Miss USA 1956

Placements

Historical significance

• Iowa wins competition for the first time. Also becoming in the 5th state who does it for the first time. Incidentally, Morris went on to become the second woman from the USA to win the Miss Universe title in 1956.
• South Carolina earns the 1st runner-up position for the second time. The last time it placed this was in 1953. Also this reaches the highest placement since Miriam Stevenson won in 1954. Incidentally, Stevenson went on to become the first woman from the USA to win the Miss Universe title in 1954.
• Arkansas earns the 2nd runner-up position for the first time.
• Nebraska earns the 3rd runner-up position for the first time.
• Texas earns the 4th runner-up position for the first time.
• States that placed in semifinals the previous year were Arkansas, Colorado, Nebraska, South Carolina, Texas and Washington.
• Nebraska, South Carolina and Texas placed for the fourth consecutive year.
• Arkansas placed for the third consecutive year.
• Colorado and Washington made their second consecutive placement.
• Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey and Ohio last placed in 1954.
• Utah last placed in 1953.
• Michigan and Tennessee last placed in 1952.
• North Carolina and Oregon placed for the first time.
• New York City, and Wisconsin break an ongoing streak of placements since 1954.
• California and Illinois break an ongoing streak of placements since 1953.
• New York breaks an ongoing streak of placements since 1952.

  Delegates

• Arizona – Maija Bertulson
• Arkansas – Nancy McCollum
• California – Shirlee Witty
• Colorado – Karen Keeler
• Connecticut – Dorothy Bailey
• Delaware – Sandra McCabe
• District of Columbia – Joanne Holler
• Florida – Kim Meyer
• Georgia – Mary Ruff
• Illinois – Muriel Blair
• Indiana – Beverly Mattox
• Iowa – Carol Morris
• Louisiana – Cecile Morris
• Maryland – Charlene Holt
• Massachusetts – Elaine Murphy
• Miami Beach – Beverly Rogers
• Michigan – Barbara Sias
• Minnesota – Marilyn Johnson
• Missouri – Carol Thrower
• Nebraska – Shari Lewis
• Nevada – Marley Sanderson
• New Hampshire – Rita Leclerc
• New Jersey – Dolores Winfield
• New Mexico – Jackie Brown
• New York – Kay Douglas
• North Carolina – Shirley Bagwell
• North Dakota – Mary Harroun
• Ohio – Eleanor Wood
• Oregon – Maralyn Turner
• Pennsylvania – Serena Kifer
• Philadelphia – Miriam Uniman
• Rhode Island – Sandra Vozella
• South Carolina – Betty Cherry
• St. Louis – Diana Stopke
• Tennessee – Stella Wilson
• Texas – Jo Dobson
• Utah – Cheryl Brown
• Vermont – Dolores Wettack
• Virginia – Audra Stark
• Washington – June Svedin
• West Virginia – Janet Cardi
• Wisconsin – Priscilla Perkins
• Wyoming – Marilyn Scott