Dorothy Anstett: Miss USA whose love life got affected by stigma of interracial marriage
Ava Robinson
Updated on April 07, 2026
Dorothy Anstett had just one taste of marriage and decided never to try it again.
The model got married to a famous basketball star, Bill Russell, at a time when the stigma attached to interracial marriages had not fully worn off. Her marriage, sadly, paid the price.
So, here is all you need to know about the former Miss USA whose marriage to a black man spelt doom for her maritally.
Dorothy Anstett biography
Dorothy Catherine Anstett was born in Roslyn Heights, Long Island, situated in the U.S. state of New York, in 1947. At the age of 12, her parents relocated to Washington, the U.S. capital.
Anstett was raised in a large family of nine children. Her father worked at an aircraft plant, and she grew up in a six-bedroom lakeside home along with her siblings. Only one sibling lived separately from the family at that time.
For her high school education, Anstett attended Convent of the Sacred Heart in Forest Ridge on scholarship. The scholarship was the first fully-funded scholarship from her school at the time. It was one of the prestigious all-girls schools in Seattle.
For her college education, she majored in English and minored in Drama at the University of Washington.
It was while in school that she ventured into the world of beauty pageantry. Anstett attributed her success as Miss USA to the circumstances of being part of such a sizable family.
In an interview during the 1960s, she mentioned that her motivation for entering pageantry was to earn funds to pay her college fees. She believed that her victory in the pageant was influenced by her upbringing and the drive instilled within her.
After her college education, the beauty queen furthered her education by obtaining a master’s degree in Educational Psychology.
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Dorothy Anstett career
Even though Anstett emerged as the winner of the 17th Miss USA pageant, she is one beauty queen who never planned on becoming a beauty queen. Her journey as a model started as a result of her needing funds for her college education.
Since her parents were not wealthy and she needed financial assistance, she enrolled in local pageantry and that was her first step to fame.
In 1967, a year before her remarkable victory, Anstett participated in the Miss Washington pageant. Although she finished in the second position, her determination remained steadfast.
The pinnacle of Anstett’s career came in 1968 when she claimed the coveted crown of Miss USA.
Anstett is known for her striking physical attributes and got regularly hailed as the most voluptuous contestant in the pageant. Standing tall at 5’9″ with measurements of 30-25-36, she carries herself with grace and confidence.
Interestingly, Anstett admitted that during her eighth-grade year, she saw herself as a mere “string bean,” highlighting her journey of self-perception.
Even amidst the excitement of her pageant victories, Anstett remained dedicated to her education. At the time of her win, she was still enrolled in college and actively engaged in tutoring underprivileged students, showcasing her commitment to academic pursuits and helping others.
Dorothy Anstett’s net worth
Asides from winning the Miss USA 1968 title, Anstett has been in the background, with little insight into her life gotten by the public.
Hence, there is limited information concerning her current net worth.
Dorothy Anstett family
Anstett’s parents are Francis Duane Anstett (father) and Agnes Anstett (mother). The model comes from a Caucasian family. Anstett is the second of nine children.
She has four brothers and four sisters plus her parents, making them a family of 11. While speaking to the Argus-Courier newspaper in June 1968, Anstett revealed that on the front lawn of her parents’ house, they had a sign that read: “population: 11.”
Anstett lived with her family in a six-bedroom lakeside house in Kirkland, Washington, in the United States.
Dorothy Anstett and Bill Russell
Dorothy Anstett and Bill Russell were married, but their marriage did not last long.
Anstett’s first and only husband is Bill Russell, who is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
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He was born on February 12, 1934, in Monroe, Louisiana. Russell played the centre position and had an illustrious career primarily with the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969.
During his playing years, Russell achieved remarkable success, winning a total of 11 NBA championships, the most in NBA history for a single player. His championships came in the span of just 13 seasons, with the Boston Celtics dominating the league during that time.
Russell was known for his exceptional defensive skills, shot-blocking ability, and rebounding prowess. He was a key figure in the Celtics dynasty of the 1960s.
Beyond his basketball career, Anstett’s ex-husband also made a significant impact on the civil rights movement in the United States. He was an influential figure in promoting racial equality in sports and society as a whole. Russell became one of the first African American players to achieve superstar status in the NBA, paving the way for future generations of black athletes.
After retiring as a player, Russell served as a coach and later worked in broadcasting. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player (in 1975) and as a coach (in 2021). Russell’s contributions to the game, both on and off the court, have left an indelible mark on the sport of basketball.
According to the book, King of the Court, Anstett and Russell met years before they tied the knot in the 1970s. The NBA star was formerly married to Rose Swisher and had three children between 1956 to 1973. Hence, it is often said that it was in the same decade that Russell divorced Swisher that he met and married Anstett.
Russell was the first to reach out to Anstett when he called her on behalf of a friend. That phone call was their first contact and from there, they became good friends.
Over the years, they grew closer as friends and soon started dating. Anstett and Russell tied the knot on June 8, 1977, four years after he divorced his first wife. Their marriage ceremony was a small one and it was held on the same Island the NBA star would later die in 2022. It took place at Mercer Island, King County, Washington.
While Anstett was Russell’s second wife, this was the first time that the pageant queen said the words, ‘I do.’ Another unique thing about their marriage was the fact that Anstett was 13 years younger than her husband.
While Russell was born in 1934, the model was born in 1947. Hence, Anstett was 30 years old when she got married to Russell, who was 43 years old.
Even though the couple loved each other, Anstett and Russell’s marriage was plagued by the fact that it was an interracial one.
Although interracial marriage was legalised in 1967 following the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case of Loving v. Virginia, the judgment came a decade after they got married.
Also, their racial complexion differences led to several issues. Russell was nicknamed Felton X in the 1960s following his association with the Black pride movement. Secondly, a man with such a strong racial stance then getting married to one of the most beautiful women in America at a time when that part of the world is still trying to accept the idealogy of interracial marriage, there was bound to be a lot of criticism about their union.
The large age gap and the fact that their marriage was a controversial one that the public had yet to fully accept, coupled with other issues young couples face in marriage, meant that the couple’s marriage was headed downhill.
After three years of being a couple, Anstett and Russell divorced in 1980. They both went their separate ways and did not have to bother about child custody because they did not have kids together.
Dorothy Anstett age
Anstett was born on June 28, 1947. She is currently 75 years old and will be 76 years old in 2023.
Dorothy Anstett now
After her divorce from Russell, Dorothy Anstett chose to live a private life away from the lights and camera.
While Russell got married twice after his divorce from the model, Anstett did not remarry. She has lived a quiet life away from the eyes of the public. According to reports online, Anstett is currently residing in Seattle, Washington.
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