Miss USA 1963

Miss USA 1963 was the 12th Miss USA pageant, held at the Miami Beach Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida on July 17, 1963. This was the first Miss USA to be broadcast on television, first aired on CBS.

Miss USA 1963
Marite Ozers as Miss USA 1963
Date	July 17, 1963
Venue	Miami Beach, Florida
Broadcaster	CBS, WTVJ
Entrants	43
Placements	15
Withdrawals	Idaho Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota Virginia Washington Wyoming
Winner	Marite Ozers Illinois
← 1962 1964 →

At the end of the event, Macel Wilson of Hawaii crowned Marite Ozers of Illinois as Miss USA 1963.^[1] Latvian-born Ozers was the first woman born outside the United States to win the title, and the second delegate from Illinois to do so. Ozers later competed at Miss Universe and was named one of the fifteen semi-finalists.^[2]

Contestants from forty-two states and the District of Columbia competed in the pageant.

Results

Placements

Placement	Contestant
Miss USA 1963	Illinois – Marite Ozers[1]
1st runner-up	District of Columbia – Michele Metrinko[1]
2nd runner-up	Missouri – Sandra Marlin[1]
3rd runner-up	Colorado – Rhea Looney[1]
4th runner-up	California - Francine Herack
Top 15	Alabama – Dinah Armstrong[3] Arizona – Diane McGarry[3] Massachusetts – Sandra Smith[3] Michigan – Pamela Sands[3] Nevada – Kathee Francis[3] New Mexico – Sandra Fullingim[3] New York – Jeanne Quinn[3] Oklahoma – Roberta Mosier[3] South Carolina – Cecelia Yoder[3] Tennessee – Bobbie Morrow[3]

Contestants

Forty-three contestants competed for the title.

State/District	Contestant	Age[a]	Hometown	Notes
Alabama	Dinah Irene Armstrong	19	Montgomery
Alaska	Nina Whaley	19	Fairbanks
Arizona	Diane McGarry[4]	20	Phoenix
Arkansas	Cheryl Jane Bechtelheimer	19	Camden
California	Francine Cheryl Herack[5]	19	Hollywood
Colorado	Rhea Looney[6]	19	Denver
Connecticut	Gail Dinan	19	Hartford
Delaware	Susan Kowalski[7]	18	Newport
District of Columbia	Michele Bettina Metrinko[8]	18	Washington, D.C.	Later Miss USA World 1963[9] Semi-finalist at Miss World 1963[10] Sister of Marsha Metrinko, Miss Maryland USA 1963 Candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2010 U.S. House of Representatives election in Delaware for Delaware's at-large congressional district
Florida	Linda Egland[11]	18	South Miami
Georgia	Brenda Seagraves	19	Winterville
Hawaii	Susan Molina	18	Honolulu	Later Miss Hawaii World 1963 Semi-finalist at Miss USA World 1963
Illinois	Marite Ozers[12]	19	Chicago	Previously Miss Chicago World 1962 Semi-finalist at Miss Universe 1963[2]
Indiana	Vickie Little	20	Indianapolis
Iowa	Ramona Kathleen Meylor[13]	23	Le Mars
Kansas	Diane Victoria Stalker[14]	21	Wichita
Kentucky	Mary Ann Arnold[15]	20	Calvert City
Louisiana	Margaret Susan "Peggy" Romero[16]	18	Kaplan
Maine	Laurel Ann Barker	21	Portland
Maryland	Marsha Barbara Metrinko[8]	21	Laurel	Later Miss New York City at Miss America 1964[17] Sister of Michele Metrinko, Miss District of Columbia USA 1963
Massachusetts	Sandra Smith[18]	23	Newton Upper Falls
Michigan	Pamela Lee Sands[19]	19	Ludington
Mississippi	Joan Kinnebrew	19	Hattiesburg	Competed at Miss Dixie 1964
Missouri	Sandra Lee Marlin[18]	19	Springfield
Nebraska	Sandy Zimmer	–	Kearney	Replaced Cheryl Warden due to publicity issues[20]
Nevada	Kathee Francis[21]	20	Las Vegas
New Hampshire	Johnnye McLeod	18	Hampton
New Jersey	Judy Kay Ayers	–	Salem
New Mexico	Sandra Fullingim[18]	18	Albuquerque
New York	Jeanne Marie Quinn[22]	19	East Meadow	Later Miss USA World 1964[23] Semi-finalist at Miss World 1964[24] Named 1st runner up at Miss American Beauty 1964[25]
North Carolina	Trudy Ann Cauthen	–	Newton
Ohio	Gloria Jean McBride[26]	21	Columbus	Replaced Andrea Getzlaff for being underage[27]
Oklahoma	Roberta Ann Mosier[28]	19	Tulsa
Oregon	Joset Fisher	20	Portland
Pennsylvania	Deborah Cardonick	19	Philadelphia
Rhode Island	Rosemary Jane Dickinson	19	Providence
South Carolina	Cecelia Yoder[29]	20	Lancaster	Competed at Miss USA World 1963
Tennessee	Bobbie Lynn Morrow[30]	26	Memphis
Texas	Cheryl Rene Wilburn[31]	18	Houston
Utah	Carla Ann Dinius[32]	22	Salt Lake City
Vermont	Ellen Centerbar	–	North Bennington
West Virginia	Nina Lou Denton	–	Marmet
Wisconsin	Lynn Korchunoff	18	Milwaukee

Notes

1. Ages at the time of the pageant