Bill Russell’s second wife was a former Miss USA, named Dorothy Anstett. The NBA star tied the knot with Anstett four years after his separation from his first wife, Rose Swisher.
Dorothy Catherine Anstett, born on June 28, 1947, was the daughter of an aircraft plant worker and one of nine siblings. She attended the University of Washington, majoring in English. However, her fame came from her beauty queen and pageant titleholder status.
In 1967, Anstett participated in the Miss Washington pageant, earning second place. She won the title of Miss Washington USA 1968 and went on to win Miss USA 1968 later that year, representing the USA in Miss Universe 1968 in July, where she was placed fourth runner-up.
In an interview from the 1960s, Dorothy Anstett attributed her beauty pageant success to her initial goal of earning money to pay for her college education. Anstett explained that all of her siblings were employed, so she decided to participate in a local beauty pageant as a way to fund her enrollment at the University of Washington.
As fate would have it, Anstett quickly became a rising star in the pageant world. Despite pursuing an English degree with the aim of becoming a full-time teacher, she ultimately found her niche in the world of beauty pageantry.
In 1977, she married Bill Russell but unfortunately separated from him in 1980.
Bill Russell’s wives – Rose Swisher, Dorothy Anstett, Marilyn Nault and Jeannine
Bill Russell, a former basketball player, had three children with his first wife and college sweetheart, Rose Swisher, whom he married in 1956. However, they divorced in 1973. Subsequently, Russell tied the knot with Dorothy Anstett, a former Miss USA pageant winner in 1968, but their marriage only lasted three years and ended in divorce in 1980. Later, in 1996, Russell exchanged wedding vows with Marilyn Nault, and they remained together until her death in 2009. Before his death, Russell was married to Jeannine, his most recent wife.
