Nearly seven decades after Mary Leona Gage lost her Miss USA title when officials discovered she was married and had children, Justus Kelley has made pageant history. In August, Kelley became the first married woman and mother to win the crown, at the competition’s 75th edition.
Kelley, 31, is a foster mother and founded Foster Footprints, a nonprofit that supports children and families involved in foster care. She is now preparing to represent the United States at the 75th Miss Universe pageant, scheduled for Nov. 24 in Puerto Rico.
She marked the occasion by wearing a custom black-and-white coat featuring Gage’s image as she traveled to the competition. Kelley said Gage’s experience had stayed with her as she prepared to take the Miss Universe stage.
Gage, she reflected, had not been able to openly embrace her life as a wife and mother. Her title was taken away because the public and pageant officials were not ready to accept that part of her identity, Kelley said.
The Miss USA Organization held its 75th national competition in Miami on Aug. 27. Kelley, formerly Miss Virginia USA 2026, took over from 2025 winner Audrey Eckert. The pageant had changed its rules in 2023 to allow married women and mothers to compete.
Gage represented Maryland when she won Miss USA in 1957. Soon after her victory, questions arose about her age, marriage and children. She first denied reports about her family, but it later emerged that she had married at 14 and had her first child soon after. Her second child was born when she was 16, according to The Baltimore Sun. She had also told pageant officials she was 21, though she was 18.
After an investigation, officials disqualified Gage and took away her crown. Charlotte Sheffield, the runner-up from Utah, became Miss USA and received the competition’s prizes. Gage lost the title about a day after winning and later said she received hate mail.
Gage had already competed in the preliminary round of Miss Universe and advanced to the 15 semifinalists. Sheffield could not take her place in the international contest, however, because preliminary judging had ended.
Gage later worked as a performer at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas and reportedly dated Frank Sinatra and former Mr. Universe Mickey Hargitay, The Baltimore Sun reported. She also tried to establish a film career, though she did not achieve broad success. She continued watching Miss USA each year despite losing her crown, and died in 2010 at 71.
Kelley said she feels grateful that women today can represent their country without hiding who they are. She hopes her moment in the spotlight will honor the women who challenged expectations and helped create that freedom.
The Miss USA competition began in 1952 in Long Beach, California. Jackie Loughery of New York was its first winner. It is a separate event from the Miss America pageant, which began with a 1921 competition in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
In an earlier interview, Kelley said she wanted her year as Miss USA to push back against the idea that women must choose between family, work and personal ambitions. She acknowledged that balancing those priorities can involve trade-offs and sometimes means relying more on support from others, but said women should not have to give up who they are.
Winning the title, Kelley said, gave her a chance to represent mothers and wives who continue pursuing their dreams while raising families. She described it as an honor to speak for women who still have goals they want to reach.
