Texan Wins the Miss Universe Pageant in Namibia

Miss USA, a 21-year-old college student whose national costume honored the right of women to vote in her home country, was chosen Miss Universe 1995 early today.

Chelsi Smith, of Deer Park, Tex., won over 81 other contestants in the first Miss Universe pageant held in Africa. It was broadcast to more than 600 million viewers worldwide.

Smith put her hands to her face and began crying when her victory was announced. First runner-up was Miss India, 21-year-old Manpreet Brar of New Delhi, and Miss Canada, 20-year-old Lana Buchburger of Calgary, Alberta, was second runner-up.

Smith chose a 75-year-old ankle-length, silk-trimmed cotton lace dress as her national costume to commemorate the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gave women the right to vote, passed in 1920.

She is the sixth United States winner in the 44 years of the Miss Universe pageant and the first since Shawn Weatherly in 1980.

Smith received cash and prizes worth $220,000, including ownership of an African elephant to be named after her.

The pageant was an elaborate two-hour program featuring African imagery that included a concrete elephant, giraffes and a waterfall on stage with flashy dance numbers.

Namibian officials hoped it would bring global recognition and tourism worth much more than the millions of dollars it cost the cash-strapped nation to host the event.

Miss Universe Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Madison Square Garden, a Paramount Communications company, produces the Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants.