Every Winner in Miss USA History: The Scandals, Diversity and Evolution of Women’s Empowerment

Jackie Loughery was crowned Miss USA in 1952, representing New York. She was born in Brooklyn in 1930 and began her career as a model and actress before winning the beauty pageant. Loughery went on to become a successful actress, appearing in films such as “The Naked Street,” “Pardners” and “The Hot Angel.”

Myrna Hansen was crowned Miss USA in 1953, representing Illinois. She was born in 1934 in Chicago and worked as a model before winning the pageant. After her reign as Miss USA, Hansen pursued a career in acting, appearing in films such as “Raintree County,” “Party Girl,” “The Best of Everything” and “Goodbye Charlie.”

Miriam Stevenson was crowned Miss USA in 1954, representing South Carolina. Stevenson went on to compete in the Miss Universe pageant, where she received a tied final score with Martha Rocha of Brazil. She ended up being crowned the winner due to her physique, becoming the first American to win the competition.

Carlene King Johnson was crowned Miss USA in 1955, representing Vermont. She was born in 1933 in Burlington and worked as a model before winning the pageant. She also attended the Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene at Tufts University in Boston.

Carol Morris was crowned Miss USA in 1956, representing Iowa. After her reign as Miss USA, Morris pursued a career in modeling and acting. She was a regular on game shows like “To Tell the Truth” and “Password”.

Mary Leona Gage was crowned Miss USA in 1957, representing Maryland. After winning the pageant, it was discovered that she had lied about her age, marital status and having children, which led to her being dethroned just a few days after her crowning. Gage passed away in 2010 at the age of 71.

Charlotte Sheffield was crowned Miss USA in 1957, but it was only for the Miss Universe pageant, following the disqualification of Mary Leona Gage. Sheffield represented Utah.

Miss USA 1958 Arlene Howell, born Eurlyne Howell, represented Louisiana. She married pilot Paul LaCava in August 1959. She also played “Cindy Lou Brown” in three episodes of “Maverick” and appeared once as a character named “Ladybird Forge.”

Terry Lynn Huntingdon was born in 1938 in San Francisco and worked as a model before winning the pageant. After her reign as Miss USA, she appeared on “Perry Mason” as defendant Kitty Wynne in “The Case of the Bartered Bikini” and was a contestant on the television quiz show “You Bet Your Life.” Huntingdon.

Linda Bement was crowned Miss USA in 1960, representing Utah. She was born in 1940 in Salt Lake City and worked as a model and a secretary before winning the pageant. Bement was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1962, she married U.S. Racing Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racing jockey Manuel Ycaza.

Sharon Brown represented Louisiana. She worked as a model and actress after her reign and passed away in 1985 at the age of 44 due to complications from pneumonia. She became the first Miss USA to win the pageant’s Photogenic Award.

Macel Wilson represented Hawaii. She was the first Asian American and first woman of color to win the title. Wilson moved to Denmark and became a film editor for the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR).

Marite Ozers was born in Latvia and, along with her family, immigrated to Chicago as refugees during World War II.

Bobbi Johnson represented the District of Columbia. She worked as an applications engineer in the computer department of General Electric and as a tax accountant.

After winning the Miss Ohio USA title, Downey went on to win the Miss USA 1965 title. She also competed in the 1965 Miss Universe pageant, where she placed as the Second Runner-up and received the Best National Costume award.

Maria Remenyi was born in Denmark and migrated to the United States in 1956. She studied astrophysics at the University of California at Berkeley and, in 1971, she hosted the “Maria’s Morning Show” on the radio.

Sylvia Hitchcock represented Alabama. She won the Miss Universe 1967 and worked for a television station in Miami. Hitchcock died at 69 due to cancer in 2015.

In the 1960s, a rule was established by the organization which stated that if a Miss USA wins the Miss Universe title, the first runner-up would take over the Miss USA title for the rest of that year. Following the victory of Carol Morris at the Miss Universe that year, the first runner-up of the competition refused to take over the crown and Cheryl Patton, second runner-up, became Miss USA.

Dorothy Anstett represented Michigan. She was an English major at the University of Washington and married legendary basketball player Bill Russell in 1977. They later divorced in 1980.

