Miss USA 1971
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| Miss USA 1971 | |
|---|---|
| Date | May 22, 1971 |
| Presenters | Bob Barker |
| Venue | Jackie Gleason Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Broadcaster | CBS, WTVJ |
| Entrants | 51 |
| Placements | 12 |
| Winner | Michele McDonald Pennsylvania |
| Congeniality | Diane Knaub Colorado |
| Photogenic | Brenda Miller Virginia |
Miss USA 1971 was the 20th Miss USA pageant, televised live by CBS hosted by Bob Barker from the Jackie Gleason Auditorium in Miami Beach, Florida on May 22, 1971.
The pageant was won by Michele McDonald of Pennsylvania, who was crowned by outgoing titleholder Deborah Shelton of Virginia. McDonald was the first – and to date only – woman from Pennsylvania to win the Miss USA title, and went on to place as a semi-finalist at Miss Universe 1971.
For the 1971 pageant, the number of semi-finalists called was reduced from 15 to 12. It would remain at this number until 1984, when it was cut again to 10.
Results[edit]
| Final Results | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss USA 1971 | |
| 1st Runner-Up |
|
| 2nd Runner-Up |
|
| 3rd Runner-Up |
|
| 4th Runner-Up |
|
| Top 12 |
|
† Indicates contestant Is deceased
Special awards[edit]
| Award | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss Congeniality |
|
| Miss Photogenic |
|
Historical significance[edit]
- Pennsylvania wins competition for the first time and surpasses its previous highest placement in 1967. Also becoming in the 17th state who does it for the first time.
- Texas earns the 1st runner-up position for the third time. The last time it placed this was in 1964.
- Arizona earns the 2nd runner-up position for the first time.
- Missouri earns the 3rd runner-up position for the first time.
- Kentucky earns the 4th runner-up position for the second time. The last time it placed this was in 1964.
- States that placed in semifinals the previous year were California, District of Columbia, Florida, Texas and Virginia.
- California placed for the fifteenth consecutive year.
- Virginia placed for the fifth consecutive year.
- Florida and Texas placed for the third consecutive year.
- District of Columbia made its second consecutive placement.
- Arizona and Vermont last placed in 1969.
- Maryland and Michigan last placed in 1968.
- Missouri and Pennsylvania last placed in 1967.
- Kentucky last placed in 1965.
- South Carolina breaks an ongoing streak of placements since 1969.
- New York and Washington break an ongoing streak of placements since 1968.
- Nevada breaks an ongoing streak of placements since 1967.
Delegates[edit]
The Miss USA 1971 delegates were:
Alabama - Renee Smith
Alaska - Katherine Hartman
Arizona - Susanne Pottenger
Arkansas - Paula Keith
California - Karin Morrell- Colorado - Diane Knaub
Connecticut - Diane Turetsky
Delaware - Nanette Crist
District of Columbia - Suzanne Pluskoski
Florida - Susan Deaton
Georgia - Jenny Andrews
Hawaii - Deborah Gibson
Idaho - Kristeen Riordan
Illinois - Paulette Breen
Indiana - Deborah Downhour
Iowa - Cindy Helmers
Kansas - Nancy Bishop
Kentucky - Patricia Barnstable
Louisiana - Diane Risenstein
Maine - Ruth McCleery
Maryland - Carol Theis
Massachusetts - April Dow
Michigan - Pat Glannan
Minnesota - Shirley Kittleson
Mississippi - Janey Gillis
Missouri - Nancy Rich
Montana - Rebecca Thomas
Nebraska - Lola Butler
Nevada - Anita Laurie
New Hampshire - Jane Laroche
New Jersey - Brenda White
New Mexico - Debbie Clary
New York - Barbara Lopez
North Carolina - Mary Rudroff
North Dakota - Joanne Engel
Ohio - Karen Haus
Oklahoma - Kim Hardesty
Oregon - Connie Oost- Pennsylvania - Michele McDonald
Rhode Island - Laurie Stahle
South Carolina - Eunice Campbell
South Dakota - Sonia Hart
Tennessee - Sue Collins
Texas - Brenda Box
Utah - Janet Montgomery
Vermont - Sandra Taft- Virginia - Brenda Miller
Washington - Christine McComb
West Virginia - Peggy Tennant
Wisconsin - Pamela Martin
Wyoming - Kay Heaton
Judges[edit]
- Willis Reed
- Willa Meda
- Burt Bacharach, Sr.
- Richard J. Knight
- Jane Kean
- Ben Novak
- Bobbi Johnson
- George Lindsey
- Hy Gardner
- Cindy Adams