Miss USA 1955 was the fourth Miss USA pageant, held at Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, Long Beach, California on July 20, 1955.
At the end of the event, Miriam Stevenson of South Carolina crowned Carlene King Johnson of Vermont as Miss USA 1955.[1] It is the first victory of Vermont in the pageant's history. Johnson later competed at Miss Universe and was named one of the 15 semi-finalists.
Contestants from 43 states and cities competed in the pageant. The competition was hosted by Bob Russell.
| Placement | Contestant | |
|---|---|---|
| Miss USA 1955 | ||
| 1st runner-up |
| |
| 2nd runner-up |
| |
| 3rd runner-up |
| |
| 4th runner-up |
| |
| Top 15 |
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43 contestants competed for the title.[4]
| State/City | Contestant | Age | Hometown | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Patti Alexandria Marks | 19 | Glendale | ||
| Arkansas | Margaret Anne Haywood | 19 | Jonesboro | Later Miss World United States 1955 1st runner-up at Miss World 1955 | |
| California | Donna Schurr | 18 | Garden Grove | ||
| Colorado | Dorothy Jean Bewley | 19 | Denver | ||
| Connecticut | Jane Louise Bartolotta | 23 | Middletown | ||
| Delaware | Helen Denise Blackwell[5] | 21 | Wilmington | Previously Miss Delaware 1952 | |
| Florida | Mariles Gessler | 20 | Tallahassee | ||
| Georgia | Carolann Connor | 19 | Atlanta | ||
| Illinois | Betty Diane Daniggelis | 18 | Chicago | Winner of the 1955 National Press Photographers Pageant | |
| Indiana | Mary Ann Wasick | 19 | Gary | ||
| Iowa | Jerri Jean Cole | – | Holstein | ||
| Louisiana | Merlin Grace Garcia | 19 | Gretna | ||
| Maryland | Gloria Ruth King[6] | 19 | Baltimore | ||
| Massachusetts | Jean Dernago | 18 | Springfield | ||
| Miami Beach, Florida | Beverly Masters | 18 | Miami Beach | ||
| Michigan | Martha Smith | 18 | Detroit | ||
| Minnesota | Sally Ann Colombo | 18 | Stillwater | ||
| Missouri | Janet Coker | 18 | Caruthersville | ||
| Nebraska | Donna Jo Streever | 21 | Grand Island | ||
| New Hampshire | Patricia Ann Mowry | 22 | Manchester | ||
| New Jersey | Beverly Rogers[7] | 19 | Maywood | ||
| New Mexico | Joan Schwartz | 19 | Albuquerque | ||
| New York | Janet Kadlecik[8] | 18 | Johnson City | ||
| New York City, New York | Patricia Anne O'Kane | 19 | Valley Stream | ||
| North Carolina | Mary Grace Ratliffe | 18 | Wadesboro | ||
| North Dakota | Joan Roberta Smith | 19 | Bismarck | ||
| Ohio | Carol Hagerman | 20 | Columbus | ||
| Oregon | Rose Karcha | 20 | Salem | ||
| Pennsylvania | Marianne Marcus | – | McKees Rocks | ||
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Doris Sommer Klein | 21 | Philadelphia | ||
| Rhode Island | Beverly Jansen | 20 | Providence | ||
| South Carolina | Sara Ella Stone | 20 | Florence | ||
| South Dakota | Phyllis Elaine Choquette | 19 | Jefferson | ||
| St. Louis, Missouri | Bennie Joan Pritchard | 20 | University City | ||
| Tennessee | Barbara Gurley[9] | 24 | Memphis | ||
| Texas | Mary Miles Daughters | 19 | Kingsville | ||
| Utah | Myrna Joy Rasmussen | 21 | Salt Lake City | ||
| Vermont | Carlene King Johnson | 22 | Rutland | Top 15 at Miss Universe 1955 Previously Miss Vermont 1953 | |
| Virginia | Jeannie Asble | 19 | Portsmouth | ||
| Washington | Shirley Jean Givins | 20 | Seattle | ||
| West Virginia | Barbara Jean Tucker | 19 | St. Albans | ||
| Wisconsin | Jeanne Marianne Bouley[10] | 19 | Fond du Lac | ||
| Wyoming | Barbara Kaye Latta[11] | 18 | Casper |