Crowning Peggy Collings: Teenage Beauty, Aspirations, and America’s First Miss Teen U.S.A.
When American teenagers opened the July 1959 issue of Teen Magazine, they held more than just another glossy publication in their hands. They were staring into the face of a new cultural moment — one where teenage girls stepped onto the national stage as symbols of beauty, talent, and aspiration. This particular issue carried a powerful feature titled “Miss Teen U.S.A.” — a nationwide contest that crowned Peggy Collings of Lake Charles, Louisiana, as the prettiest teenager in America.
For readers in the United States, this was more than a beauty contest. It was a glimpse of how youth culture was changing. It was also a reminder that the teenage years — once dismissed as awkward and in-between — had become central to America’s image of style, glamour, and possibility.
The late 1950s marked a dramatic turning point in American society.
Only a few years earlier, the word “teenager” had barely existed as a cultural category. By 1959, it had exploded into a phenomenon. Rock ’n’ roll dominated jukeboxes, television stars filled living rooms, and Hollywood was creating films like Gidget and A Summer Place just for young audiences.
At the same time, pageantry and postwar femininity shaped how young women were seen. The Miss America Pageant had been a national staple since the 1920s, but now Teen Magazine created a version just for its readers — one that captured the energy of youth, optimism, and beauty ideals in the Atomic Age.
The Miss Teen U.S.A. Contest of 1959 reflected these shifts. It wasn’t only about crowning a queen. It was about recognizing the teenage girl as a cultural force — someone whose looks, style, and talents were admired by peers and celebrated in print.
By 1959, Teen Magazine had already positioned itself as the leading voice of American adolescence. With the Miss Teen U.S.A. Contest, it gave readers something bigger than advice columns or music reviews: a chance to see girls like themselves elevated to national fame.
The Winner: Peggy Collings
The article introduced Peggy Collings as the “prettiest teenager in the U.S.A.” Her dark shiny hair, brown eyes, creamy complexion, and graceful proportions were detailed with the precision of a beauty queen’s scorecard.
At 5’5½” and 117 pounds, with measurements of 36”-24”-35½”, Peggy embodied the era’s ideal. But she wasn’t only about looks. She was a B student at La Grange High School and played the violin in the city orchestra. The article emphasized that while Peggy had won many local titles, this was her first national crown.
Her victory promised:
-
A week in Hollywood filled with prizes
-
An appearance on a national television show
-
An interview for a possible screen test
For the teenage readers of 1959, Peggy’s story was proof that ordinary girls from small towns could become national icons.
The Princesses: Four Runners-Up
Alongside Peggy, four “princesses” were named, symbolizing different regions of America:
-
Carole Spivock (17, Detroit, Michigan) — Petite brunette with classic features, representing the Midwest.
-
Joyce Ventling (17, Corydon, Iowa) — A wholesome blonde from the heartland.
-
Rona Fein (17, Bayside, New York) — Tall, slim, and interested in dramatics, capturing East Coast ambition.
-
Teri Janssen (16, Los Angeles, California) — Already a working model, embodying West Coast glamour.
Together, they reflected the diversity of American teen life — from Iowa farm towns to New York suburbs to the glitzy modeling world of Los Angeles.
The Finalists: A Nationwide Snapshot
The magazine also published a gallery of 24 finalists, each pictured with her age, school, and hometown. This included:
-
Stella Louise Reid (17), Kansas School for the Deaf, Olathe, Kansas — representing inclusivity in a national spotlight.
-
Gladys Cruz (18), Waimea HS, Hawaii — a contestant from America’s newest state, admitted only months earlier.
-
Elaine Newman (17), Reseda HS, California — showcasing the rise of suburban youth culture.
-
Maryann Dominica (18), Ridgefield Park HS, New Jersey — reflecting East Coast participation.
-
Jerilyn Jane Oliver (16), Williamsburg HS, Iowa — embodying small-town Midwest charm.
These portraits, styled like a high school yearbook, made the contest relatable. Every reader could imagine her own school photo printed on the glossy pages of Teen.
The visual presentation of the contest was as important as the words.
-
Peggy Collings’s full-page photo, framed in blue, gave her the star treatment of a Hollywood leading lady.
-
The runners-up and finalists were shown in neat black-and-white portraits, approachable and friendly, unlike the polished studio stills of movie stars.
-
A photograph of the crown and tiara emphasized the pageant glamour of the competition.
This blend of schoolgirl charm and Hollywood aspiration captured the essence of Teen Magazine’s style: making stars out of ordinary teens while giving readers a sense of intimacy with the glamorous world.
-
Peggy Collings Crowned – A brunette from Louisiana became the first national Miss Teen U.S.A.
-
Hollywood Dreams – The winner would appear on TV, spend a week in Hollywood, and interview for a screen test.
-
The Princesses – Four runners-up showcased regional diversity: Detroit, Iowa, New York, and Los Angeles.
-
24 Finalists – A cross-section of American teenage girls, from Hawaii to New Jersey.
-
Inclusivity – Stella Louise Reid, a student at the Kansas School for the Deaf, broke barriers by being a finalist.
-
Hawaiian Representation – Gladys Cruz marked Hawaii’s first appearance in a national teen contest after statehood.
-
Detailed Descriptions – Height, weight, measurements, and features reflected the era’s beauty standards.
-
Schoolgirl Identity – Contestants were presented with their schools and hometowns, grounding glamour in everyday life.
-
Visual Style – Yearbook-like portraits combined with a bold, full-page winner’s photo.
-
Teen Aspirations – The contest proved that ordinary girls could aspire to national recognition.
For collectors, the July 1959 issue of Teen Magazine is especially valuable.
-
Historic First – It was the debut of the Miss Teen U.S.A. contest.
-
Cultural Snapshot – The gallery of finalists offers a unique record of teenage life in 1959.
-
Celebrity Pathways – With Hollywood appearances and TV prizes, the contest bridged ordinary teens with stardom.
-
Design and Photography – The mix of portraits and glamour shots make it visually striking.
-
Scarcity – Surviving issues in good condition are prized by collectors of pageant history, teen culture, and vintage fashion.
Owning this issue means holding an artifact of American youth, beauty ideals, and cultural history at the close of the 1950s.
Teen Magazine’s Miss Teen U.S.A. contest issues endure because they are time capsules. They capture a moment when teenage girls were first elevated as cultural icons, before the feminist critiques of the 1960s and before digital media changed beauty culture forever.
For today’s readers, these magazines are more than nostalgic curiosities. They are primary sources that document how teens saw themselves — and how America saw its youth.
If you’re searching for “Teen magazine July 1959,” “vintage Teen magazines,” “1950s Teen magazines,” “collectible Teen magazines,” “Miss Teen USA 1959,” or “buy original Teen magazines,” this issue stands out as a treasure.
It offers more than glossy photos — it offers the faces, names, and dreams of American teenagers in the 1950s.
From the 1950s through the 1980s, every issue tells the story of youth, beauty, music, and aspiration. Whether you’re a collector, cultural historian, or nostalgic reader, Teen Magazine remains one of the most important artifacts of teenage life in American history.