Dating back to 1924, the Florida Citrus Growers sponsored the Florida Citrus Queen Program, devoted to the promotion of the Florida citrus industry. Each year they carefully selected a young woman to serve as a goodwill ambassador througout the state, the nation, and the world. Each year the Citrus Queen would reign over the Citrus Expo & Florida Citrus Festival and even made appearances at the World’s Fair. The Florida Citrus Queen has been photographed throughout the years with celebrities, dignitaries, and even the President of the United States.
In 1983, changing with the times, the name changed to Miss Florida Citrus and the selection process changed from that of a more traditional beauty pageant to three days full of interviews, videotaping, and media/communications judging by a panel of industry leaders. The title-holder became a full-time salaried employee of the Florida Department of Citrus, and Miss Florida Citrus traveled extensively throughout the year attending national conventions and conducting numerous television, radio, and print interviews as the media spokesperson for the Florida Citrus Growers.
The year 2003 signified the end of an era as the last Miss Florida Citrus was crowned. We invite you to take a nostalgic walk down memory lane as we celebrate the heritage of the Florida Citrus Queen and Miss Florida Citrus through the years.
Do you have photographs of Citrus Queens or Miss Florida Citrus title-holders? If so, please contact the archives ([email protected]) or Citrus Hall of Fame Executive Director Brenda Eubanks Burnette ([email protected]). Thank you!
FLORIDA CITRUS QUEENS
| 1924 | Dorothy Williamson | |
| 1930 | Ruth Snider | |
| 1931 | Bertha Knight (Mrs. Hub Myers) | |
| 1932 | Kathleen Kelly (Mrs. A.R. Hanson) | |
| 1933 | Mary Lou Moore | |
| 1934 | Marjorie Giddens | |
| 1935 | Betty Runkle (Mrs.A.R.Hanson) | |
| 1936 | Bee Huyck (Mrs. John Friesner, Jr.) | |
| 1937 | Doris Harrison | |
| 1938 | Beth Page (Mrs. W.R.Steen,Jr.) | |
| 1939 | Mary Frances Capp | |
| 1940 | Leone Johnson (Mrs. J.P. Brown) | |
| 1941 | Elizabeth Colson (Mrs.Elizabeth Golden) | |
| 1942 | Iveane Hall | |
| 1943 | Sylvia Chambliss (Mrs. John McElvey) | |
| 1945 | Laurel Norden (Mrs.James A.Lenfestey) | |
| 1946 | Selma Rocker | |
| 1947 | Nance Stilley (Mrs. Dan Hains) | |
| 1948 | ShirleyRhodes (Mrs.Gus Deilens) | |
| 1949 | Joan Cook (Mrs. R.D. Saunders) | |
| 1950 | Kathy Darlyn | |
| 1951 | Carolyn Stroupe (Mrs. Reginald J. Sambaugh) | |
| 1952 | Pat Burgoon (Mrs. Pat Westphal) | |
| 1953 | Marion Ettie (Mrs.John Szurek, Jr.) | |
| 1954 | Ann Daniel (Mrs. John Adams); Also Miss Florida – became 1st Runner-up at Miss America | |
| 1955 | Sally Ardrey | |
| 1956 | Dorothy Steiner (Mrs. John Lodge) | |
| 1957 | Frances Layton (Mrs. Richard D. Pope, Jr.) | |
| 1958 | Kay MacLean | |
| 1960 | Florence Cloud | |
| 1961 | Sandra Guthrie | |
| 1962 | Sharon Conrad | |
| 1963 | Sue Scarborough(Mrs. James F. Farber) | |
| 1964 | Nancy Collins (Mrs. Charles R. Trulock) | |
| 1965 | Karol Kelly (Mrs.Fred Bullard) | |
| 1966 | LaVoyce Leggett (Mrs.Lanier Porter) | |
| 1967 | Patti Bohannon (Mrs. John Reaves) | |
| 1968 | Lynne Allen (Mrs. E.Gaynor Slemons) | |
| 1969 | Kathy Young | |
| 1970 | Suzanne Rogers (Mrs. Bill Boose) | |
| 1971 | Sue Comer | |
| 1972 | Christine Couldron (Mrs. John Masters) | |
| 1973 | WandaLynnMiller | |
| 1974 | Debi Adair | |
| 1975 | Sonya Surrency | |
| 1976 | Candace Upthegrove | |
| 1977 | Lisa Maile D’Alessandro | |
| 1978 | Lisa Lyon | |
| 1979 | Nancy Ness | |
| 1980 | Teresa Mahoney Shuster | |
| 1981 | Brenda Eubanks Burnette | |
| 1982 | Dawn Griffin | |
| 1983 | Deidra Perkins McLeod |
—————————-
MISS FLORIDA CITRUS
| 1984 | Lori Schirard Grubb | |
| 1986 | Rosemarie Payne | |
| 1987 | Renee McLeod Graham | |
| 1988 | Judy Beretto Prisk | |
| 1989 | Sherry Hensley | |
| 1990 | Laura Benefield Pulido | |
| 1991 | Mandy Hancock Jarrett | |
| 1992 | Sheri Cook Richardson | |
| 1993 | Emily Howell Rogers | |
| 1994 | Tobitha Bryant Yeomans | |
| 1959 | Sandra Freeman (Mrs. E. Duke Vincent) | |
| 1995 | CandyGriffin Denton | |
| 1996 | Dana Morgan | |
| 1997 | Becka Cerni Robinson | |
| 1998 | Shannon Potts-McDonald | |
| 1999 | Kim Duppenthaler | |
| 2000 | Kimber Wood | |
| 2001 | Jennifer Peavey | |
| 2003 | Morgan Ortagus | |
| 2004 | Nichole ”Nikki” Upthegrove | |
| 2015 | Summer Foley | |
| 2016 | Stephanie Capon | |
| 2017 | Rachel Smith | |
| 2018 | Megan Price | |
| 2019 | Michaela McLean | |
| 2019 | Juliana Fray (Won Miss Florida) | |
| 2020/21 | Leila Sabet (Covid – extended reign) | |
| 2022 | Payton Barrington | |
| 2023 | Casana Fink |
————————-
The following video presentation was created by Mary Yurso, FSC Class of 2012, for the March 2012 50th Anniversary of the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. The anniversary festivities included a Florida Citrus Queen reunion at the Ritz Theater in Winter Haven. It includes a pictorial timeline of the queens from 1924 through 2003.
A Florida Citrus Queen/Miss Florida Citrus Facebook page group was created for the 2012 Florida Citrus Queen reunion. Enjoy!