 | |
| Formation | 1925 |
|---|---|
| Type | Scholarship Program |
| Headquarters | Derry |
| Location | |
Membership | Miss America |
Official language | English |
| Website | Official website |
The Miss New Hampshire is the scholarship program that selects the representative for the state of New Hampshire in the Miss America competition.
The Miss New Hampshire program was conducted by the Union Leader newspaper for more than 50 years. In the early years of Miss America, it was city newspapers that sponsored the young women to go to Atlantic City as the Miss America Organization originally allowed city titleholders to compete. The Union Leader conducted the pageant from 1947 until 2001. The newspaper held the pageant from at least 1985 to 2001 at the Manchester Central High School auditorium.[citation needed]
In 2000, a non-profit corporation formed and was granted the license by the Miss America Organization to conduct the state program from 2002 through today. Originally run by former Miss Greater Derry local chapter leaders, the Miss New Hampshire Scholarship Program, Inc. is now a 501(c)(4) civic organization while the Miss New Hampshire Scholarship Foundation, which grants the scholarships, is a 501(c)(3) public charity. Brenda Keith of Derry served as Board President and Executive Director until she joined the Board of Directors of the Miss America Organization in September 2018 for a two-year term. William Haggerty served as president until her return on January 1, 2021. Lynne Ulaky and Claudette Jolin serve as the Co-Executive Directors. The competition was moved to Derry in 2003 and is held annually at Pinkerton Academy's Stockbridge Theatre. [citation needed]
The Miss New Hampshire scholarship program grants more scholarships than most other states in the Miss America Program.[citation needed] In 2021, the Miss New Hampshire Scholarship Foundation granted $100,000 in scholarships to the 26 contestants who competed after winning their local titles. Prior to the State competition, the NH local programs grant another $80,00-$85,000 a year at the local level. The local programs are all non-profit corporations with group 501(c)(3) tax exempt status.[citation needed]
Emily Spencer of Bedford was crowned Miss New Hampshire on April 27, 2024, at the Stockbridge theater in Derry, New Hampshire. She will compete for the title of Miss America 2025.