Macel Patricia Leilani Wilson (born May 5, 1943) is the first Asian American to win the Miss USA 1962 beauty pageant, a film editor for the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, and a visual artist.

Miss USA 1962

In 1962, she became Miss USA, becoming the first Asian American and the first titleholder outside of the contiguous United States to win that beauty pageant.^[1][2] Her title at that pageant was Miss Hawaii USA. She went on to place as a semi-finalist in the 1962 Miss Universe Pageant. Ms. Wilson later filled in at the Orange Bowl Parade in Miami, Florida when Miss Universe Norma Nolan of Argentina fell ill with the measles.^[3] She appeared on The Tonight Show on October 16, 1962.^[4]

Life in Denmark and Tunisia

In 1967, Macel Wilson moved to Copenhagen, Denmark and married Jens Henrik Packness, a civil engineer. She then began studying film at University of Copenhagen and painting in private classes. She also began work as a film editor at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation. From 1973 to 1976, she and her family lived in Tunis, Tunisia, where she continued her art studies at the Tunisian School of Fine Arts in Le Bardo. In 1977 she returned to Copenhagen. In 1978, she resumed work as a film editor with the Danish Broadcasting Corporation until leaving in 2000. She continued her art studies and had several exhibitions in Danish galleries starting in 1999.^{[5][third-party source needed]}