Miss South Carolina 1953 Miss South Carolina USA 1954 Miss USA 1954 Miss Universe 1954
Hair color
Brown
Eye color
Blue
Major competition(s)
Miss South Carolina 1953 (Winner) Miss America 1954 (Top 10) Miss South Carolina USA 1954 (Winner) Miss USA 1954 (Winner) Miss Universe 1954 (Winner)
Miriam Jacqueline Stevenson[2] (born 1932 or 1933) is an American former actress, tv host, model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe 1954. She was the first American to win the title and had previously been crowned Miss USA 1954. Prior to Miss USA, Stevenson was Miss South Carolina USA 1954.[citation needed] She also represented South Carolina in Miss America 1954 after winning Miss South Carolina 1953, where she placed in the top ten.[citation needed]
Stevenson (right) with husband Donald Upton in 1956
At Miss Universe, Stevenson received a tied final score with Martha Rocha of Brazil. In order to break the tie, the woman deemed to have the better physique was crowned the winner, due to a major sponsor of the pageant being Catalina Swimwear. This was determined to be Stevenson, due to having "fitter" hips than Rocha. She was crowned Miss Universe by outgoing titleholder Christiane Martel of France.[3] At the end of her reign, she crowned Hillevi Rombin of Sweden as Miss Universe 1955.
^"South Carolina's Miriam Stevenson Wins "Miss Universe"; Miss Brazil Second". Spokane Daily Chronicle. July 24, 1954. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
^Riverol, Armando (1992). Live from Atlantic City: The History of the Miss America Pageant Before, After and in Spite of Television. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press. p. 47. ISBN 0-87972-557-5.
^"Judges are hep to hips". The Miami News. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
Miriam Jacqueline Stevenson (born 1932 or 1933) is an American former actress, tv host, model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe 1954. She...
MiriamStevenson of the United States as Miss Universe 1954. It was the first victory of the United States in the history of the pageant. Stevenson became...
States Miss Universe 1955 Hillevi Rombin Sweden Miss Universe 1954 MiriamStevenson United States Miss Universe 1953 Christiane Martel France Miss Universe...
States Miss Universe 1955 Hillevi Rombin Sweden Miss Universe 1954 MiriamStevenson United States Miss Universe 1953 Christiane Martel France Miss Universe...
v t e South Carolina pageant winners Miss South Carolina MiriamStevenson (1953) Marian McKnight (1956) Nancy Humphries (1987) Kimilee Bryant (1989) Kimberly...
USA titleholders have also competed at Miss America. These include: MiriamStevenson (1954, Miss South Carolina 1953) Carlene King Johnson (1955, Miss Vermont...
USA 1955 Carlene King Johnson, Vermont Miss Universe & Miss USA 1954 MiriamStevenson, South Carolina Miss USA 1953 Myrna Hansen, Illinois Miss USA 1952...
v t e South Carolina pageant winners Miss South Carolina MiriamStevenson (1953) Marian McKnight (1956) Nancy Humphries (1987) Kimilee Bryant (1989) Kimberly...
v t e South Carolina pageant winners Miss South Carolina MiriamStevenson (1953) Marian McKnight (1956) Nancy Humphries (1987) Kimilee Bryant (1989) Kimberly...
Illinois crowned MiriamStevenson of South Carolina as Miss USA 1954. It is the first victory of South Carolina in the pageant's history. Stevenson later competed...
1954, as Ellen Whitehead finished 1st runner-up, and Miss USA 1954, MiriamStevenson, became Miss Universe 1954. However, there was no rule until the 1960s...
McDonald, since 1980, and it has been directed by RPM Productions. MiriamStevenson, South Carolina's first Miss USA and the United States' first Miss...
v t e South Carolina pageant winners Miss South Carolina MiriamStevenson (1953) Marian McKnight (1956) Nancy Humphries (1987) Kimilee Bryant (1989) Kimberly...
first time that the pageant was televised. At the end of the event, MiriamStevenson of the United States crowned Hillevi Rombin of the Sweden as Miss Universe...
Kelly was one of the year's judges. A Top 10 finisher in the pageant, MiriamStevenson, subsequently won the 1954 Miss USA pageant, representing South Carolina...
Long Beach, California on July 20, 1955. At the end of the event, MiriamStevenson of South Carolina crowned Carlene King Johnson of Vermont as Miss USA...
educator and South Carolina Superintendent of Education from 2015 to 2023 MiriamStevenson, television host, actress, former model, and Miss Universe 1954 Hanin...
v t e South Carolina pageant winners Miss South Carolina MiriamStevenson (1953) Marian McKnight (1956) Nancy Humphries (1987) Kimilee Bryant (1989) Kimberly...
v t e South Carolina pageant winners Miss South Carolina MiriamStevenson (1953) Marian McKnight (1956) Nancy Humphries (1987) Kimilee Bryant (1989) Kimberly...
United States 1952 71 1952–1956 1958–present Miss USA 67 Winner MiriamStevenson (1954) Carol Morris (1956) Linda Bement (1960) Sylvia Hitchcock (1967)...
Duijm Venezuela Hillevi Rombin Sweden 1954 Antigone Costanda Egypt MiriamStevenson United States 1953 Denise Perrier France Christiane Martel France...
v t e South Carolina pageant winners Miss South Carolina MiriamStevenson (1953) Marian McKnight (1956) Nancy Humphries (1987) Kimilee Bryant (1989) Kimberly...
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