Miss USA 1972
| Miss USA 1972 | |
|---|---|
| Date | May 20, 1972 |
| Presenters | |
| Entertainment | Everly Brothers |
| Venue | Cerromar Beach Hotel, Dorado, Puerto Rico |
| Broadcaster | CBS |
| Entrants | 51 |
| Placements | 12 |
| Winner | Tanya Wilson Hawaii |
| Congeniality | Peggy Moore  Utah |
| Photogenic | Susan Peters  Texas |
Miss USA 1972 was the 21st Miss USA pageant. It was held at Cerromar Beach Hotel in Dorado, Puerto Rico, on May 20, 1972. Tanya Wilson of Hawaii was crowned by outgoing titleholder Michele McDonald of Pennsylvania.[1] This was the second time Hawaii has won the pageant.
Bob Barker (who later that year would begin a 35-year run as host of The Price Is Right on CBS) and singer Helen O'Connell hosted the pageant and the Everly Brothers were the guest entertainers.[2]
Prior to the final competition contestants participated in a number of public appearances, including an official parade held in Ponce and a televised ceremony with Governor Luis Ferre.[3]
This was the first time the pageant was held outside the continental United States.[2] The event was marred by two bomb blasts at the hotel during the pageant, thought to have been caused by anti-American activists.[4][5] There was severe property damage but no injuries were reported.[6][7] Earlier that day the venue had been picketed by the Puerto Rican Socialist Party.[8]
Results
Placements
| Final Results | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss USA 1972 | |
| 1st Runner-Up |
|
| 2nd Runner-Up |
|
| 3rd Runner-Up |
|
| 4th Runner-Up |
|
| Top 12 |
|
Awards
| Award | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss Congeniality |
|
| Miss Photogenic |
|
Historical significance
- Hawaii wins competition for the second time.
- New York earns the 1st runner-up position for the third time. The last time it placed this was in 1960.
- California earns the 2nd runner-up position for the first time.
- Florida earns the 3rd runner-up position for the first time.
- Ohio earns the 4th runner-up position for the second time. The last time it placed this was in 1957. Also it reaches the highest placement since Sue Ann Downey won in 1965.
- States that placed in semifinals the previous year were California, District of Columbia, Florida and Michigan.
- California placed for the sixteenth consecutive year.
- Florida placed for the fourth consecutive year.
- District of Columbia placed for the third consecutive year.
- Michigan made its second consecutive placement.
- New York, Ohio and South Carolina last placed in 1970.
- Hawaii and New Mexico last placed in 1969.
- Louisiana last placed in 1968.
- Alaska last placed in 1964.
- North Carolina last placed in 1960.
- Texas breaks an ongoing streak of placements since 1969.
- Virginia breaks an ongoing streak of placements since 1967.
Delegates
|
|
Judges
A panel of ten celebrities was chosen to judge the competition.[2]
- Ed Sullivan - entertainer
- Walt Frazier - New York Knicks basketball player
- Jacqueline Susann - author
- Halston - designer
- Cindy Adams - broadcaster and columnist
- Dong Kingman - artist
- Rita Moreno - Puerto Rican actress
- Bob Lardine - feature writer for New York Sunday News
- Chuck Connors - actor
- William Knight - Senior Vice-President for Avis Rent a Car System
See also
References
- ^ UPI (1972-05-22). "Hawaii Lass Crowned Miss USA Saturday". Lodi News-Sentinel.
- ^ a b c "CBS Televises Miss USA Saturday, Susan Gordon ranks high in prelims". The Rock Hill Herald. 1972-05-02.
- ^ "Beauties compete for Miss USA". Lodi News-Sentinel. 1972-05-15.
- ^ "Explosions rock beauty pageant site". Toledo Blade. 1972-05-21.
- ^ Wilson, Earl (1972-05-25). "The Earl Wilson Column". Beaver County Times.
- ^ "Police Seek Beauty Fete Bomb Clues". The Spokesman-Review. 1972-05-22.
- ^ "New Miss USA". Ellensburg Daily Record. 1972-05-22.
- ^ "Bombs enliven Nori Anderson's trip". Tri City Herald. 1972-05-24.