# Miss USA 1959

Miss USA 1959 was the eighth Miss USA pageant, held at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, Long Beach, California on 22 July 1959.
At the end of the event, Eurlyne Howell of Louisiana crowned Terry Huntingdon of California as Miss USA 1959. It is the first victory of California in the pageant's history. Huntingdon later competed at Miss Universe and was named as second runner-up to eventual winner, Akiko Kojima.
Contestants from 46 states and cities competed in the pageant.

## Results
### Placements

| Placement | Contestant |
| Miss USA 1959 | California – Terry Lynn Huntingdon |
| 1st runner-up | Texas – Carelgean Douglas |
| 2nd runner-up | Florida – Nanita Greene |
| 3rd runner-up | Georgia – Dorothy Taylor |
| 4th runner-up | New York — Arlene Nesbitt |
| Top 15 | Alabama – Pat Sullivan Arkansas – Donna Needham Colorado – Dianne Gardner Iowa – Kay Nielson Louisiana – Mary LoBianco Maine – Carolyn Komant Maryland – Diane White Missouri – Barbara Stell Nevada – Joy Blaine West Virginia – Wilda Estep |

## Contestants

46 contestants competed for the title.
| State | Contestant | Age | Hometown | Notes |
| Alabama | Pat Sullivan | 21 | Birmingham | |
| Alaska | Anna Lekanof | 23 | Fairbanks | |
| Arizona | Patricia June Varga | 18 | Phoenix | |
| Arkansas | Donna Sue Needham | 19 | Berryville | |
| California | Terry Lynn Huntingdon | 19 | Mount Shasta | 2nd runner-up at Miss Universe 1959 |
| Colorado | Dianne Lee Gardner | 20 | Denver | |
| Connecticut | Jayne Burghardt | 21 | Hartford | |
| Delaware | Linda E. Humes | 18 | Harrington | |
| District of Columbia | Shirley Ann Hobbs | 20 | Washington, D.C. | |
| Florida | Nanita Greene | 21 | Coral Gables | |
| Georgia | Dorothy Gladys Taylor | 18 | Valdosta | |
| Idaho | Pat Sherburne | 19 | Pocatello | |
| Illinois | Arlene Kay | 19 | Western Springs | |
| Indiana | Anita Watkins | 18 | Monticello | |
| Iowa | Kay Nielson | 22 | Council Bluffs | Former Miss Nebraska 1957 |
| Kentucky | Sherree Owens | 22 | Louisville | |
| Louisiana | Mary LoBianco | 19 | Baton Rouge | |
| Maine | Carolyn Komant | 18 | Kittery | |
| Maryland | Diane Dolores White | 24 | Baltimore | 3rd runner up at Miss World USA 1961 Mother of Miss Georgia USA 1989, Michele Nemeth |
| Massachusetts | Beatrice Lee Duprey | 20 | Weymouth | Competed in the 1960 Miss Sun Fun USA Pageant |
| Michigan | Susan Westergaard | 20 | Detroit | |
| Minnesota | Muriel Fairbanks | 23 | Minneapolis | |
| Missouri | Barbara Jayne Stell | 23 | Kansas City | |
| Montana | Bar-Beth Smith | 18 | Butte | |
| Nebraska | Priscilla Eckrich | 21 | Lincoln | |
| Nevada | Joy Blaine | 23 | Reno | |
| New Hampshire | Nancy Jeanne Gray | 20 | Somersworth | |
| New Jersey | Geraldine Binder | 18 | Irvington | |
| New Mexico | Carol Jones | 23 | Albuquerque | Replaced Sue Ingersoll after she withdrew |
| New York | Arlene Nesbitt | 21 | Mineola | 2nd runner-up in the 1960 Miss Sun Fun USA Pageant |
| North Carolina | Peggy Anne Brown | 20 | Sunbury | |
| North Dakota | Patricia Ann McGinley | 18 | Minot | |
| Ohio | Marie di Carlo | 18 | Poland | |
| Oklahoma | Sondra Osborne | 18 | Oklahoma City | |
| Pennsylvania | Rhoda Mae Kachiko | 19 | Delmont | |
| Rhode Island | Gloria Ryder | 18 | Providence | |
| South Carolina | Mary Anne Powell | 20 | Union | |
| South Dakota | Jeannine Kay Stratton | 19 | Sioux Falls | |
| Tennessee | Marcia Daniel | 19 | Memphis | |
| Texas | Carelgean Douglas | 20 | Corpus Christi | |
| Utah | Melanie Canfield | 18 | Tremonton | |
| Vermont | Sandra Jean Laquerre | 21 | Barre | |
| Virginia | Pat Poindexter | 18 | Salem | |
| Washington | Leah Jo Robinson | 20 | Bellingham | |
| West Virginia | Wilda Sue Estep | 18 | Elkview | |
| Wisconsin | Charlene Krause | 19 | Milwaukee | |