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Nearly 70 years ago, a beauty queen lost her Miss USA crown after pageant officials learned she was married and had children. In August, Justus Kelley broke that barrier, becoming the first married woman and mother to win the title during the pageant's 75th edition.
Kelley, 31, is a foster mother who founded the nonprofit Foster Footprints to support children and families involved in foster care.
The historic victory came three years after the Miss USA pageant changed its rules to allow married women and mothers to compete.
Kelley is scheduled to compete in the 75th Miss Universe pageant, which is set to take place Nov. 24 in Puerto Rico.
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Kelley paid tribute to Gage by wearing a custom black-and-white coat featuring the former beauty queen's image as she traveled to Puerto Rico for the competition.
"Having the opportunity to represent the United States on the Miss Universe stage, I couldn't help but think about Mary Leona Gage and the circumstances under which she represented this organization," Kelley, 31, told People magazine.
"She was a woman who, in many ways, wasn't allowed to be fully herself or embrace all that she was. Her title was ultimately taken away because society wasn't ready to accept who she was as a wife and mother of two."
On Aug. 27, the Miss USA Organization held the 75th edition of the national pageant in Miami. Kelley, who held the title of Miss Virginia USA 2026, succeeded 2025 winner Audrey Eckert. The pageant began allowing married women and mothers to compete in 2023.
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In 1957, Gage represented Maryland in the Miss USA pageant and won the title, according to People.
Shortly after Gage's win, rumors circulated about her marital status and children. Gage initially denied the reports. However, it was later revealed that she had married at 14 and given birth to her first child soon afterward. She had her second child at 16, The Baltimore Sun reported.
Gage also misrepresented her age, telling pageant officials she was 21 when she was actually 18.
Following an official investigation, Gage was disqualified and stripped of her Miss USA crown. Runner-up Charlotte Sheffield, who represented Utah, assumed the crown and received the prizes.
Gage, who lost the crown about 24 hours after her win, said she received hate mail following her disqualification.
Gage had already competed in the Miss Universe preliminary round and secured a spot among the 15 semifinalists before she was disqualified. Although Sheffield inherited the Miss USA crown, she could not replace Gage in the international competition because preliminary judging had already concluded.
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According to The Baltimore Sun, Gage later worked as a performer at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas and reportedly dated Frank Sinatra and former Mr. Universe Mickey Hargitay. She also pursued a film career but never achieved widespread success.
Despite losing her crown, Gage continued watching the Miss USA pageant every year. She died in 2010 at age 71.
Kelley told People that Gage has been on her mind as she prepares for the Miss Universe competition.
"I think about how much has changed since then, and how grateful I am that today's American women have the opportunity to represent their country while embracing every part of who they are," Kelley said.
"I hope this moment serves as a reminder that we stand on the shoulders of women who dared to challenge what was expected of them, so that we could have the freedom to be exactly who we are today."
The Miss USA pageant began in 1952 in Long Beach, California, with New York's Jackie Loughery becoming its first winner. The competition is separate from the Miss America pageant, which traces its history to a 1921 event in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
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In an earlier interview with Fox News Digital, Kelley expressed a similar message about motherhood and ambition.
She said she hoped to use her reign as Miss USA to challenge the idea that women must choose between their families, careers and personal dreams.
"You don't have to choose one part of who you are," Kelley said. "You can be all of who you are. That, to me, is the message. We can embrace every part of who we are. It doesn't take away from the other. It doesn't mean there aren't trade-offs, and there aren't times when we have to lean on our village more heavily to get through all the things that we may be pursuing. But know that we don't have to sacrifice ourselves."
Kelley said her victory gave her an opportunity to represent mothers and wives who balance family life with their own ambitions.
"Knowing that history was made as the first mom, as the first wife, as the first woman in her 30s, my first thought was how amazing it is to get to do this and to represent women from all over the country, from all over the world that resonate with, 'Hey, we're still dreaming,'" she said.
"We're raising our families, but we still have dreams. We still have things that we want to go after and pursue. But what an honor. I get to do this. I get to represent these women. What an honor."
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