Miss USA 1953


Miss USA 1953 was the second Miss USA pageant, held at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium in Long Beach, California on July 16, 1953.
At the end of the event, Jackie Loughery of New York crowned Myrna Hansen of Illinois as Miss USA 1953. It is the first victory of Illinois in the pageant's history.
Contestants from forty-three states and cities competed in this year's pageant. The competition was hosted by Bob Russel.

Background

Selection of participants

Contestants from forty-three states and cities have been selected to compete in the competition. The age requirement in this edition is still from 18 to 28, where women who are married and have children can also participate.
Jeanne Vaughn Thompson of Louisiana, who competed last year and placed as first runner-up, competed once again in this edition, making her the first contestant from Miss USA who competed twice.
This edition saw the debuts of Iowa, Maryland, Miami, Myrtle Beach, Nebraska, New Hampshire, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The states of Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, New Mexico, Oregon, and Tennessee withdrew in this edition.

Pageant

Format

From ten semi-finalists in 1952, twenty semi-finalists were chosen at the preliminary competition that consists of the swimsuit and evening gown competition. Each of the twenty semi-finalists gave a short speech during the final telecast. Afterwards, the twenty semi-finalists paraded again in their swimsuits and evening gowns, and the five finalists were eventually chosen.

Selection committee

Contestants

Forty-three contestants competed for the title.
State/CityContestantAgeHometownNotes
AlabamaDoris Edwards25Birmingham
ArizonaEleanor Ruth Cross19Chandler
ArkansasJackie Stucker19West Helena
CaliforniaMarcella Roulette21Los Angeles
ColoradoJeanie Carroll18Denver
[Miss Miss Connecticut USA|Connecticut USA|Connecticut]Beverlee Burlant21BridgeportPreviously Miss Connecticut 1951
IdahoPatricia Carter18Boise
IllinoisMyrna Rae Hansen17Chicago1st runner-up at Miss Universe 1953
IndianaEdith Mae Krumme19Seymour
IowaMarilyn Shonka18Sioux City
KentuckyMary Stice19Paducah
LouisianaJeanne Vaughn Thompson21Baton RougePreviously Miss Louisiana USA 1952
Placed 1st runner-up at Miss USA 1952
Previously Miss Louisiana 1951
MaineJackie Lee22Cape Neddick
MarylandDiane Gale Durham22Silver Spring
MassachusettsJoan Daly20Somerville
Miami Beach, FloridaKay Duggar21Miami
MichiganJo Ann Page20Detroit
MinnesotaMary Ann Papke20Minneapolis
MississippiJessie Wynn Morgan20NewtonPreviously Miss Mississippi 1951
Top 15 at Miss America 1952
MissouriDonna Gardner18Portageville
MontanaBillie Jean Tyrell21Billings
Myrtle Beach, South CarolinaMary Kemp Griffin23FlorenceLater represented the USA at Miss World 1953 and placed 5th runner-up
NebraskaBerneta Nelson20Clay Center
NevadaEarlene Whitt18Las Vegas
[Miss Miss New Hampshire USA|New Hampshire USA|New Hampshire]Muriel Roy24Nashua
New JerseySusan Ruth Harris18Haddonfield
New YorkReta Knapp23New York City
North CarolinaLibby Walker–Wilton
North DakotaMarilyn Caufield19Jamestown
OhioEleanore Mack20Bellaire
OklahomaBarbara Bond21Oklahoma City
PennsylvaniaJeri Hauer27Hatboro
Rhode IslandBarbara Rose Deigman20Providence
South CarolinaSusan Anthony Day18Greenville
South DakotaKathleen Herman18Bowdle
TexasJoan Bradshaw17Houston
UtahShauna Wood22Salt Lake City
VermontKathleen Marie Eugenia Surrel22Brooklyn, New York City
[Miss Miss Virginia USA|Virginia USA|Virginia]Dorothy Lee Bailey21Norfolk
WashingtonNancy Petraborg18Seattle
[Miss Miss West Virginia USA|West Virginia USA|West Virginia]Fay Higley18South Charleston
WisconsinJacque Kimmel24Milwaukee
WyomingNancy Rogers–Cheyenne