Miss USA 1965 was the 14th Miss USA pageant, held in Miami Beach, Florida on June 4, 1965. This was the first Miss USA pageant to be televised live (on the CBS network), and the first to be a self-contained production, held several weeks before, and independent of, the Miss Universe pageant.
The pageant was won by Sue Downey of Ohio.[1] Downey's sponsor said he had received over 100 telephone calls warning that she had no chance to win, because she looked too much like the outgoing titleholder, Bobbi Johnson of the District of Columbia; but this only made them more determined.[2] To add to the tension, Downey fell and injured her leg during rehearsals the day before the contest, received x-rays, and recovered after ice and bed rest.[3]
Downey went on to place as 2nd runner-up to Apasra Hongsakula of Thailand at Miss Universe 1965. Pageant finalist Dianna Lynn Batts (better known as Dian Parkinson from The Price Is Right) later won the 1965 Miss World USA title, and placed 1st runner-up to Lesley Langley of the United Kingdom at Miss World 1965.
| Final results | Contestant | |
|---|---|---|
| Miss USA 1965 | ||
| 1st Runner-Up |
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| 2nd Runner-Up | ||
| 3rd Runner-Up |
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| 4th Runner-Up | ||
| Top 15 |
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