Wendy Dascomb represented Virginia. She was an activist for women’s rights and studied liberal arts at Stratford College in Danville, Virginia.

Deborah Shelton represented Virginia. In 1974, Shelton posed on the cover of Playboy. She starred in the feature film “Blood Tide” and appeared on multiple television shows, including “Fantasy Island,” “The A-Team” and “T. J. Hooker.”

Michele McDonald represented Pennsylvania. She had three children with husband Jeffrey Sturgill, with whom she was married for 37 years. In 2018, she went through a double lung transplant at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh. McDonald died two years later in a nursing home.

Tanya Wilson represented Hawaii. Wilson was studying physical education at the University of Hawai and was set to graduate the weekend after Miss USA. She was the second woman from Hawaii to win Miss USA.

Amanda Jones represented Illinois. She was an activist for the feminist movement and openly pro-choice on abortion and against the Vietnam War.

Karen Morrison represented Illinois. In 1976, she abandoned her model career and embraced fundamentalist Protestant Christianity. She went on to tour the country representing a non-profit organization called Sharing Ministries.

Summer Bartholomew represented California. In the ’80s, she hosted the game show “Sale of the Century” and was briefly part of the “Wheel of Fortune” family. Later, she appeared in the film “Love Is Forever,” with Priscilla Presley.

 Barbara Peterson represented Minnesota. She became the first Miss USA not to advance to the semifinals in the Miss Universe. Peterson is currently the president of the Burwell Family Foundation.

Kimberly Tomes represented Texas. She graduated in physical education from Texas A&M University and later hosted the Miss Texas USA pageant for 12 years.

Judi Andersen represented Hawaii. After winning Miss USA, Andersen became an actress and worked on “Fantasy Island”, “Magnum,” “P.I.” and “Jake and the Fatman.”

Mary Therese Friel represented New York. After winning, Friel signed with Ford Modeling Agency and traveled the world as a model. In 1983, she moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and became a teacher at a local junior college. She is also the founder of s the founder of Mary Therese Friel, LLC, a pageant coaching and image consulting company.

Shawn Weatherly represented South Carolina. After winning Miss USA and Miss Universe in 1980, Weatherly pursued a career in acting. She starred as Jill Riley in “Baywatch” and as Cadet Karen Adams in “Police Academy 3: Back in Training.”

Jineane Ford represented Arizona. She was the first runner-up on the Miss USA 1980 and assumed the title after Shawn Weatherly won Miss Universe.

Kim Seelbrede represented Ohio. She holds a graduate degree from New York University. After her reign, she founded Kim Seelbrede Coaching, a life coaching and therapy practice.

Terri Utley represented Arkansas. After her reign, Britt studied journalism and worked as a news anchor on Movietime television, currently known as E!, covering the Academy Awards and the Cannes Film Festival.

Julie Hayek represented California. Since winning the pageant, she has appeared on the TV series “Dallas,” “Twin Peaks,” “Moonlighting” and others. She has also modeled for Victoria’s Secret, Christian Dior, Warnaco, Natori and Mattel.

Mai Shanley represented New Mexico. She was the second Eurasian delegate to win Miss USA.

Laura Harring represented Texas. She became an actress after winning the Miss USA title and is known for playing Rita and Camilla Rhodes in “Mulholland Drive.” She also played Carla Greco in “General Hospital” and Rebecca Doyle in “The Shield.”

Christy Fichtner represented Texas in the Miss USA 1986. That year, the first runner-up was actress Halle Berry. In 2003, Fichtner returned to television joining the cast of NBC’s “Who Wants to Marry My Dad.”

Michelle Royer represented Texas. She is married to radio presenter Donald Jefferson. Royer was the third of five consecutive winners from Texas.

Courtney Gibbs also represented Texas. She married actor Tom Eplin and appeared on the following shows: “All My Children,” “The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!,” “Joe Versus the Volcano” and “The Naked Truth.”

Gretchen Polhemus was the last of the five consecutive winners from Texas. She worked as a sports correspondent for ESPN and was formerly a co-host of KTVX-TV’s “Good Things Utah.”

Carole Gist was the first contestant from Michigan and the first African-American woman to win the competition. At the time of her coronation, she was a junior marketing and management major at Northwood University at Midland.

