Miss USA 1961 was the tenth Miss USA pageant, held at the Miami Beach Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida on July 13, 1961.
| Miss USA 1961 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Date | July 13, 1961 |
| Venue | Miami Beach Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida |
| Entrants | 43 |
| Placements | 15 |
| Withdrawals |
|
| Winner | Sharon Brown Louisiana |
← 1960 1962 → | |
At the end of the event, Linda Bement of Utah crowned Sharon Brown of Louisiana as Miss USA 1961.[1][2] It was the second victory of Louisiana in the pageant's history. Brown later competed at Miss Universe and was named as fourth runner-up to eventual winner, Marlene Schmidt.[3]
Contestants from forty-two states and the District of Columbia competed in this pageant.
| Placement | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss USA 1961 | |
| 1st runner-up |
|
| 2nd runner-up | |
| 3rd runner-up | |
| 4th runner-up | |
| Top 15 |
|
Forty-three contestants competed for the title.
| State/District | Contestant | Age[a] | Hometown | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Suellen Robinson[5] | 20 | Fairfax | |
| Alaska | Judy Onstad[6] | 21 | Fairbanks | |
| Arizona | Shyrle Owens | 18 | Phoenix | |
| Arkansas | Mickey Lambert[7] | 20 | El Dorado | |
| California | Pamela Ray Stettler[8] | 18 | San Rafael | |
| Connecticut | Florence Mayette[9] | 20 | Hartford | |
| Delaware | Nina Lou Ringler[10] | 18 | Selbyville | |
| District of Columbia | Patricia Brunette | – | Washington, D.C. | |
| Florida | Peggy DeFreitas[11] | 22 | Miami | |
| Georgia | Patsy Giddens[12] | – | – | |
| Idaho | Delcene Kay Rossiter[13] | 20 | Pocatello | |
| Illinois | Dianne Duffey[14] | 19 | Elmhurst | |
| Indiana | Janice Kay Oliver[15] | 18 | Indianapolis | |
| Iowa | Deanne Ostermann[16] | 19 | Ocheyedan | |
| Kansas | Dixie Lee Cook[17] | 22 | Topeka | |
| Kentucky | Marcia Gale Chumbler | 18 | Mayfield | |
| Louisiana | Sharon Rene Brown | 18 | Minden | 4th runner-up at Miss Universe 1961[3] |
| Maine | Barbara Ann Dyer | – | Dexter | |
| Maryland | Gail Baxter | – | High Point | |
| Massachusetts | Elaine Cusick | 18 | Boston | |
| Michigan | Patricia Squires[18] | 20 | Dearborn | |
| Mississippi | Marlene Britsch | 21 | Clermont Harbour | |
| Missouri | Joan Roberts | 19 | Richmond Heights | |
| Nebraska | Gail L. Weinstock[19] | 20 | Omaha | |
| Nevada | Karen Weller | 18 | Las Vegas | |
| New Hampshire | Dianne Ellen Lipson | – | – | |
| New Jersey | Diane C. Giersch[20] | 19 | Red Bank | |
| New Mexico | Georgi Edwards[21] | 18 | Albuquerque | |
| New York | Alexa Currey[22] | 22 | New York City | Replaced Marcia Banks as Miss New York USA |
| North Carolina | Marie Clyburn | 20 | Charlotte | |
| Ohio | Alice Lou Engleman | 23 | Ashtabula | |
| Pennsylvania | Gayle Nelson | 19 | Chester | |
| Rhode Island | Joan Marie Zeller | 23 | Riverside | |
| South Carolina | Yvonne Quick[23] | 21 | Bennettsville | |
| South Dakota | Sharon Hoffman[24] | 19 | Harrisburg | |
| Tennessee | Anita Atkins | 25 | Memphis | |
| Texas | Sheila Wade[25] | 18 | Dallas | |
| Utah | Janet Marie Hawley[26] | 25 | Salt Lake City | |
| Vermont | Susan Nielson | – | Poultney | |
| Virginia | Bonnie Jones[27] | 18 | Norfolk | |
| West Virginia | Kathy McManaway | 20 | Princeton | |
| Wisconsin | Karen Reisweber[28] | 21 | Milwaukee | |
| Wyoming | Judy Larae Walton | – | Cokeville |