Miss USA 1956


Miss USA 1956 was the fifth Miss USA pageant, held at Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, Long Beach, California on 18 July 1956.
At the end of the event, Carlene King Johnson of Vermont crowned Carol Morris as Miss USA 1956. It is the first victory of Iowa in the pageant's history. Morris later competed at Miss Universe and won.
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. This was the final edition where women who are married and have children can participate until the rule was lifted in 2023.

Replacements

Nola Flowers, who originally won Miss Utah USA, relinquished her title after she intends to get married before the Miss Universe contest. She was replaced by her first runner-up, Cheryl Brown, as Miss Utah USA.

Contestants

Forty-three contestants competed for the title.
State/CityContestantAgeHometownNotes
ArizonaMaija Bertulson18Tucson
ArkansasNancy McCollum19Stuttgart
CaliforniaShirlee Witty20Wilmington
ColoradoKaren Keeler21Denver
ConnecticutDorothy Bailey19Bridgeport
DelawareSandra McCabe18Selbyville
District of ColumbiaJoanne Holler21Washington
FloridaKim Meyer26Oceanway
GeorgiaMary Ruff19Gainesville
IllinoisMuriel Blair23Chicago
IndianaBeverly Mattox19Milroy
IowaCarol Ann Laverne Morris19OttumwaPreviously Miss Iowa 1954
Late won Miss Universe 1956
LouisianaCecile Morris19Greenwell Springs
MarylandCharlene Holt28Annapolis
MassachusettsElaine Murphy21Weston
Miami Beach, FloridaBeverly Rogers20Miami
MichiganBarbara Sias19Detroit
MinnesotaMarilyn Johnson18Minneapolis
MissouriCarol Rhea Thrower18Kemmett
NebraskaShari Lewis19Lincoln
NevadaMarley Sanderson21Las Vegas
New HampshireRita Leclerc21Berlin
New JerseyDelores Winfield21Cranford
New MexicoJackie Brown21Albuquerque
New YorkKay Douglas18New York City
North CarolinaShirley Bagwell18Raleigh
North DakotaMary Harroun19Bismarck
OhioEleanor Wood18Canton
OregonMaralyn Turner19Portland
PennsylvaniaSerena Kifer20Monaca
Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaMiriam Uniman18Philadelphia
Rhode IslandSandra Vozella18Point Judith
South CarolinaBetty Lane Cherry20OrangeburgLater Miss World United States 1956
1st runner-up at Miss World 1956
St. Louis, MissouriDiana Stopke18St. Louis
TennesseeStella Wilson19Covington
TexasJo Dodson18Houston
[Miss Miss Utah USA|Utah USA|Utah]Cheryl Brown18Spanish ForkReplaced Nola Flowers as Miss Utah USA
VermontDelores Wettack21Westminster
VirginiaAudra Stark21Virginia Beach
WashingtonJune Svedin20Seattle
West VirginiaJanet Cardi24Belle
WisconsinPriscilla Perkins20Milwaukee
WyomingMarilyn Scott19Cheyenne