Dorothy Anstett (born 28 June 1947) is a 76-year-old American beauty queen and model famously known for being the 1968 Miss USA and fourth runner-up for Miss Universe. She is also known for being the ex-wife of Bill Russell, the legendary basketball player.
Dorothy Anstett was more than just a beauty queen and an ex-wife of a celebrity. She was also an educator with a master’s degree in educational psychology. Here is all you need to know about this beauty with brains.
Dorothy Anstett’s Biography Summary
- Full name: Dorothy Catherine Anstett
- Nickname: Didi Anstett
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: 28 June 1947
- Dorothy Anstett’s Age: 76 years old
- Place of birth: Roslyn Heights, Long Island, New York, USA
- Ethnicity: Caucasian
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Cancer
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- High School: Convent of the Sacred Heart
- University: University of Washington
- Profession: Model, Beauty Queen
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status: Divorced
- Dorothy Anstett’s Ex-Husband: William Felton “Bill” Russell (m. 1977 – 1980)
- Dorothy Anstett’s Children:
- Dorothy Anstett’s Parents: Francis Duane Anstett and Agnes Anstett
- Dorothy Anstett’s Siblings: Eight
- Dorothy Anstett’s Height in Inches: 5 feet 9 inches
- Dorothy Anstett’s Height in Centimeters: 175 cm
- Dorothy Anstett’s Weight: 58 kg (127 lbs.)
- Body measurements in inches: 40-25-36
- Body measurements in centimeters: 102-64-91
- Famous for: Being former Miss USA, 1968, as well as the ex-wife of basketball legend Bill Russell
- Hair Color: Brunette
- Eye Color: Brown
How Old Is Dorothy Anstett and Where Did She Grow Up?
Dorothy Catherine Anstett is currently 76 years old. The beauty queen was born on 28 June 1947 to Francis Duane Anstett and Agnes Anstett. She was born in Roslyn Heights, Long Island, New York, United States of America.
Dorothy Anstett’s father, Francis Duane Anstett, was an aircraft plant worker while her mom was a talented singer. Dorothy comes from a Caucasian family and is the second child of her parents’ nine children.
Alongside her four brothers and four sisters, Dorothy and her parents made up their eleven-member household. In an interview with the Argus-Courier newspaper in June 1968, she said they had a sign on their front lawn that said “Population: 11.” Growing up, the family lived in a six-bedroom lakeside home in Kirkland, Washington.
Dorothy Anstett’s High School Education Was on Scholarship
Dorothy Anstett was born in Roslyn Heights, Long Island. However, when she was twelve, her parents moved to Washington. She went to the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Forest Ridge on the first full scholarship ever awarded by the school.
The school was a top private school for girls in the Seattle area. She later enrolled at the University of Washington to pursue a degree in English. Dorothy majored in English and minored in drama.
After her successful run in the beauty world, she then turned her focus on achieving her dream of becoming a full-time teacher. While in college, she tutored underprivileged students. After her bachelor’s degree, she went on to earn a master’s degree in educational psychology. She kept her love for being in front of an audience alive with the move from beauty pageants to the classroom.
Dorothy Anstett Never Planned on Being a Beauty Queen
It is interesting to know that Dorothy Anstett never planned on becoming a beauty queen. She started her journey as a model and beauty queen mainly because she needed to earn money for her college education. Recall that she had eight siblings and her parents were not well off. She tried her hands on different things to make money for herself, which finally led her to enroll herself in local pageants. Her decision eventually paid off as she began to make her wins.
She competed in the Miss Washington pageant in July 1967 and came in second place. In April of the following year, she won the Miss Washington USA 1968 title. On 19 May 1968, she won the Miss USA 1968 title and went on to represent the United States at the Miss Universe pageant in July 1968, where she placed fourth runner-up.
Dorothy Anstett’s Major Competitions
- Miss Washington 1967 (first runner-up)
- Miss Washington USA 1968 (winner)
- Miss USA 1968 (winner)
- Miss Universe 1968 (4th runner-up)
Dorothy Anstett and Bill Russell Were Acquainted Since 1970
According to the book King of the Court, Dorothy Anstett knew Bill Russell since 1970. Their first contact was over the phone when Bill called her on behalf of a friend. They later met and became good friends. With time, their friendship turned to love and it was only a matter of time before they decided to settle down together. Dorothy Anstett tied the knot with her heartthrob, Bill Russell, on 8 June 1977 in a small ceremony on Mercer Island, King County, Washington.
Bill Russell had been divorced from his first wife, Rose Swisher, for four years before tying the knot with Dorothy. However, for Dorothy, it was her first marriage and she was thirteen years younger than her husband. Bill was born in 1934 while Dorothy was born in 1947. So at the time, Bill was forty-three years old and Dorothy was twenty-nine.
She Was Bill Russell’s Wife for Just Three Years
Dorothy Anstett’s marriage to Bill Russell was surrounded by a lot of controversies. Although interracial marriages were legalized in 1967, it was still uncommon. Bill Russell was also associated with the black pride movement and was nicknamed “Felton X”. Therefore, for him, a black man getting to marry one of the most beautiful women in America at a time when racial tension was still high was sure to be met with backlash and criticism.
There was also a huge age gap between the couple. Age is indeed just a number, but it is undeniable that such marriages might face challenges. All these, coupled with other issues couples face in marriage, might have led to the breakdown of their young marriage. They were just married for three years, getting divorced in 1980. They had no kids together. However, Russell had three kids from his first marriage.
William Felton “Bill” Russell passed away on 31 July 2022 at the age of eighty-eight years old. He was married twice after his divorce from Dorothy Anstett. First to his third wife, Marilyn Nault (their union lasted until her passing) and then Jeannine Russell.
Where Is Dorothy Anstett Now?
News on Dorothy Anstett seems to have fizzled out once she got divorced from Bill Russell. She prefers to lead a quiet life away from the public eye. Her life as an educator no doubt kept her busy and as far as we know, she never remarried. 76 years old Dorothy Anstett is living out the rest of her life in Seattle, Washington State.