Miss USA 1965
Miss USA 1965, the 14th Miss USA pageant, took place in Miami Beach, Florida on June 4, 1965. This was the first Miss USA pageant to be televised live, 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, who was crowned by outgoing titleholder Bobbi Johnson of the District of Columbia. Downey went on to place as 2nd runner-up to Apasra Hongsakula of Thailand at Miss Universe 1965. Pageant finalist Dianna Lynn Batts later won the 1965 Miss World USA title, and placed 1st runner-up to Lesley Langley of the United Kingdom at Miss World 1965.
Results
| Final results | Contestant |
| Miss USA 1965 |
|
| 1st runner-up |  Arizona – Jane Nelson |
| 2nd runner-up |  New Mexico – Judy Baldwin |
| 3rd runner-up |  Kentucky – Julie Andrus |
| 4th runner-up |  District of Columbia - Dianna Lynn Batts |
| Top 15 |  Alabama – Leigh Sanford California – Kathryn Hage Hawaii – Elithe Aguiar Michigan – Susan Pill Nevada – Denyse Turner New York – Gloria Jon Oklahoma – Cheryl Semrad South Carolina – Vickie Harrison Texas – Phyllis Johnson Utah – Janice Sadler |
Ohio – Sue DowneySpecial awards
Historical significance
- Ohio wins competition for the first time. Also becoming in the 12th state who does it for the first time.
- Arizona earns the 1st runner-up position for the first time.
- New Mexico earns the 2nd runner-up position for the first time.
- Kentucky earns the 3rd runner-up position for the first time.
- District of Columbia earns the 4th runner-up position for the first time.
- States that placed in semifinals the previous year were Alabama, California, District of Columbia, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah.
- California and New York placed for the ninth consecutive year.
- District of Columbia placed for the fourth consecutive year.
- Alabama and Oklahoma placed for the third consecutive year.
- Kentucky, Ohio, Texas and Utah made their second consecutive placement.
- Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico and South Carolina last placed in 1963.
- Hawaii last placed in 1962.
Delegates
- Alabama - Leigh Sanford
- Alaska - Carla Sullivan
- Arizona - Jane Nelson
- Arkansas - Jeri Haynie
- California - Kathryn Hage
- Colorado - Cathy McPherson
- Connecticut - Elizabeth Matsuko
- Delaware - Shirl Chappell
- District of Columbia - Diana Lynn Batts
- Florida - Karol Kelly
- Georgia - Judy Simpson
- Hawaii - Elithe Aguiar
- Illinois - Diane Gortz
- Indiana - Lora Starr
- Iowa - Mari Hardy
- Kansas - Linda Bergsten
- Kentucky - Julie Andrus
- Louisiana - Terri Sommers
- Maine - Georgia Wilson
- Maryland - Barbara Keifer
- Massachusetts - Mary Lou Volpe
- Michigan - Susan Pill
- Minnesota - Elizabeth Carroll
- Mississippi - Madeline Scarbrough
- Missouri - Barbara Brooks
- Montana - Patricia Bradford
- Nebraska - Constance Kellogg
- Nevada - Denyse Turner
- New Hampshire - Judy Morrison
- New Jersey - Kay Franzen
- New Mexico - Judy Baldwin
- New York - Gloria Jon
- North Carolina - Sandra Farmer
- North Dakota - Patricia Dodge
- Ohio - Sue Downey
- Oklahoma - Cheryl Semrad
- Oregon - Leslie Bruchner
- Pennsylvania - Beverly Rudolph
- Rhode Island - Paula Farrow
- South Carolina - Vickie Harrison
- Tennessee - Bonnie Perkins
- Texas - Phyllis Johnson
- Utah - Janice Sadler
- Vermont - Andrea Kenyon
- Virginia - Mary Montgomery
- Wisconsin - Judith Achtor
- Wyoming - Linda Peck