Miss USA 1976
Miss USA 1976, the 25th Miss USA pageant, was televised live by CBS from Niagara Falls, New York on May 15, 1976.
The pageant was won by Barbara Peterson of Minnesota, who was crowned by outgoing titleholder Summer Bartholomew of California. Peterson was the first - and to date only - woman from Minnesota to win the Miss USA title, and went on to participate at Miss Universe 1976, where she became the first Miss USA titleholder to fail to advance to the semi-final stage of the pageant.
Results
| Final Results | Contestant |
| Miss USA 1976 |
|
| 1st Runner-Up |  Michigan - Kevin Gale |
| 2nd Runner-Up |  Oregon - Gail Atchison |
| 3rd Runner-Up |  South Carolina - Virginia Murray |
| 4th Runner-Up |  Louisiana - Robyn Sanders |
| Top 12 |  California - Joan Pennock Georgia - Liz Wickersham Illinois - Kathy Schmalen Missouri - Donna Hibbits New Mexico - Jonelle Bergquist Texas - Candace Gray Washington - Norene Gilbert |
Minnesota - Barbara PetersonSpecial awards
Historical significance
- Minnesota wins competition for the first time. Also becoming in the 18th state who does it for the first time.
- Michigan earns the 1st runner-up position for the first time.
- Oregon earns the 2nd runner-up position for the first time and it reaches it highest placement ever at the contest.
- South Carolina earns the 3rd runner-up position for the first time.
- Louisiana earns the 4th runner-up position for the first time.
- States that placed in semifinals the previous year were California, Missouri and Texas.
- California placed for the twentieth consecutive year.
- Missouri placed for the third consecutive year.
- Texas made their second consecutive placement.
- Illinois and Louisiana last placed in 1974.
- Michigan, New Mexico and South Carolina last placed in 1972.
- Georgia, Oregon and Washington last placed in 1970.
- Minnesota last placed in 1954.
- North Carolina breaks an ongoing streak of placements since 1974.
- District of Columbia breaks an ongoing streak of placements since 1970.
- Florida breaks an ongoing streak of placements since 1969.
Delegates
- Alabama - Kyle Ellis
- Alaska - Elizabeth Staib
- Arizona - Curvy Walters
- Arkansas - Sonia Jines
- California - Joan Pennock
- Colorado - Patricia Swean
- Connecticut - Rozalyn Raplh
- Delaware - Debbie Kucher
- District of Columbia - Nancy Stitt
- Florida - Leigh Walsh
- Georgia - Liz Wickersham
- Hawaii - Brenda Texeira
- Idaho - Cheryl Gilbert
- Illinois - Kathy Schmalen
- Indiana - Annette Anderson
- Iowa - Sheri Davenport
- Kansas - Debbie Viter
- Kentucky - Connie Clark
- Louisiana - Robyn Sanders
- Maine - Dawn St Clair
- Maryland - Linda Potter
- Massachusetts - Holly Hoyle
- Michigan - Kevin Gale
- Minnesota - Barbara Peterson
- Mississippi - Teresa Camp
- Missouri - Donna Hibbits
- Montana - Teresa Klaus
- Nebraska - Catherine Fricke
- Nevada - Janice Carrell
- New Hampshire - Sinceree Rowlette
- New Jersey - Ginger Hagaman
- New Mexico - Jonelle Bergquist
- New York - Carol Doerr
- North Carolina - Dianne Bowen
- North Dakota - Linda Paulson
- Ohio - Karen Myers
- Oklahoma - Lori Hansen
- Oregon - Gail Atchison
- Pennsylvania - Marcy Zambelli
- Rhode Island - Kathy Confreda
- South Carolina - Virginia Murray
- South Dakota - Dorothy Westphal
- Tennessee - Jana Kerr
- Texas - Candace Gray
- Utah - Debbie Drecksel
- Vermont - Susan Parsons
- Virginia - Donna Dixon
- Washington - Norene Gilbert
- West Virginia - Cheryl Plants
- Wisconsin - Susan Femrite
- Wyoming - Murlie Colosky
Judges
- Richard Adler
- Ernest Borgnine - award-winning actor
- Maggie Daly
- Sue Downey - Miss USA 1965
- Barry Farber
- Alice Faye
- Melanie Kahane
- Derek Sanderson
- Zoltan "Zoli" Rendessy