Miss USA 1954

Miss USA 1954, the 3rd Miss USA pageant, was held on July 24, 1954 at Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, Long Beach, California. Miriam Stevenson, won the competition and later became Miss Universe. She was crowned by outgoing titleholder Myrna Hansen of Illinois.

Miss USA 1954
Date	July 24, 1954
Presenters	Bob Russell
Venue	Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, Long Beach, California
Entrants	44
Placements	21
Winner	Miriam Stevenson  South Carolina

Placements

Final Results	Contestant
Miss USA 1954	South Carolina – Miriam Stevenson
1st Runner-up (disqualified)	Virginia – Ellen Whitehead
1st Runner-up Miss World USA 1954	New York – Karin Hultman
2nd Runner-up	New York City – Renee Roy
3rd Runner-up	Texas – Betty Lee
4th Runner-up	Illinois – Celeste Ravel
Top 21	Arkansas – Waydine Nesbitt California – Sandra Lea Constance Connecticut – Andrea Todd District of Columbia – Laura Farley Indiana – Cecilia Ann Dennis Iowa – Ione Lukens Maryland - Barbara Ann Eschenburg   Memphis - Janice Beverly Bowles Minnesota – Dawn Joyce Missouri – Alice Jean Porritt Montana – Dawn Oney Nebraska – Margie Winkhoff New Jersey – Evelyn Orowitz Ohio – Barbara Joyce Randa Wisconsin – Rita Dolores Younger

Historical significance

• South Carolina wins competition for the first time. Also becoming in the 3rd state who does it for the first time. Incidentally, Stevenson went on to become the first woman from the USA to win the Miss Universe title in 1954.
• Virginia earns the 1st runner-up position for the first time. Later disqualified for being underage.
• New York earns the 1st runner-up position for the first time. It reaches the highest placement since Jackie Loughery won the inaugural Miss USA in 1952.
• New York City earns the 2nd runner-up position for the first time.
• Texas earns the 3rd runner-up position for the first time.
• Illinois earns the 4th runner-up position for the first time. It reaches the highest placement since Myrna Hansen won in the previous year.
• States that placed in semifinals the previous year were California, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas.
• Minnesota and New York placed for the third consecutive year.
• California, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas made their second consecutive placement.
• Indiana, Missouri, Montana and New Jersey last placed in 1952.
• Arkansas placed for the first time.
• Connecticut placed for the first time.
• District of Columbia placed for the first time.
• Maryland placed for the first time.
• New York City placed for the first time.
• Virginia placed for the first time.
• Wisconsin placed for the first time.
• Memphis placed for the first time.
• Louisiana breaks an ongoing streak of placements since 1952.

Delegates

The Miss USA 1954 delegates were:

Arizona – Bonnie Omadee Johnson Arkansas – Waydine Nesbitt California – Sandra Lea Constance Colorado – Lorna Batterson Connecticut – Andrea Todd District of Columbia – Laura Farley Florida – Rosemary Talucci   Front Royal (Virginia) – Carol Hammarck Illinois – Celeste Ravel Indiana – Cecilia Ann Dennis Iowa – Ione Lukens Kansas – Sue Ravencroft Kentucky – Nikki Horner Louisiana – Sadie Marie Vinson Massachusetts – Nan Cowan   Memphis (Tennessee) - Janice Beverly Bowles Michigan – Gerri Hoffman Minnesota – Dawn Joyce Missouri – Alice Jean Porritt Montana – Dawn Oney Nebraska – Margie Winkhoff Nevada – Mary Jane Arnold

New Hampshire – Myrna Louise Smith New Jersey – Evelyn Orowitz New York – Karin Hultman   New York City – Renee Roy North Carolina – Ann Pickett North Dakota – Priscella Jane Hewitt Ohio – Barbara Joyce Randa Oregon – Charlotte Miller Pennsylvania – Helen Vidovich   Pleasure Beach (Connecticut) – Violet Fuchs Rhode Island – Joyce Ann Sandberg South Carolina – Miriam Stevenson South Dakota – Barbara Ann Brown   St. Louis (Missouri) – Jo Ann Lynde Tennessee – Barbara Sue Holly Texas – Betty Lee Utah – Laverna Laub Vermont – Georgia Laurise Washington – Darlene Gail Shride West Virginia – Sandra Waggy Wisconsin – Rita Dolores Younger Wyoming – Faith Adele Radenbaugh

• Disqualified:
  • Maryland – Barbara Ann Eschenburg
  •   Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) – Elaine DuFeen
  • Virginia – Ellen Whitehead

See also

• Miss Universe 1954

External links

• Miss USA official website