Sylvia Hitchcock

Sylvia Louise Hitchcock-Carson (January 31, 1946 – August 16, 2015) was an American model and beauty queen who held the titles of Miss Alabama USA and Miss USA, and was crowned Miss Universe 1967.

Hitchcock was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts and grew up on a chicken farm in Miami, Florida. She attended Palmetto High School, Miami-Dade Junior College and studied art at the University of Alabama. A junior at the University when she won the Miss USA title, Hitchcock chose not to complete her degree. Sylvia was a member of Chi Omega sorority.

Hitchcock married William Carson, the inventor of a fruit harvesting machine, in 1970. They had three children, Jonathan, Christianne and Will, and seven grandchildren.

Hitchcock, who had previously competed in local pageants in Florida, represented Alabama at the Miss USA 1967 pageant.She was chosen as one of the fifteen best in swimsuit and won the Miss USA title on May 22.In July she became the first Miss USA to win the Miss Universe title since Linda Bement in 1960.

Hitchcock also appeared in the 1968 Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 1968.

After relinquishing her title she tried modeling in New York City but became disillusioned with the city and returned to Miami where she worked for a television station. In 1972 she was one of a panel of twelve judges for the Miss Universe 1972 pageant won by Kerry Anne Wells.

She resided in Lake Wales, Florida until her death from cancer on August 15, 2015. She was 69 years old.