Rachel Smith, a journalism graduate from Tennessee, was crowned Miss USA on Friday night, edging out 50 other aspiring beauty queens. Smith, 21, of Clarksville, graduated from Belmont University and also interned last year for the production company behind "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

Miss Tennessee Rachel Renee Smith (L) is crowned Miss USA 2007 by Miss USA 2006 Tara Connor in Hollywood, California March 23, 2007.[Reuters]

In winning the crown, Smith edged out finalists Meagan Yvonne Tandy of California; Cara Renee Gorges of Kansas; Helen Salas of Nevada; and Danielle Lacourse of Rhode Island.

Contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia started off the competition in hopes of succeeding Miss USA Tara Conner in a televised pageant that didn't shy away from the 2006 winner's much-publicized bout with alcoholism.

Conner nearly lost her crown after accounts surfaced suggesting she was boozing at New York Clubs. The 21-year-old blonde spent 31 days at a rehab facility in Pennsylvania and has since been speaking out about her bouts with addiction.

The show opened boldly with a spree of news and interview clips about Conner's woes, including video from a news conference where Donald Trump, who co-owns the pageant with NBC, announced he would give the Kentucky native a second chance. The decision sparked a war of words between the real estate mogul and "The View" co-host Rosie O'Donnell.

Other contestants whose behavior ran afoul of the pageant's standards were not as fortunate. Miss Nevada USA Katie Rees lost her title after racy pictures of her surfaced on the Internet, and Miss New Jersey USA Ashley Harder resigned when she got pregnant. Miss USA contestants must not have ever been married or given birth.

Early in the show, Connor appeared onstage wearing a strapless, ruffled gown. Under the glow of a spotlight, the 21-year-old proclaimed: "It has been the most unforgettable year of my life and I'm back, and better than ever," drawing wild applause from the audience at the Kodak Theater.

Tim Vincent and Nancy O'Dell of "Access Hollywood" hosted the pageant, which was making its return to Hollywood after two years in Baltimore.

Miss Tennessee Rachel Renee Smith takes the stage during the swimsuit competition at Miss USA 2007 in Hollywood, California March 23, 2007. Smith was later crowned Miss USA 2007. [Reuters]

During a brief onstage interview with Vincent and O'Dell, Conner said her future plans included writing a book, and doing "correspondence work and a little bit of acting."

The Miss USA Pageant began in 1952 as a swimwear promotion in Long Beach.

Contestants pay a fee to enter and must win a state title before competing for the Miss USA crown. The winner gets to live in a fancy New York apartment for a year, during which she'll spend most of her time traveling as she represents the Miss Universe Organization and speaks out on breast and ovarian cancer awareness. She also gets to represent the United States in the worldwide Miss Universe competition.

During the swimsuit competition, the beauty queens performed a synchronized strut wearing blue, pink or lilac bikinis before posing individually for the judges. All the competitors also had brief walk-ons in their evening gowns before the finalists took their solo strolls for the audience.

Miss USA was incorporating a few new wrinkles to keep viewers tuned in to the action, including more behind-the-scenes shots.

Producers showed clips of how the contestants readied for the pageant and interviews with the judges, including Jerry Springer.

"I've been doing my TV show for 16 years and I never knew women had teeth," Springer joked.

The audience was also given the opportunity to cast votes, selecting Rebecca Moore of Alabama as Miss Photogenic. The contestants voted Stephanie Trudeau of Montana as Miss Congeniality.

A panel of six judges were tasked with determining the winner: Along with Springer, "Blow Out" star Jonathan Antin, "E! News" co-host Giuliana De Pandi, MTV's Vanessa Minnillo; Baby Phat President Kimora Lee Simmons and Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss.