Miss USA 1987
Miss USA 1987 was the 36th Miss USA pageant, televised live on February 17 from Albuquerque, New Mexico on CBS. The ceremonies were hosted for the last time by Bob Barker. At the conclusion of the final competition, Michelle Royer of Texas was crowned Miss USA, becoming the third consecutive winner from Texas.
| Miss USA 1987 | |
|---|---|
| Date | February 17, 1987 |
| Presenters | |
| Entertainment |
|
| Venue | Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Broadcaster | CBS, KRQE |
| Entrants | 52 |
| Placements | 11 |
| Winner | Michelle Royer Texas |
| Congeniality | Lori Lynn Dickerson California |
| Photogenic | Sophia Marie Bowen Georgia |
← 1986 1988 → | |
Results
Placements
| Final results | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss USA 1987 | |
| 1st Runner-Up |
|
| 2nd Runner-Up |
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| 3rd Runner-Up |
|
| 4th Runner-Up |
|
| Top 11 |
|
Final competition score
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Special awards
- Congeniality: Lori Lynn Dickerson (California)
- Photogenic: Sophia Bowen (Georgia)
- Best State Costume: Kriston Gayle Killgore (New Mexico)
Background music
- Opening Number: "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" by Wang Chung (Cover version) and "Victory" by Kool and the Gang
Historical significance
- Texas wins competition for the fourth time and third in a row.
- Florida earns the 1st runner-up position for the second time. The last time it placed this was in 1958.
- Arizona earns the 2nd runner-up position for the second time. The last time it placed this was in 1971. Also this was the highest placement since Jineane Ford in 1980.
- Missouri earns the 3rd runner-up position for the third time. The last time it placed this was in 1984.
- Georgia earns the 4th runner-up position for the fourth time. The last time it placed this was in 1970.
- States that placed in semifinals the previous year were Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi and Texas.
- Texas placed for the thirteenth consecutive year.
- Illinois placed for the fourth consecutive year.
- Georgia and Mississippi made their second consecutive placement.
- Arizona, Missouri and New Mexico last placed in 1985.
- West Virginia last placed in 1984.
- Nevada last placed in 1983.
- Virginia last placed in 1982.
- Florida last placed in 1980.
- Oklahoma breaks an ongoing streak of placements since 1983.
Note: This is the final year that Bob Barker hosted the pageant after 20 consecutive years (1967-1987). His stance on fur coats being given as prizes and being worn by the top 11 during the telecast's swimsuit completion resulted in a great deal of media attention surrounding the issue. Bob Barker resigned and Alan Thicke became the host in 1988.
Delegates
- Alabama - Rhonda Garrett
- Alaska - Shelly Dunlevy
- Arizona - Diane Lynn Martin
- Arkansas - Sheri Smeltzer
- California - Lori Lynn Dickerson
- Colorado - Polly Kuska
- Connecticut - Jolene Foy
- Delaware - Shellie Haralson
- District of Columbia - Edwina Richard
- Florida - Clotilde “Cloe” Helen Cabrera
- Georgia - Sophia Marie Bowen
- Hawaii - Deborah Laslo
- Idaho - Vicki Hoffman
- Illinois - Joan Elizabeth Berge
- Indiana - Alecia Rae Masalkoski
- Iowa - Katy Lynn Magee
- Kansas - Martina Castle
- Kentucky - Beth Ann Clark
- Louisiana - Carol Carter
- Maine - Ginger Kilgore
- Maryland - Michelle Snow
- Massachusetts - Rosanna Iversen
- Michigan - Elizabeth Puleo
- Minnesota - Christine Rosenberger
- Mississippi - Katharine Clare Manning
- Missouri - Dawn Theresa Fonseca
- Montana - Constance Colla
- Nebraska - Amy Anderson
- Nevada - Tammy Lee Perkins
- New Hampshire - Laurie Durkee
- New Jersey - Stacey Fox
- New Mexico - Kriston Gayle Killgore
- New York - Constance McCullough
- North Carolina - Donna Wilson
- North Dakota - Shelley Gangness
- Ohio - Hallie Bonnell
- Oklahoma - Dyan Rody
- Oregon - Tamara Primiano
- Pennsylvania - Lisa Rynkiewicz
- Rhode Island - Lisa Benson
- South Carolina - Elizabeth Woodard
- South Dakota - Jana van Woudenberg
- Tennessee - Molly Brown
- Texas - Michelle Renee Royer
- Utah - Patty Thorpe
- Vermont - Carole Woodworth
- Virginia - Marsha Ann Ralls
- Washington - Jennifer Doerflinger
- West Virginia - Paula Jean Morrison
- Wisconsin - Regina Maria Part
- Wyoming - Michelle Renee Zimermann
- Miss Teen USA 1986 - Allison Brown ( Oklahoma)
Judges
- Rebeca Arthur
- Doug Higgins
- Betty Hyatt-Aikman
- Rhett Turner
- Lisa Brown
- Marc Schwartz
- Caryn Richman
- Dick Zimmerman
- Kim Morgan Greene
- Gwen Jones
- Fred Travalena
Controversy
Host Bob Barker, a fervent animal rights activist, threatened to pull out of the pageant when he discovered that the delegates would be wearing real fur coats during the swimsuit competition segment. As Barker was already in New Mexico at the time, there was no time to find a replacement host and pageant officials agreed to a change. The delegates wore simulated fur for the segment, but real fur was still given as a prize to the Miss USA winner. Barker went on to host the 1987 Miss Universe pageant held in Singapore in May before stepping down for good.[1]