Myrna Hansen (born August 5, 1934) is an American actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder who won
Miss USA 1953.
Education
Hansen is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond E. Hansen.
She graduated from
Carl Schurz High School
Carl Schurz High School is a public 4–year high school located in the Irving Park neighborhood on the northwest side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The school is named after German–American Carl Schurz, a statesman, soldier, and advoca ...
in
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, in June 1953. Prior to competing in the 1953 Miss Universe contest, Hansen planned to study
animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starti ...
in
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
. She had already mailed her tuition for admission to college, aspiring to become a veterinarian.
Beauty contestant
Hansen was chosen Miss Photoflash of 1953 by the Chicago Press Photographers Association.
She was entered in the Miss USA contest by virtue of winning this title. She was 5'7" tall and weighed 125 pounds. Her measurements included a 37 ''-'' inch bust, 25 ''-'' inch waist, and 35 ''-'' inch hips. By the end of 1955 her bust had increased by an inch. Her measurements read 38 ''-'' 25 ''-'' 33. She is a blond with brown eyes.
For winning the Miss USA crown Hansen was awarded a
Hillman Minx
The Hillman Minx was a mid-sized family car that British car maker Hillman produced from 1931 to 1970. There were many versions of the Minx over that period, as well as badge-engineered variants sold by Humber, Singer, and Sunbeam.
From t ...
convertible, a
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
contract, and a $2,500 diamond wrist watch. She also received an ornate trophy presented by Ruth Hampton, actress, and 1952
Miss New Jersey USA
The Miss New Jersey USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of New Jersey in the Miss USA pageant. It is produced by D&D Productions.
New Jersey has yet to win the Miss USA title, although from 1989 to 1991 ...
. Hansen was presented with a solid silver and gold replica of the crown on the
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; French: ''La Liberté éclairant le monde'') is a List of colossal sculpture in situ, colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the U ...
. A gigantic loving cup was also among the prizes she won.
Miss Universe
After winning the
Miss Illinois USA
The Miss Illinois USA pageant is a competition that selects the representative for the state Illinois in the Miss USA pageant. It is directed by Vanbros and Associates and is previously directed by D&D Productions from 2001 to 2014 before be ...
crown, Hansen, from Chicago, went on to become Illinois's first representative to capture the Miss USA title. She was chosen as