The Miss New Jersey competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of New Jersey in the Miss America pageant.
Two Miss New Jersey winners have gone on to hold the title of Miss America: Bette Cooper who won in 1937 and Suzette Charles who did not win, but took over the title for the last 7 weeks of Vanessa Williams reign in (1984). They also have one unofficial Miss America: Dorothy Hann (1932).
Miss America Winners: Bette Cooper (1937), Suzette Charles (1984) (took over the title of Miss America for last 7 weeks of Vanessa Williams' reign)
1st runners-up: Suzette Charles (1984)
2nd runners-up: Cheryl Carter (1970), Suzanne Plummer (1974), Therese Hanley (1981), Jennifer Makris (1995)
3rd runners-up: Ruth Brady (1938), Madeline Layton (1942), Mary D'Arcy (1978)
Top 10: Kathleen Harris (1943), Betty Jane Crowley (1949), Michele Sexton (1994), Victoria Paige (2000), Jill Horner (2001)
Top 12: Mary Dillinger (1935), Elizabeth Koehler (1935)
Top 14: Margo Lundgren (1939)
Top 15: Jennifer Farrell (2004)
Top 16: Delores Mendes (1947), June Stephens (1951)
Preliminary Talent: Ruth Brady (1938), Suzette Charles (1984), Heather Hertling (1993)
Preliminary Swimsuit: Suzanne Plummer (1974), Kathy Nejat (1998)
Preliminary Evening Wear: Alicia Luciano (2003)
Non-finalist Talent: Marilyn Beryl Rockafellow (1959), Georgia Malick (1963), Linda Gialanella (1973), Debra Naley (1982), Patricia La Terra (1985), Patricia Bowman (1989), Laura Murray (1990), Heather Hertling (1993), Dena Querubin (1996), Kathy Nejat (1998), Stephanie Ferrari (1999), Erica Scanlon (2005), Amy Polumbo (2008)
Overall Elegance and Lifestyle Award: Alicia Luciano (2003)
Quality of Life: Dena Querubin (1996), Lindsey Gianinni (2016)
Quality of Life 2nd RU: Jill Horner (2001), Ashleigh Udalovas (2011)
Miss Congeniality: Betty Jane Crowley (1949), Patricia Condon (1954)
Miss New Jersey's Outstanding Teen Placements
This started in 2006.
1st runners-up: Brenna Weick (2010)
Top 8: Alyssa Sullivan (2013)
Top 10: Natalie Ragazzo (2012)
Top 15: Katie Berry (2006), Andie Babusik (2011)
Miss New Jersey's Outstanding Teen Awards
This started in 2006.
Preliminary Presence and Poise: Brenna Weick (2010)
In Philip Roth's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, "American Pastoral", the central character Seymour "Swede" Levov marries Dawn Dwyer, an Irish Catholic winner of Miss New Jersey 1949, from nearby Elizabeth, whom he met at Upsala College in East Orange, New Jersey.
