)
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1999
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Karen Lindsay (Warwick, RI)
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1998
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Heather Picard Johnson (Cumberland, RI)
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1997
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Kelly Jo Roarke (Cranston, RI)
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1996
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Elena Chomiszak Mooney (Providence, RI)
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1995
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Elizabeth Reilly Donabedian (North Providence, RI)
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1994
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Tori-Lynn Heaton (Cranston, RI)
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1993
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Wendy Mello Jack (Narragansett, RI)
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1992
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Lisa Snow Ponos (Cranston, RI)
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1991
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Debi Cutler (North Providence, RI)
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1990
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Susan Savastano Stallman (East Providence, RI)
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1989
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Lt. Col. Gloria Berlanga (Davisville, RI)
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1988
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Jenna Wims (Pawtucket, RI)
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1987
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Cheryl Cusick (Providence, RI)
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1986
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Barbara Longo Ferreira (Barrington, RI) / Toni Langello (Warwick, RI)
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1985
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Lori Boucher Maynard (Pawtucket, RI)
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1984
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Joanna Minisce (North Smithfield, RI)
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1983
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Pamela Jo Hoff (Providence, RI)
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1982
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Cynthia Crook Pick (Warwick, RI)
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1981
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Kathleen Cryan Pelletier (Providence, RI)
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1980
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Dawn Potter Kirsh (Pascoag, RI)
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1979
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Elaine Rushlow Finan (Westerly, RI)
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1978
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Dr. Lori Leyden Rubenstein (Providence, RI)
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1977
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Tanya Kapla (Middletown, RI)
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1976
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Debra Cerroni (Esmond, RI)
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1975
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Debra Cusick D'Iorio (Providence, RI)
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1974
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Karen Ann Salvatore (Warwick, RI)
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1973
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Patricia Garrahy Robertson (North Providence, RI)
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1972
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Michelle Passarelli (Pawtucket, RI)
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1971
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Annette Charpentier (Cumberland, RI)
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1970
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Teresa Louise Bradley (East Greenwich, RI)
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1969
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Jeanne Bursley Grimes (Barrington, RI)
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1968
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Arlene Pinto (Warwick, RI)
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1967
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Marilyn Cocozza Trillo (North Providence, RI)
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1966
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Cheryl Girr Mrozowski (Newport, RI)
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1965
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Maureen Manton O'Gorman (Warwick, RI)
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1964
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Judy Anderson (Warwick, RI)
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1963
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Sheila Guarniere (Bristol, RI)
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1962
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Deborah Babbitt Fisher (Bristol, RI)
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1961
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Cheryl Hirst Hodgins (Greenville, RI)
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1960
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Sally Saabye (Warwick, RI)
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1959
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Michalene Chomicz (Pawtucket, RI)
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1958
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Ann Willis (Cranston, RI)
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1957
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Beatrice Turek (Providence, RI)
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1956
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Gail Gilmore (Barrington, RI)
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1955
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Claire Mae Emerson (Pawtucket, RI)
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1954
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Virginia Gregory Belanger (Pawtucket, RI)
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1953
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Joyce Sandberg (Providence, RI)
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1952
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Jayne Bradshaw Gencarelli (Westerly, RI)
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1951
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No pageants were held.
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1950
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No pageants were held.
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1949
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No pageants were held.
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1948
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No pageants were held.
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1947
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Ellen DiCenzo (Providence, RI)
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1946
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Marilyn Tripp (Westerly, RI)
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1945
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Mary Stevens (Cranston, RI)
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1944
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No pageants were held.
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1943
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No pageants were held.
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1942
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No pageants were held.
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1941
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No pageants were held.
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1940
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No pageants were held.
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1939
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No pageants were held.
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1938
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Dorris Ferri
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1937
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Dorothy Mae Eden (East Providence, RI)
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1936
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Mary Margaret Rogers (Johnston, RI)
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1935
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Beatrice McKenzie (Providence, RI) / Leona Mucha (West Warwick, RI) / Marianne Ranallo Grasso
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1934
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Rose Broulilette
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1933
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No pageant was held.
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1932
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No pageant was held.
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1931
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No pageant was held.
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1930
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No pageant was held.
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1929
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No pageant was held.
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1928
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No pageant was held.
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1927
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June Frances Costello (Providence, RI)
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1926
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No Rhode Island representative at Miss America pageant.
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1925
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Loretta Berchman
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1924
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Freida Leamon (Served as "Miss Providence"; No Miss RI pageant)
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1923
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Loretta LaFlamme (Served as "Miss Providence"; No Miss RI pageant)
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1922
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No pageant was held.
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1921
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No pageant was held.
