Margareta Arvidsson (born 12 October 1947) is a Swedish actress, fashion model and beauty queen who was crowned as the 1966

Miss Universe Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a Thailand and Mexican-based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stree ...

at age 18. She represented

Vänersborg Vänersborg () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Vänersborg Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 23,882 inhabitants (out of a municipal total of 39,904) Until 1997 it was the capital of Älvsborg County, which mer ...

in the 1966 Miss Sweden Pageant. She was the second Swedish woman to win the crown, 11 years after

Hillevi Rombin Hillevi Rombin Schine (September 14, 1933 – June 19, 1996) was a Swedish actress and beauty queen who was crowned as Miss Sweden and became the fourth winner of Miss Universe in 1955. Biography She grew up in Uppsala, Uppland, and was t ...

. Arvidsson won the Miss Photogenic title at the 15th Annual Miss Universe Pageant which was held in Miami Beach, Florida, culminating with her crowning on 16 July 1966. After her crowning, she walked to greet the audience, interviewed the pageant host, and posed for pictures with the runners-up, sitting on the throne. In March 1999, Margareta Arvidsson was a guest of honor at the 50th Anniversary of the

Miss Sweden The Miss Sweden or Miss Universe Sweden (), is the title of the Swedish beauty pageant, qualifying delegates to the Miss Universe competition. In 2009 the pageant renamed as Miss Universe Sweden and the first national final was held on 6 June 200 ...

Pageant.

Post-Miss Universe career

After her crowning as Miss Universe, Arvidsson worked as a model for the

Ford Modeling Agency Ford Models, originally the Ford Modeling Agency, is an American international modeling agency based in New York City. It was established in 1946 by Eileen Ford and her husband Gerard W. Ford. History 20th century Eileen and Jerry began the b ...

and appeared on stage and in film.

Personal life

Arvidsson was married to Brazilian fashion photographer Otto Stupakoff for nine years and had two children with him. Her granddaughter and fellow model Kianna Stupakoff wrote that Arvidsson was spurned for her weight as a model in the 1970s and had told her that

Ford Models Ford Models, originally the Ford Modeling Agency, is an American international modeling agency based in New York City. It was established in 1946 by Eileen Ford and her husband Gerard W. Ford. History 20th century Eileen and Jerry began the bu ...

executive “

Eileen Ford Eileen Cecile Ford (née Otte; March 25, 1922 – July 9, 2014) was an American modeling agency executive. Along with her husband Gerard W. Ford, Gerard "Jerry" Ford, she co-founded Ford Models in 1946, which emerged as one of the earliest and m ...

called me fat as an elephant”. In the 1970s, Arvidsson was diagnosed with

Addison's disease Addison's disease, also known as primary adrenal insufficiency, is a rare long-term endocrine disorder characterized by inadequate production of the steroid hormones cortisol and aldosterone by the two outer layers of the cells of the adr ...

. Arvidsson moved to and settled in

Fairfield, Iowa Fairfield is a city in, and the county seat of, Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. It has a population of 9,416 people, according to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The median family income is $46,138, with 10% of families belo ...

prior to 2019.

Political activities

In May 2019, amid the

2020 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 3, 2020. The Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and California junior senator Kamala H ...

, Arvidsson, who had become an Iowa resident, praised Democratic candidate and

Project Angel Food Project Angel Food is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Los Angeles County which provides free meals for people too sick to shop and cook for themselves. Project Angel Food serves the majority of Los Angeles County; South Los Angeles and Metro ...

founder

Marianne Williamson Marianne Deborah Williamson (born July 8, 1952) is an American author, speaker, and political activist. She began her professional career as a spiritual leader of the Church of Today, a Unity Church in Warren, Michigan. Williamson has written s ...

as someone who could bring “consciousness” to the national debate, and similarly praised

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...

after his campaign visit in Fairfield. In August 2019, Arvidsson endorsed and volunteered for Williamson, helping drive Williamson's campaign RV around the

Hawkeye State Iowa ( ) is a state in the upper Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the east and southeast, Misso ...

. She also endorsed Williamson in her 2024 presidential bid.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Arvidsson, Margareta 1947 births Living people Miss Universe 1966 contestants Miss Universe winners Swedish beauty pageant winners People from Gothenburg