Kelli McCarty represented Kansas. She starred as Beth Wallace in “Passions” from 1999 to 2006. After the soap opera, McCarty pivoted to the adult industry, doing hardcore and X-rated films.

Shannon Marketic represented California. She previously had won Miss Teen USA 1989. In 1997, Marketic made headlines after suing Jefri Bolkiah, Prince of Brunei, accusing him of sexual abuse. A judge dismissed the suit on the grounds that the Sultan had sovereign immunity as head of state.

Kenya Moore represented Michigan. She worked as an actress and a television personality after her reign and is best known for being part of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.”

Lu Parker represented South Carolina. She worked as a television news anchor and reporter after her reign and is best known for her role as an anchor on KTLA-TV in Los Angeles.

Shanna Moakler represented New York. She was the first runner-up at Miss USA and assumed the title when Chelsi Smith won Miss Universe. Moakler dated actor Dennis Quaid in 2001. Later, in 2004, Moakler married Travis Barker, with whom she shares two children. Barker filed for divorce in 2006. Moakler competed in the third season of “Dancing with the Stars.”

Chelsi Smith represented Texas. She modeled for Hawaiian Tropic, Pontiac, Venus Swimwear and Pure Protein. In 2003, she recorded with producer Damon Elliott her single “Dom Da Da”, which was part of the soundtrack for “The Sweetest Thing,” starring Cameron Diaz.

Ali Landry represented Louisiana. She was named by People magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world in 1998 and worked as an actress and a television host after her reign. She is best known for her role in the film “Repli-Kate” and as the host of “Spy TV”.

Brook Mahealani Lee represented Hawaii. She won the Miss Universe crown at 26 years and 128 days, becoming the oldest Miss Universe to win at the time. She also worked as a television producer and the host of “Hawaii’s News Now”.

Brandi Sherwood represented Idaho. She was the first runner-up at Miss USA and assumed the title when Brook Lee won Miss Universe. Sherwood married actor Dean Cochran. She went on to work on “The Price Is Right,” but ended up filing a lawsuit against FremantleMedia after not being booked again following her pregnancy. She reportedly won $775,000 in punitive damages.

Shawnae Jebbia represented Massachusetts. She worked as an actress in “Barker Beauty” and was also on “The Price Is Right” from 2002 until 2003. After suffering from Ménière’s disease, she experienced hearing loss and changed careers, getting a master’s degree in nursing.

Kimberly Pressler represented New York. She worked as a television host on MTV’s “Senseless Acts of Video,” “TRL,” “Fast and Famous” and “Becoming.” Later, she was hired by NBC to host “Adrenaline X.”

Miss USA 2000: Lynnette Cole represented Tennessee. She worked as a television host and producer on NBC, CMT, ESPN, MTV and VH1, and is the founder of the Lynnette Cole Image Consulting Group.

Kandace Krueger represented Texas. After winning, she was given the key to the city of Austin. Currently, she is the host of the “Today with Kandace” show in Dallas.

Shauntay Hinton represented the District of Columbia. She worked as an actress on Nickelodeon’s “iCarly” and made appearances in multiple TV shows from NBC, Fox Sports, Fox Movie Channel, Lifetime, HGTV and more.

Susie Castillo represented Massachusetts. After winning, she worked as host of MTV’s “Total Request Live.” In 2008, she hosted the ABC Family reality television series “America’s Prom Queen.” Castillo was recently featured in Nickelodeon’s “The Really Loud House.”

Shandi Finnessey represented Missouri. In 2002, before starting her reign, Finnessey wrote a children’s book titled “Furrtails.” In 2013, she was a contestant on NBC’s “Ready for Love” and she also posed naked for a PETA anti-fur campaign.

Chelsea Cooley represented North Carolina. She is the founder of the Chelsea Cooley Brand and the president of an image consulting company, StandOut Productions.

Tara Conner represented Kentucky. Conner, who was 20 when she won the pageant, entered a drug rehabilitation program after being caught drinking underage and kissing Miss Teen USA Katie Blair. Since then, she has worked as an advocate against drug addiction. She was also a guest judge in an episode of “Project Runway.”

Rachel Smith represented Tennessee. She was featured in Donald Trump’s “Pageant Place” and on NBC’s “Minute to Win It.”

