Miss USA 1955
Miss USA 1955 was the fourth Miss USA pageant, held at Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, Long Beach, California on July 20, 1955.
At the end of the event, Miriam Stevenson of South Carolina crowned Carlene King Johnson of [Miss Miss Vermont USA|Vermont USA|Vermont] as Miss USA 1955. It is the first victory of Vermont in the pageant's history. Johnson later competed at Miss Universe and was named one of the fifteen semi-finalists.
Contestants from forty-three states and cities competed in the pageant. The competition was hosted by Bob Russell.
Background
Selection of participants
Contestants from forty-three states and cities were selected to compete in the pageant. The age requirement in this edition is still from 18 to 28, where women who are married and have children can also participate.Marianne Marcus of Pennsylvania was initially disqualified by her local organizers after competing in the wrong type of swimsuit, as a swimsuit company was sponsoring the Miss Pennsylvania USA contest. However, the decision was reversed, and Marcus was allowed to compete at Miss USA after Don D'Carlo, promoter for the Miss Pennsylvania USA contest, consulted then-executive director of the Miss Universe contest Oscar Minehardt regarding the situation, which resulted in the rule being waived.
Pageant
Format
From twenty-one semi-finalists in 1954, fifteen semi-finalists were chosen at the preliminary competition that consists of the swimsuit and evening gown competition. Each of the fifteen semi-finalists gave a short speech during the final telecast. Afterwards, the fifteen semi-finalists paraded again in their swimsuits and evening gowns, and the five finalists were eventually chosen.Selection committee
- Ginny Simms – American actress and singer