Anna Santisteban
Encyclopedia
Anna Santisteban was a Puerto Rican
businesswoman and beauty entrepreneur who presided the Miss Puerto Rico
beauty pageant. This beauty contest was in charge of selecting the Puerto Rican delegate to compete for the title of Miss Universe
, though other of its participants represented the Caribbean island in many other beauty competitions as well.
After the success of her first beauty enterprise, in 1962 Santisteban received an offer to produce the Miss Puerto Rico competition, a duty she took with serious intention. Her commitment paid off in 1970, when Marisol Malaret
, a 20-year-old executive secretary, became the very first Puerto Rican to hold the coveted title of Miss Universe.
Malaret's triumph injected Santisteban with enthusiasm, especially when Idalia (Beba) Franco arrived as third runner-up in the 1971 international competition. One year later, in 1972, Puerto Rico became the first territory to host both the Miss USA and the Miss Universe pageants. These events meant the beginning of a new era for both Santisteban and her second husband, graphic designer Edward (Eddie) Ortiz. They founded and established the Miss Puerto Rico Organization, which produced the annual competition that promptly became one of the most commented television events in the island.
Under Santisteban's close supervision, many Miss Puerto Rico titleholders became TV personalities, international models and business leaders. Some of her detractors have said that Santisteban was a very strict trainer and a very ambitious woman. She neither confirmed nor denied this fact, always focused on her duties with superb elegance and great passion to win another international crown. Santisteban's eagerness had to wait until 1985, when Deborah Carthy-Deu
won the second Miss Universe title for her country. After that second triumph, Puerto Rico scored remarkable positions in both the semifinal and final rounds of this competition.
In 1993, Dayanara Torres
became Santisteban's third and last winner for the Miss Universe Pageant. Two years later, at age 81, Santisteban was the oldest national director for the organization but was inexplicably removed from her duties, a bold move that many people interpreted as age-discriminatory.
With first husband Luis Pedreira, Santisteban had three sons, Walter, Luis and Alberto, the youngest, who died in an accident. When Ortiz, her second husband and business partner, died in 2000, she suffered a fall and was removed from her Art-Deco home in the upmarket San Juan
area known as Ocean Park, to a long-term care nursing home named Hogar Santa Teresa de Jornet.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
businesswoman and beauty entrepreneur who presided the Miss Puerto Rico
Miss Puerto Rico
Miss Puerto Rico is the common name or sash used to identify a Puerto Rican representative in an international pageant. Currently, Miss Universe Puerto Rico, Miss Mundo de Puerto Rico and Miss Earth Puerto Rico are the official national preliminaries to the Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss Earth...
beauty pageant. This beauty contest was in charge of selecting the Puerto Rican delegate to compete for the title of Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
, though other of its participants represented the Caribbean island in many other beauty competitions as well.
Career
Her finishing school and modeling academy, "Polianna", promptly became a landmark for all aspiring models in the island during the 1960s. Due to her personal approach, Santisteban was famous for calling her students "my girls", in direct reference to her training duties that surpassed the obvious and made her a mother figure for many runway and TV models at that time.After the success of her first beauty enterprise, in 1962 Santisteban received an offer to produce the Miss Puerto Rico competition, a duty she took with serious intention. Her commitment paid off in 1970, when Marisol Malaret
Marisol Malaret
Marisol Malaret Contreras was the very first Puerto Rican woman to be crowned Miss Universe.-Biography:She started to work from an early age due to the death of her father and chronic illness of her mother...
, a 20-year-old executive secretary, became the very first Puerto Rican to hold the coveted title of Miss Universe.
Malaret's triumph injected Santisteban with enthusiasm, especially when Idalia (Beba) Franco arrived as third runner-up in the 1971 international competition. One year later, in 1972, Puerto Rico became the first territory to host both the Miss USA and the Miss Universe pageants. These events meant the beginning of a new era for both Santisteban and her second husband, graphic designer Edward (Eddie) Ortiz. They founded and established the Miss Puerto Rico Organization, which produced the annual competition that promptly became one of the most commented television events in the island.
Under Santisteban's close supervision, many Miss Puerto Rico titleholders became TV personalities, international models and business leaders. Some of her detractors have said that Santisteban was a very strict trainer and a very ambitious woman. She neither confirmed nor denied this fact, always focused on her duties with superb elegance and great passion to win another international crown. Santisteban's eagerness had to wait until 1985, when Deborah Carthy-Deu
Deborah Carthy-Deu
Deborah Fátima Carthy-Deu in Santurce, Puerto Rico. She became the second Miss Universe from Puerto Rico. The contest was held at James L. Knight Center of Miami, Florida on July 15, 1985.-Early years:...
won the second Miss Universe title for her country. After that second triumph, Puerto Rico scored remarkable positions in both the semifinal and final rounds of this competition.
In 1993, Dayanara Torres
Dayanara Torres
Dayanara Torres Delgado is a Puerto Rican actress, singer, model, and former Miss Universe.Torres was discovered at age 17 while walking through the Plaza de Toa Alta in her hometown, and was invited to represent Toa Alta in the annual Miss Puerto Rico pageant. She won the pageant and the right...
became Santisteban's third and last winner for the Miss Universe Pageant. Two years later, at age 81, Santisteban was the oldest national director for the organization but was inexplicably removed from her duties, a bold move that many people interpreted as age-discriminatory.
With first husband Luis Pedreira, Santisteban had three sons, Walter, Luis and Alberto, the youngest, who died in an accident. When Ortiz, her second husband and business partner, died in 2000, she suffered a fall and was removed from her Art-Deco home in the upmarket San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
area known as Ocean Park, to a long-term care nursing home named Hogar Santa Teresa de Jornet.