Miss Louisiana USA


The Miss Louisiana USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Louisiana in the Miss USA pageant.
Miss Louisiana USA is produced by RPM Productions since 1990, which also produces the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA state pageants for Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina. RPM Productions' headquarters is in Aiken, South Carolina.
Mariah Clayton of Zachary was crowned Miss Louisiana USA 2020 on October 19, 2019 at Lafon Performing Arts Center in Luling. She will represent Louisiana for the title of Miss USA 2020.

History

Louisiana is one of the most successful states at Miss USA and is one of only seven states to have three or more Miss USA winners.
Four Miss Louisiana USA titleholders previously held the Miss Louisiana Teen USA title, including Ali Landry, who became the third woman from Louisiana to be crowned Miss USA.
Jennifer Dupont, Miss Louisiana USA 2000, is one of only seven women who have competed in the Miss Teen USA, Miss USA and Miss America pageants.
Louisiana's future success at Miss USA would be evident in the state's first contestant, Jeanne Vaughn Thompson, Miss Louisiana USA 1952 and 1953. She is the only woman to ever compete twice in the history of Miss USA, and to outright win a Miss USA state title twice. Until 1996, she was the only two-time Miss USA state titleholder. Shanna Lyn Searles became the second and only other double state titleholder, upon winning the Miss California USA title outright in 1996, after inheriting the state's 1992 title as a result of Shannon Marketic being crowned Miss USA 1992.
Thompson's overall pageant success—winning the Miss Louisiana state title and competing at Miss America in 1951, winning the first two Miss Louisiana USA state titles, and competing in the first and second Miss USA national pageants -- prompted Miss USA organizers to create a rule only allowing a person to compete for the national title once.
Louisiana contestants accomplished another feat first, winning both the first-ever Miss Congeniality and Miss Photogenic awards given to a Miss USA state delegate. Thompson was the winner of the Miss Congeniality award given to the first Miss USA state contestant in 1953.
The second Miss Congeniality award given also went to another contestant from Louisiana, Judy Fletcher in 1960. That year, during the era when both Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants were held at the same time, Fletcher tied with a Miss Universe contestant from Burma for the award.
Sharon Brown, who represented Louisiana in 1961, won the first Miss Photogenic award given to a Miss USA state delegate. She also won the Miss USA title, the first Miss Photogenic winner to obtain that feat.
Louisiana is one of only two states to have won both the Miss USA title and the Miss Photogenic award in the same year on two separate occasions.

Gallery of titleholders

Results summary

Placements

Louisiana holds a record of 27 placements at Miss USA.