Crystle Stewart represented Texas. She has worked as an actress since 2011, starring as real estate agent Leslie Morris on “For Better or Worse” until 2017 and making an appearance in “Acrimony” in 2018.

Kristen Dalton represented North Carolina. She is the founder of She is More, a faith-based online women’s magazine, and the author of “Rise Up, Princess: 60 Days To Revealing Her Royal Identity” and “Rise Up With God: The Guided Journal.”

Rima Fakih represented Michigan. She was later a contestant on season five of “WWE Tough Enough” on the USA Network, competing as a professional wrestler. In 2012, Fakih joined Fox’s dating game show “The Choice.”

Alyssa Campanella represented California. She was featured in Old Navy’s “Bold is the New Black” commercial in 2012 and joined the competition series “Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off” in the same year.

Olivia Culpo represented Rhode Island. After her reign, she invested in her acting career. She is featured in the films “I Feel Pretty” and “Venus as a Boy.”

Nana Meriwether represented Maryland. She was the first runner-up at Miss USA and assumed the title when Olivia Culpo won Miss Universe.

Erin Brady was the first woman from the state of Connecticut to ever be crowned Miss USA. She has a degree in finance and a minor in criminal justice from Central Connecticut State University.

Nia Sanchez represented Nevada. She is a fifth-degree black belt in taekwondo and married to actor Daniel Booko, with whom she shares three children.

Olivia Jordan represented Oklahoma. She worked as an actress on TV shows “Hawaii Five-0,” “Dollface” and “NCIS: Hawaiʻi.” Jordan is married to British actor Jay Hector.

Deshauna Barber represented the District of Columbia. She served in the U.S. Army Reserve after her reign and is an advocate for veterans’ issues and women’s empowerment.

Kára McCullough represented the District of Columbia. She worked as a scientist and a television personality after her reign and is an advocate for STEM education and women’s empowerment. In 2020, she married basketball player Garrett Temple.

Sarah Rose Summers represented Nebraska. She worked as a certified child life specialist prior to winning her Miss USA title. In 2018, she married her longtime boyfriend Conner Combs in Bangkok.

Cheslie Kryst represented North Carolina. Before the pageant, she worked as a lawyer in both North Carolina and South Carolina. In 2019, she became a correspondent for “Extra” and received nominations for Outstanding Entertainment News Program at the 47th and 48th Daytime Emmy Awards.

Asya Branch represented Mississippi. In 2018, she performed the national anthem at a rally for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

Elle Smith represented Kentucky. She was the vice president of the university’s chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists. Later, Smith worked as a reporter for “WHAS-TV” in Louisville.

R’Bonney Gabriel represented Texas. She became the ninth American to win the Miss Universe and the sixth mixed-heritage woman to win the beauty pageant. Gabriel was also the oldest winner of the Miss Universe at 28 years old and the second Asian American woman to wear the crown.

Morgan Romano represented North Carolina. She was the first runner-up at Miss USA and assumed the title when R’Bonney Gabriel won Miss Universe.

Noelia Voigt was crowned Miss USA 2023 on Sept. 29, 2023. She received the crown from Miss USA 2022 Morgan Romano of North Carolina, who assumed the crown after R’Bonney Gabriel won Miss Universe 2023. Voigt was born in Florida to an American-Venezuelan couple. The 22-year-old is a licensed esthetician and a certified lash technician.

On May 6, 2024, Voigt resigned from her title.

Miss Hawaii USA 2023 Savannah Gankiewicz was the first runner-up in the competition and assumed the crown after Noelia Voigt resigned in May 2024.

“Thank you, Noelia, for your service as Miss USA. We wish you the best in this next chapter. We respect and support Noelia’s decision to step down from her duties. The well-being of our titleholders is a top priority, and we understand her need to prioritize herself at this time. We are currently reviewing plans for the transition of responsibilities to a successor, and we will soon announce the crowning of the new Miss USA,” the Miss USA organization shared via a statement about Voigt’s resignation.

Alma Cooper of Michigan was crowned Miss USA in 2024. Cooper was the first active-duty Army officer to compete in the Miss Michigan USA competition. She had previously competed in Miss Michigan Teen USA, placing first runner-up in 2017 and as a semi-finalist in 2018 and 2019.