{{short description|Puerto Rican pageant title-holder (1949–2023)}} {{family name hatnote|Malaret|Contreras|lang=Hispanic American}} {{Infobox pageant titleholder | name = Marisol Malaret | photo = Marisol Malaret in Oval Office (cropped) 2.jpg | caption = Malaret in 1970 visiting President Nixon in the Oval Office | title = Miss Puerto Rico 1970 <br />Miss Universe 1970 | competitions = Miss Puerto Rico 1970<br />(Winner)<br />Miss Universe 1970<br />(Winner) | birth_name = Marisol Malaret Contreras | birth_date = {{birth date|1949|10|13}} | birth_place = Utuado, Puerto Rico | death_date = {{death date and age|2023|3|19|1949|10|13}} | death_place = San Juan, Puerto Rico | height = 5 ft 8 in | eye_color = Blue | hair_color = Red | spouse = Butch James (divorced)<br />Corky Stroman (divorced)<br />Frank Cué | children = 1 }} '''Marisol Malaret Contreras''' (October 13, 1949 – March 19, 2023) was a Puerto Rican TV host, model and beauty queen who won the title of Miss Universe 1970, becoming the first Miss Puerto Rico to win the title. She was also the first Caribbean woman to be crowned Miss Universe.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.elvocero.com/escenario/marisol-malaret-tambi-n-pide-la-renuncia-de-ricardo-rossell/article_cea4bbd4-a8a9-11e9-a6ea-ab60ddc039d7.html|title=Marisol Malaret también pide la renuncia de Ricardo Rosselló|last=VOCERO|first=Redacción, EL|website=El Vocero de Puerto Rico|date=17 July 2019 |language=es|access-date=2020-04-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://activopr.com/enterate/2019/07/17/marisol-malaret-envia-contundente-mensaje-a-rossello.html|title=Marisol Malaret envía contundente mensaje a Rosselló|last=Venes|first=Pablo|website=Activo Puerto Rico|language=en|access-date=2020-04-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.primerahora.com/noticias/puerto-rico/notas/marisol-malaret-se-despide-de-su-amigo-rafael/|title=Marisol Malaret se despide de su amigo Rafael|website=Primera Hora|date=2 May 2019 |access-date=2020-04-29}}</ref>
==Biography== Malaret was born in Utuado, Puerto Rico on October 13, 1949.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.helloforos.com/t/recordando-a-marisol-malaret/425120|title=👑Recordando a Marisol Malaret|date=2018-07-06|website=Hello Foros - La Comunidad en Español más Popular de los Latinos|language=es|access-date=2020-04-29}}</ref> She started to work from an early age due to the death of her father and chronic illness of her mother. She was reportedly persuaded by Puerto Rican make-up artist Carmen Andino to compete in the Miss Puerto Rico pageant, then owned by Puerto Rican modeling guru and businesswoman Anna Santisteban. Malaret's strong will, ethics, and beauty made her a crowd favorite in the local contest.{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}} Before winning, she worked as an executive secretary for the Puerto Rico Telephone Company.
Malaret had one brother Jesús, and five half-siblings Joseph, Alicia, Rita, Antonio, and Raul. Her parents were Lydia Contreras and José Antonio Malaret. She was married three times; to former male model Butch James, musician Corky Stroman, with whom she had her only child Sasha,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.elnuevodia.com/entretenimiento/farandula/nota/marisolmalaretahoraeslaabuelasol-2424952/|title=Marisol Malaret ahora es la "Abuela Sol"|date=2018-05-29|website=El Nuevo Dia|language=es-pr|access-date=2020-04-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.elvocero.com/uncategorized/marisol-se-despide-con-estrella/article_2bcb5eb9-157b-5b89-8688-7b65c82b7d43.html|title=Marisol se despide con estrella|last=VOCERO|first=Por Yomaris Rodríguez, EL|website=El Vocero de Puerto Rico|date=16 March 2017 |language=es|access-date=2020-04-29}}</ref> and Cuban-born engineer Frank Cué.
Malaret died from complications of a pulmonary condition<ref>{{cite news |last1=Williams |first1=Alex |title=Marisol Malaret, First Puerto Rican Miss Universe, Dies at 73 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/23/us/marisol-malaret-dead.html? |access-date=24 March 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=23 March 2023}}</ref> on March 19, 2023, at age 73.<ref>{{cite news |title=Fallece Marisol Malaret, la primera boricua en ganar Miss Universe |url=https://www.telemundopr.com/noticias/puerto-rico/fallece-marisol-malaret-la-primera-boricua-en-ganar-miss-universe/2463217/ |access-date=19 March 2023 |publisher=Telemundo PR |date=19 March 2023}}</ref>
==Miss Universe 1970== The auburn-haired, blue-green-eyed<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ca.style.yahoo.com/miss-universe-looked-were-born-224500356.html|title=What Miss Universe Looked Like the Year You Were Born|website=ca.style.yahoo.com|date=16 November 2018 |language=en-CA|access-date=2020-04-29}}</ref> Malaret won the title on July 11, 1970, at the Miami Beach Auditorium in Miami Beach, Florida.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://press.missuniverse.com/listanevent.php?events=85§ion=archives|title=Miss Universe Organization Press Site|website=press.missuniverse.com|access-date=2020-04-29|archive-date=2020-01-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200108172755/http://www.press.missuniverse.com/listanevent.php?events=85§ion=archives|url-status=dead}}</ref> Her victory also made her the first Puerto Rican and the first Caribbean to win the Miss Universe title. Additionally, she obtained Puerto Rico's first ever placement at Miss Universe since its inception in 1952 and was the first Puerto Rican woman to win a major international pageant.
After her win in the Miss Universe pageant, she was honored with what was considered until then one of the biggest welcomings ever at San Juan's Isla Verde International Airport. ''The New York Times'' reported that "50,000 turned out in San Juan to honor a Queen."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/07/22/archives/50000-turn-out-in-san-juan-to-honor-a-queen.html|title=50,000 Turn Out in San Juan to Honor a Queen|date=1970-07-22|work=The New York Times|access-date=2020-04-29|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
She was also invited to the White House for a visit in the Oval Office with then-President Richard Nixon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sanjuandailystar.com/post/first-pr-miss-universe-marisol-malaret-dies-at-73|title=First PR Miss Universe Marisol Malaret dies at 73|website=www.sanjuandailystar.com/|access-date=2023-03-22|archive-date=2023-03-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322211320/https://www.sanjuandailystar.com/post/first-pr-miss-universe-marisol-malaret-dies-at-73|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:Richard Nixon meeting Marisol Malaret.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Malaret meeting the President of the United States, Richard Nixon, in the Oval Office in 1970]]
Malaret's face graced the covers of many international and Puerto Rican entertainment and gossip magazines, such as Vea, Teve Guía, Artistas, Estrellas, and its smaller version Estrellitas. She participated in many advertising campaigns, and performed occasionally as a motivational speaker to young women and aspiring business leaders.
==See also== {{Portal|Puerto Rico}} *List of Puerto Ricans *French immigration to Puerto Rico *List of television presenters *History of women in Puerto Rico
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|id=1069745|name=Marisol Malaret}} {{in lang|en}}
{{S-start}} {{S-ach}} {{S-bef|before={{flagicon|Philippines}} Gloria Diaz}} {{s-ttl|title=Miss Universe |years=1970}} {{s-aft|after={{flagicon|Lebanon}} Georgina Rizk}} {{S-bef|before=border|24px|San Juan Aida Betancourt}} {{s-ttl|title=Miss Puerto Rico |years=1970}} {{s-aft|after=24px|border Beba Franco}} {{S-end}}
{{Miss Universe titleholders}} {{Miss Universe 1970 delegates}} {{Miss Puerto Rico winners in the Grand Slam pageants}} {{Big Four Pageants titleholders |Year = 1970 |Miss World={{flagicon|Grenada}} Jennifer Hosten |Miss Universe={{flagicon|Puerto Rico}} '''Marisol Malaret''' |Miss International={{flagicon|PHI|1970}} Aurora Pijuan }} {{Miss Universe Organization titleholders |Year = 1970 |Miss Universe= {{flagicon|Puerto Rico}} '''Marisol Malaret''' |Miss USA= {{flagicon|Virginia}} Deborah Shelton }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Malaret, Marisol}} Category:1949 births Category:2023 deaths Category:Miss Puerto Rico winners Category:Miss Universe 1970 contestants Category:Miss Universe winners Category:People from Utuado, Puerto Rico Category:Puerto Rican beauty pageant winners Category:Puerto Rican female models Category:Puerto Rican people of French descent