ASSEMBLY TOURISM, GAMING AND THE ARTS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 166

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JANUARY 23, 2025

      The Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee reports favorably Assembly Resolution No. 166.

This resolution urges the Miss America Pageant to return to Atlantic City in 2025 and every year thereafter.

     The Miss America Pageant began in Atlantic City as the Inter-City Beauty Contest in 1921.  Over time, as the pageant grew in size and reputation, it became the Miss America Pageant.

     The Miss America Pageant came to involve contestants from across the country, and one of the first winners was Bette Cooper, who was from New Jersey.

     Since 1945, the Miss America Pageant has given out more than $150 million in scholarships, making it the world’s largest scholarship program for women.

     In 1989, the pageant adopted the concept of a platform, inviting contestants to champion and raise awareness for various social causes.  Every Miss America since 1989 has spent the year following her victory promoting noble and worthwhile causes around the country.

     Despite hosting the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City for the majority of its history, the pageant moved to Orlando, Florida in 2024.  In light of the long and successful history of the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City, the Miss America Organization is urged to return in 2025 and all future years the pageant is held.