The annual Miss America beauty pageant originated September 8, 1921 and
is run by the Miss America Organization, a not-for-profit corporation based in 
Linwood, New Jersey. It developed the "Miss America Scholarship Program, 
that awards educational scholarships to successful competitors between the
ages of 17 and 24. 

Margaret Gorman, of Washington, D.C., was the first
Miss America Pageant winner in 1921.

The current title-holder, Miss America 2015, is Miss New York 2014,
Kira Kazantsev. She is the third consecutive Miss America winner
from the state of New York.