Michele McDonald

Michele McDonald (born c. 1953) is an American nurse, model and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss USA 1971 and represented USA at Miss Universe 1971 and one of the Semi-finalists.

Encouraged to enter the competition by her mother, McDonald won Miss Pennsylvania USA title in early May 1971. Later that month she then represented her state in the Miss USA pageant, held in Miami Beach, Florida. McDonald won the nationally televised pageant, becoming the first woman from Pennsylvania to win the title. The day after winning the pageant she and her parents visited President Richard Nixon and his wife Pat Nixon at their summer home at Key Biscayne.

After losing 10 pounds in a crash diet encouraged by Miss Universe officials, McDonald represented the United States in the Miss Universe 1971 pageant broadcast in July, also held in Miami. A chaperone said that the McDonald was close to exhaustion as a result of the diet and a doctor complained about the method. She advanced to the top fifteen in the pageant, which was won by Georgina Rizk of Lebanon.