Awards

;Color key
YearNameHometownAge1Placement at Miss USASpecial awards at Miss USANotes
2020Mariah ClaytonZachary23TBATBA
2019Victoria PaulAlexandria26Top 15
2018Lauren VizzaShreveport27Previously Miss Louisiana 2012
2017Bethany TrahanLake Charles21
2016Maaliyah PapillionLake Charles21
2015Candice BennattNew Orleans26Top 11Previously Miss New Mexico 2012. Former Houston Texans Cheerleader.
2014Brittany GuidryHouma213rd runner-upPreviously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 2009 and 4th runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2009; one of few women to place in the top 5 at both Miss Teen USA and Miss USA
Cousin of Michelle Berthelot, Miss Louisiana USA 2008
2013Kristen GiraultMetairie21Top 10 New Orleans Saints cheerleader
2012Erin EdmistonLafayette22Top 16
2011Page PennockShreveport21
2010Sara BrooksNew Orleans22
2009Lacey MinchewBaton Rouge24Previously Miss Teen America 2002, representing Georgia. Originally from Marietta.
2008Michelle BerthelotHammond36Cousin of Brittany Guidry, Miss Louisiana USA 2014
2007Elizabeth McNultyLafayette25Top 15
2006Christina CuencaChalmette26
2005Candice StewartMetairie21Previously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 2002. Contestant on Big Brother 15.
2004Melissa McConnellRuston27
2003Brittney RogersShreveport20Contestant on The Amazing Race 8. Winner of Fear Factor Miss USA episode
2002Anne-Katherine LeneAbbevilleSemi-finalist
2001Heather HaydenAmite
2000Jennifer DupontPlaqueminePreviously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 1998, Miss Louisiana 2004 and 1st runner up at Miss America 2005
1999Melissa BongiovanniBaton Rouge
1998Debbie DelhommeLafayetteSemi-finalist
1997Nikole ViolaWalker
1996Ali LandryBreaux Bridge22Miss USA 1996Miss PhotogenicPreviously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 1990, Top 6 finalist at Miss Universe 1996
1995Elizabeth CoxeSpringfield24Top 6
1994Shirelle HebertArabiTop 6
1993Jennifer MitchellLeesville
1992Christy SaylorBaton RougeSemi-finalist
1991Melinda MurphyWest Monroe
1990Jeanne BurnsBaton RougeCurrently evening news anchor for NBC affiliate WVLA in Baton Rouge.
1989Elizabeth PrimmHouma3rd Runner-upMiss Photogenic, 2nd Place Best CostumeMiss USA at Miss Asia Pacific 1989, did not place; Star Search 1990 Spokesmodel contestant.
1988Rhonda VinsonShreveport
1987Carol CarterShreveportPreviously Miss Louisiana 1985
1986Cecelia BradyOllaNow Cecelia Gonzalez of San Diego, California. Her father was Louisiana State Representative Thomas "Bud" Brady.
1985Sarie JoubertShreveport3rd Runner-up1st runner up at Miss International 1985 as Miss USA.
1984Rusanne JourdanBaton Rouge
1983Pamela ForrestBaton Rouge3rd Runner-upMrs. America 1987 and Mrs. World 1988
1982Lisa MichaelBaton Rouge
1981Lisa MossShreveport2nd Runner-upLater Miss World USA 1981 and Top 5 finalist at Miss World 1981
1980Kelly BoninBaton Rouge
1979Lisa AndersonGretna19
1978Tauny HanesBaton Rouge
1977Patti RosenbalmBossier City
1976Robyn SandersWinnfield4th Runner-up
1975Rhonda ShearNew OrleansTelevision program host and actor, best known for her role as host of the USA Network's weekend movie show, USA Up All Night
1974Karen HoffBossier CitySemi-finalist
1973Storm HensleyBossier CitySemi-finalistWas a sergeant in the Air Force stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City
1972Bonnie MartinAshland21Semi-finalist
1971Diana RisensteinBossier City
1970Nadine RobertsonBossier City
1969Patricia DupreWashington
1968Kathy HebertFranklin3rd Runner-upMiss Photogenic
1967Dianne MaderHouma21
1966Tanya BecnelAma
1965Terri SommersShreveport19
1964Linda GravesShreveport
1963Peggy RomeroKaplan
1962Diana Jane SmithOak RidgeSemifinalist in Miss World USA 1962
1961Sharon BrownMindenMiss USA 1961Miss Photogenic4th runner up at Miss Universe 1961
1960Judy FletcherAlexandriaSemi-finalistMiss Congeniality
1959Mary Margaret LobiancoSemi-finalist
1958Eurlyne HowellBossier CityMiss USA 19583rd runner up at Miss Universe 1958
1957Earlyn RegouffreNew Orleans
1956Cecile MorrisBaton Rouge19
1955Merlin GarciaGretna19
1954Sadie VinsonNew OrleansFinalist in the 1955 Miss Dixie Pageant
1953Jeanne ThompsonBaton RougeSemi-finalistMiss CongenialityOnly woman ever to compete in Miss USA pageant twice. Previously Miss Louisiana 1951. Also competed in the 1952 Maid of Cotton Pageant
1952Jeanne ThompsonBaton Rouge1st Runner-upOnly woman ever to compete in Miss USA pageant twice. Previously Miss Louisiana 1951. Also competed in the 1952 Maid of Cotton Pageant

1 Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant