View source for Miss USA 1972

{{Short description|21st Miss USA pageant}}
{{pp-sock|small=yes}}
{{Infobox beauty pageant
| winner = '''[[Tanya Wilson]]<br>{{flagicon|Hawaii}} [[Miss Hawaii USA|Hawaii]]'''
| date = May 20, 1972
| presenters = {{Hlist|[[Bob Barker]]|[[Helen O'Connell]]}}
| acts = [[Everly Brothers]]
| broadcaster = [[CBS]]
| entrants = 51
| placements = 12
| venue = Cerromar Beach Hotel, [[Dorado, Puerto Rico]]
| congeniality = Peggy Moore <br>{{flag|Utah|1913}}
| photogenic = Susan Peters <br> {{flag|Texas}}
| before = [[Miss USA 1971|1971]]
| next = [[Miss USA 1973|1973]]
}}

'''Miss USA 1972''' was the 21st [[Miss USA]] pageant, held at Cerromar Beach Hotel in [[Dorado, Puerto Rico|Dorado]], [[Puerto Rico]], on May 20, 1972. [[Tanya Wilson]] of [[Hawaii]] was crowned by outgoing titleholder [[Michele McDonald]] of [[Pennsylvania]].<ref name="crowned">{{cite news|title=Hawaii Lass Crowned Miss USA Saturday|publisher=Lodi News-Sentinel|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3eUzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qTIHAAAAIBAJ&pg=5157,3904788&dq=tanya-wilson&hl=en|date=1972-05-22|last=UPI}}</ref>  This was the second time [[Hawaii]] has won the pageant.

[[Bob Barker]] (who later that year would begin a 35-year run as host of ''[[The Price Is Right (U.S. game show)|The Price Is Right]]'' on [[CBS]]) and singer [[Helen O'Connell]] hosted the pageant and the [[Everly Brothers]] were the guest entertainers.<ref name="cbs" />

Prior to the final competition contestants participated in a number of public appearances, including an official parade held in [[Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce]] and a televised ceremony with Governor [[Luis Ferre]].<ref>{{cite news|publisher=Lodi News-Sentinel|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1-UzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qTIHAAAAIBAJ&pg=7525,3351275&dq=miss-usa&hl=en|date=1972-05-15|title=Beauties compete for Miss USA}}</ref>

This was the first time the pageant was held outside the continental United States.<ref name="cbs">{{cite news|title=CBS Televises Miss USA Saturday, Susan Gordon ranks high in prelims|publisher=The Rock Hill Herald|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vU0tAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4Z4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3551,3068460&dq=miss-usa-1972&hl=en|date=1972-05-02}}</ref>  The event was marred by two bomb blasts at the hotel during the pageant, thought to have been caused by anti-American activists.<ref>{{cite news|title=Explosions rock beauty pageant site|publisher=Toledo Blade|date=1972-05-21|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pFwxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6wEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3574,3071884&dq=tanya-wilson&hl=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Earl Wilson Column|publisher=Beaver County Times|date=1972-05-25|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=N2wyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MLMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=805,2853982&dq=tanya-wilson+miss-usa&hl=en|first=Earl|last=Wilson}}</ref>  There was severe property damage but no injuries were reported.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=The Spokesman-Review|date=1972-05-22|title=Police Seek Beauty Fete Bomb Clues|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EsYRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7ewDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5463,2698512&dq=miss-usa&hl=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=New Miss USA|publisher=Ellensburg Daily Record|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qgIQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tI8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4081,2955058&dq=miss-usa&hl=en|date=1972-05-22}}</ref>  Earlier that day the venue had been picketed by the [[Puerto Rican Socialist Party]].<ref>{{cite news|publisher=Tri City Herald|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sVohAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1IUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2875,5527747&dq=miss-usa&hl=en|title=Bombs enliven Nori Anderson's trip|date=1972-05-24}}</ref>

==Results==
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2023}}
===Placements===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
!Final Results
!Contestant
|-
|'''Miss USA 1972'''
|
* '''{{flag|Hawaii}}''' – '''[[Tanya Wilson]]''' 
|-
|'''1st Runner-Up'''
|
* '''{{flag|New York}}''' – Alberta Philips
|-
|'''2nd Runner-Up'''
|
* '''{{flag|California}}''' – Kim Christina Hobson
|-
|'''3rd Runner-Up'''
|
* '''{{flag|Florida|1900}}''' – Coni Ensor
|-
|'''4th Runner-Up'''
|
* '''{{flag|Ohio}}''' – Kathleen Ann Kehlmier
|-
|'''Top 12'''
|
* '''{{flag|Alaska}}''' – Patricia Lane
* '''{{flag|District of Columbia}}''' – Janet Gail Greenwalt
* '''{{flag|Louisiana|1912}}''' – Bonnie Martin
* '''{{flag|Michigan}}''' – Marilyn Ann Petty
* '''{{flag|New Mexico}}''' – Donna Reel
* '''{{flag|North Carolina|1885}}''' – Deborah Ann Falls
* '''{{flag|South Carolina}}''' – Susan Gordon
|}
===Awards===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%;"
|- 
!width="220"|Award||width="300"|Contestant
|-
| '''Miss Congeniality'''
|
*'''{{flag|Utah|1913}}''' – Peggy Moore 
|-
| '''Miss Photogenic'''
|
*'''{{flag|Texas}}''' – Susan Peters 
|-
|}

==Judges==
A panel of ten celebrities was chosen to judge the competition.<ref name="cbs" />
*[[Ed Sullivan]] - entertainer
*[[Walt Frazier]] - [[New York Knicks]] basketball player
*[[Jacqueline Susann]] - author
*[[Halston]] - designer
*[[Cindy Adams]] - broadcaster and columnist
*[[Dong Kingman]] - artist
*[[Rita Moreno]] - Puerto Rican actress
*Bob Lardine - feature writer for [[New York Sunday News]]
*[[Chuck Connors]] - actor
*William Knight - Senior Vice-President for [[Avis Rent a Car System]]

==See also==
*[[Miss Universe 1972]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Miss USA}}

[[Category:Miss USA|1972]]
[[Category:1972 in Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:1972 beauty pageants]]
[[Category:Dorado, Puerto Rico]]