Miss USA 1966

Miss USA 1966, the 15th Miss USA pageant, was televised live from Miami Beach, Florida, on May 21, 1966.

Miss USA 1966
Date	May 21, 1966
Venue	Miami Beach, Florida
Broadcaster	CBS
Entrants	49
Placements	15
Withdrawals	Idaho, South Dakota
Winner	Maria Remenyi California
Congeniality	Linda Leafdale
Photogenic	Maria Remenyi

The pageant was won by Maria Remenyi of California, who was crowned by outgoing titleholder Sue Downey of Ohio. Remenyi was the second woman from California to win the Miss USA title, and went on to Top 15 at Miss Universe 1966.

Idaho and South Dakota did not send a delegate in 1966, making this the last Miss USA pageant in which not all states were represented. (The only subsequent pageant with fewer than 51 ..delegates in the live telecast – 1981 – resulted from a state representative being disqualified during the preliminary judging.)

Results

Final results	Contestant
Miss USA 1966	California – Maria Remenyi
1st runner-up	Connecticut – Pat Denne
2nd runner-up	Indiana – Elaine Richards
3rd runner-up	North Dakota – Judy Slayton
4th runner-up	Florida - Randy Beard
Top 15	Arizona – Roxanne Neeley District of Columbia – Sue Counts Hawaii – Judith Wolski Maryland – Roselaine Zetter Massachusetts – Nancy Brackett New York – Nancy Self Ohio – Karen Dietz Tennessee – Mary Smith Texas – Dorothy Pickens Utah – Denice Blair

Special awards

Award	Contestant
Miss Congeniality	Wyoming – Linda Leafdale
Miss Photogenic	California – Maria Remenyi

Historical significance

• California wins competition for the second time.
• Connecticut earns the 1st runner-up position for the second time. The last time it placed this was in 1962.
• Indiana earns the 2nd runner-up position for the first time.
• North Dakota earns the 3rd runner-up position for the first time.
• Florida earns the 4th runner-up position for the second time. The last time it placed this was in 1960.
• States that placed in semifinals the previous year were Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Hawaii, New York, Ohio, Texas and Utah.
• California and New York placed for the tenth consecutive year.
• District of Columbia placed for the fifth consecutive year.
• Ohio, Texas and Utah placed for the third consecutive year.
• Arizona and Hawaii made their second consecutive placement.
• Maryland last placed in 1964.
• Massachusetts and Tennessee last placed in 1963.
• Connecticut and Indiana last placed in 1962.
• Florida last placed in 1960.
• North Dakota placed for the first time.
• Alabama and Oklahoma break an ongoing streak of placements since 1963.
• Kentucky breaks an ongoing streak of placements since 1964.

Delegates

The Miss USA 1966 delegates were:

Alabama - Susan Scott Alaska - Elrita Blakensop Arizona - Roxanne Neeley Arkansas - Peggy Jones California - Maria Remenyi Colorado - Kim Kelly Connecticut - Pat Denne Delaware - Jacqueline Kalazinskas District of Columbia - Sue Counts Florida - Randy Beard Georgia - Flora Goddard Hawaii - Judith Wolski Illinois - Cheryl Setser Indiana - Elaine Richards Iowa - Janis Mieras Kansas - Pat Ravenscroft Kentucky - Jennifer Burcham Louisiana - Tanya Becnel Maine - Susan Bartash Maryland - Roselaine Zetter Massachusetts - Nancy Brackett Michigan - Kathleen Blascak Minnesota - Patricia Thatcher Mississippi - Jane Sutherland Missouri - Martha Taylor

Montana - Carol Boetcher Nebraska - Karen Weinfurtner Nevada - Mary Martin New Hampshire - Elaine Brandt New Jersey - Jo Ann Franchi New Mexico - Susan Franz New York - Nancy Self North Carolina - Brenda Moye North Dakota - Judy Slayton Ohio - Karen Dietz Oklahoma - Melva Brown Oregon - Sharon Gerritz Pennsylvania - Barbara Levitt Rhode Island - Barbara Williams South Carolina - Joselyn Alarie Tennessee - Mary Smith Texas - Dorothy Pickens Utah - Denice Blair Vermont - Peggy Eckert Virginia - Beverly Johnson Washington - Sandra Carlile West Virginia - Annette Peery Wisconsin - Janet Driscoll Wyoming - Linda Leafdale

No state delegate: Idaho, South Dakota

External links

• Miss USA official website