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Recent Miss Rhode Island Titleholders
Abby Mansolillo | Miss RI 2022
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Leigh Payne | Miss RI 2021
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Molly Andrade | Miss RI 2019
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Alexandra Coppa | Miss RI 2018
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Nicolette Peloquin | Miss RI 2017
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Shruti Nagarajan | Miss RI 2016
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Alexandra Curtis | Miss RI 2015
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Ivy DePew | Miss RI 2014
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Jessica Marfeo | Miss RI 2013
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Kelsey Fournier | Miss RI 2012
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Robin Bonner | Miss RI 2011
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Deborah Saint-Vil | Miss RI 2010
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Julianna Strout | Miss RI 2009
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Francesca Simone | Miss RI 2008
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2022
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Emma Broyles (Anchorage, AK)
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2020
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Camille Schrier (Richmond, VA)
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2019
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Nia Franklin (New York, NY)
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2018
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Cara Mund (Bismarck, ND)
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2017
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Savvy Shields (Fayetteville, AR)
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2016
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Betty Cantrell (Warner Robbins, GA)
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2015
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Kira Kazantsev (Manhattan, NY)
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2014
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Nina Davuluri (Syracuse, NY)
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2013
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Mallory Hytes Hagan (Brooklyn, NY)
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2012
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Laura Kaeppeler (Kenosha, WI)
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2011
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Teresa Scanlan (Gering, NE)
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2010
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Caressa Cameron (Fredericksburg, VA)
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2009
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Katie Stam (Seymour, IN)
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2008
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Kirsten Iora Haglund (Farmington Hills, MI)
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2007
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Lauren Nelson (Lawson, OK)
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2006
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Jennifer Berry (Tulsa, OK)
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2005
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Deidre Downs (Birmingham, AL)
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2004
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Ericka Dunlap (Orlando, FL)
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2003
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Erika Harold (Urbana, IL)
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2002
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Katie Harman (Gresham, OR)
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2001
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Angela Perez Baraquio (Honolulu, HI)
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2000
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Heather Renee French (Maysville, KY)
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1999
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Lauren Nicole Johnson (Virginia Beach, VA)
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1998
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Katherine Shindle (Evanston, IL)
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1997
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Tara Dawn Holland (Overland Park, KS)
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1996
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Shawntel Smith (Muldrow, OK)
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1995
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Heather Whitestone (Birmingham, AL)
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1994
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Kimberly Clarice Aiken (Columbia, SC)
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1993
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Leanza Cornett (Jacksonville, FL)
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1992
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Carolyn Suzanne Sapp (Honolulu, HI)
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1991
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Marjorie Judith Vincent (Oak Park, IL)
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1990
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Debbye Turner (Columbia, MO)
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1989
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Gretchen Elizabeth Carlson (Anoka, MN)
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1988
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Kaye Lani Rae Rafko (Monroe, MI)
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1987
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Kellye Cash (Memphis, TN)
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1986
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Susan Akin (Meridian, MS)
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1985
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Sharlene Wells (Salt Lake City, UT)
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1984
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Vanessa Lynn Williams (Millwood, NY) / Suzette Charles (Mays Landing, NJ)
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1983
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Debra Maffett (Anaheim, CA)
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1982
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Grace Elizabeth Ward (Russellville, AR)
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1981
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Susan Carol Powell (Elk City, OK)
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1980
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Cheryl Prewitt (Ackerman, MS)
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1979
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Kylene Barker (Roanoke, VA)
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1978
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Susan Perkins (Columbus, OH)
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1977
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Dorothy Kathleen Benham (Edina, MN)
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1976
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Tawny Elaine Godin (Saratoga Springs, NY)
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1975
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Shirley Cothran (Denton, TX)
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1974
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Rebecca Ann King (Denver, CO)
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1973
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Terry Anne Meeuwsen (De Pere, WI)
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1972
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Laurel Lea Schaefer (Bexley, OH)
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1971
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Phyllis Ann George (Denton, TX)
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1970
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Pamela Anne Eldred (West Bloomfield, MI)
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1969
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Judith Anne Ford (Belvidere, IL)
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1968
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Debra Dene Barnes (Pittsburg, KS)
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1967
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Jane Anne Jayroe (Laverne, OK)
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1966
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Deborah Irene Bryant (Overland Park, KS)
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1965
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Vonda Kay Van Dyke (Phoenix, AZ)
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1964
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Donna Axum (El Dorado, AR)
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1963
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Jacquelyn Mayer (Sandusky, OH)
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1962
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Maria Fletcher (Asheville, NC)
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1961
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Nancy Fleming (Montague, MI)
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1960
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Lynda Lee Mead (Natchez, MS)
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1959
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Mary Ann Mobley (Brandon, MS)
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1958
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Marilyn Van Derbur (Denver, CO)
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1957
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Marian McKnight (Manning, SC)
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1956
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Sharon Ritchie (Denver, CO)
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1955
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Lee Meriwether (San Francisco, CA)
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1954
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Evelyn Margaret Ay (Ephrata, PA)
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1953
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Neva Jane Langley (Macon, GA)
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1952
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Colleen Kay Hutchins (Salt Lake City, UT)
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1951
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Yolande Betbeze (Mobile, AL)
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1950
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No pageants were held.
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1949
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Jacque Mercer (Litchfield, AZ)
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1948
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Beatrice Bella ("BeBe") Shopp (Hopkins, MN)
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1947
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Barbara Jo Walker (Memphis, TN)
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1946
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Marilyn Buferd (Los Angeles, CA)
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1945
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Bess Myerson (New York, NY)
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1944
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Venus Ramey (Washington, DC)
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1943
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Jean Bartel (Los Angeles, CA)
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1942
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Jo-Carroll Dennison (Tyler, TX)
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1941
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Rosemary LaPlanche (Los Angeles, CA)
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1940
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Frances Marie Burke (Philadelphia, PA)
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1939
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Patricia Donnelly (Detroit, MI)
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1938
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Marilyn Meseke (Marion, OH)
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1937
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Bette Cooper (Bertrand Island, NJ)
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1936
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Rose Coyle (Philadelphia, PA)
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1935
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Henrietta Leaver (Pittsburgh, PA)
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1934
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No pageant was held.
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1933
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Marian Bergeron (West Haven, CT)
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1932
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No pageant was held.
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1931
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No pageant was held.
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1930
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No pageant was held.
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1929
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No pageant was held.
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1928
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No pageant was held.
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1927
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Lois Delander (Joliet, IL)
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1926
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Norma Smallwood (Tulsa, OK)
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1925
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Fay Lanipher (Oakland, CA)
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1924
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Ruth Malcomson (Philadelphia, PA)
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1923
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Mary Katherine Campbell (Columbus, OH)
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1922
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Mary Katherine Campbell (Columbus, OH)
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1921
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Margaret Gorman (Washington, DC)
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