Miss USA 1966
Miss USA 1966, the 15th Miss USA pageant, was televised live from Miami Beach, Florida, on May 21, 1966.
The pageant was won by Maria Remenyi of California, who was crowned by outgoing titleholder Sue Downey of Ohio. Remenyi was the second woman from California to win the Miss USA title, and went on to Top 15 at Miss Universe 1966.
Idaho and South Dakota did not send a delegate in 1966, making this the last Miss USA pageant in which not all states were represented.
Results
| Final results | Contestant |
| Miss USA 1966 |
|
| 1st runner-up |  Connecticut – Pat Denne |
| 2nd runner-up |  Indiana – Elaine Richards |
| 3rd runner-up |  North Dakota – Judy Slayton |
| 4th runner-up |  Florida - Randy Beard |
| Top 15 |  Arizona – Roxanne Neeley District of Columbia – Sue Counts Hawaii – Judith Wolski Maryland – Roselaine Zetter Massachusetts – Nancy Brackett New York – Nancy Self Ohio – Karen Dietz Tennessee – Mary Smith Texas – Dorothy Pickens Utah – Denice Blair |
California – Maria RemenyiSpecial awards
Historical significance
- California wins competition for the second time.
- Connecticut earns the 1st runner-up position for the second time. The last time it placed this was in 1962.
- Indiana earns the 2nd runner-up position for the first time.
- North Dakota earns the 3rd runner-up position for the first time.
- Florida earns the 4th runner-up position for the second time. The last time it placed this was in 1960.
- States that placed in semifinals the previous year were Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Hawaii, New York, Ohio, Texas and Utah.
- California and New York placed for the tenth consecutive year.
- District of Columbia placed for the fifth consecutive year.
- Ohio, Texas and Utah placed for the third consecutive year.
- Arizona and Hawaii made their second consecutive placement.
- Maryland last placed in 1964.
- Massachusetts and Tennessee last placed in 1963.
- Connecticut and Indiana last placed in 1962.
- Florida last placed in 1960.
- North Dakota placed for the first time.
- Alabama and Oklahoma break an ongoing streak of placements since 1963.
- Kentucky breaks an ongoing streak of placements since 1964.
Delegates
- Alabama - Susan Scott
- Alaska - Elrita Blakensop
- Arizona - Roxanne Neeley
- Arkansas - Peggy Jones
- California - Maria Remenyi
- Colorado - Kim Kelly
- Connecticut - Pat Denne
- Delaware - Jacqueline Kalazinskas
- District of Columbia - Sue Counts
- Florida - Randy Beard
- Georgia - Flora Goddard
- Hawaii - Judith Wolski
- Illinois - Cheryl Setser
- Indiana - Elaine Richards
- Iowa - Janis Mieras
- Kansas - Pat Ravenscroft
- Kentucky - Jennifer Burcham
- Louisiana - Tanya Becnel
- Maine - Susan Bartash
- Maryland - Roselaine Zetter
- Massachusetts - Nancy Brackett
- Michigan - Kathleen Blascak
- Minnesota - Patricia Thatcher
- Mississippi - Jane Sutherland
- Missouri - Martha Taylor
- Montana - Carol Boetcher
- Nebraska - Karen Weinfurtner
- Nevada - Mary Martin
- New Hampshire - Elaine Brandt
- New Jersey - Jo Ann Franchi
- New Mexico - Susan Franz
- New York - Nancy Self
- North Carolina - Brenda Moye
- North Dakota - Judy Slayton
- Ohio - Karen Dietz
- Oklahoma - Melva Brown
- Oregon - Sharon Gerritz
- Pennsylvania - Barbara Levitt
- Rhode Island - Barbara Williams
- South Carolina - Joselyn Alarie
- Tennessee - Mary Smith
- Texas - Dorothy Pickens
- Utah - Denice Blair
- Vermont - Peggy Eckert
- Virginia - Beverly Johnson
- Washington - Sandra Carlile
- West Virginia - Annette Peery
- Wisconsin - Janet Driscoll
- Wyoming - Linda Leafdale