Miss Tampa History

THE HISTORY OF MISS TAMPA

Shirley Ann Rhodes

Miss Tampa 1948

Miss Florida 1949

Marjorie Simmons

Miss Tampa 1948

Miss Florida 1949

Cathy La Belle

Miss Tampa 1976

Miss Florida 1977

Carolyn Cline

Miss Tampa 1978

Miss Florida 1978

Nicole Padgett

Miss Tampa 1992

Miss Florida 1993

Jennifer Alvarez

Miss Tampa 1996

1st Runner Up to Miss Florida

Christina Bermudez

Miss Tampa 2000

Jennifer Pierce

Miss Tampa 2002

Erin Gardner

Miss Tampa 2004

Victoria Green

Miss Tampa 2005

The Miss Tampa Scholarship Pageant is the oldest preliminary competition still existing in the state of Florida. As part of the Miss America Pageant Family, the Miss Tampa Scholarship Pageant got its start in 1946 when it crowned its first winner, Patty Tallant [Hare].

The Miss Tampa Scholarship Pageant has five Miss Florida winners to its credit and countless other finalists, semi-finalists and other award recepients who have performed admirably at the state competition and represented the City of Tampa and its surrounding areas with distinction for over sixty years.

From its earlier days with the Tampa Jaycees to the recent years of sponsorship through Tampa Steel Erecting Company, the Miss Tampa Scholarship Pageant remains an integral part of the Miss Florida Pageant Family.

The Miss Tampa Scholarship Pageant salutes each of the women who have worn the Miss Tampa crown. Some of them are pictured on this page.

If you have additional photos of former Miss Tampas, please e-mail the webmaster of this site.

(Right:) A bittersweet occasion...Miss Tampa, Judy Smith, is crowned two weeks after President John F. Kennedy's assassination. Tony Hamilton is at far left, and emcee Arch Deal is at far right.

(At right:)

Charleene Closshey

Miss Tampa 2003

If you are a former Miss Tampa and have some interesting news or an update you'd like to share e-mail the Webmaster of this site by clicking here.