Dinah Willis

Playboy’s editorial offices in Chicago is often bombarded with letters that include snapshots of Playmate hopefuls who want nothing more than to pose for Playboy magazine. However, that’s not how we came across our all-natural Miss December 1965—not even close. Dinah Willis is the breadwinner in her family and as such, she wasn’t going to go through the typical Playmate channel—she wanted to get our attention and get it she did. Sending in photos of herself wearing lingerie to our Dear Playboy column in September 1965, Dinah made sure to attach a seductive note so we and Playboy readers wouldn’t ignore her plea to be our Playmate of the Month. “Is there any chance of a small-town girl who doesn't know any important professional photographers . . . becoming a Playmate?” wrote the Hobbs, New Mexico native. We are only mere mortals after all, so suffice to say, she accomplished her goal. “I was born in Texas but grew up in Ruidoso and Eunice, New Mexico. With my father dead and my older brother, Keith, in the Army, I'm the only breadwinner in the family,” says the professional poodle breeder and clipper. “Of course, my Playmate money will take care of any emergency, so all I have to do is earn enough to make ends meet for the next year or so. I'd like to travel a little before I settle down, anyway. There's not much for a young girl to do in my hometown except get married, have babies and watch television—and I hate television!” Before we handed a Playmate paycheck over to Dinah, we had to know more about the blue-eyed blonde who loves to skin dive, hunt and fish so we sent her a plane ticket to Chicago. “To tell the truth, I'd never even been north of New Mexico,” says the tall beauty as she enters the Playboy Mansion and introduces herself to the Bunnies. “But, everybody was so wonderful and took so much time to show me around town, that I felt right at home. Just having the chance to come to a big city like Chicago and meet such a great group of kids made the whole trip worthwhile, to say nothing of all that money I received for my Playmate photos.” Bunking with the Bunnies in the Bunny Dorm and feeling glamourous on the Playboy set were all well and good, but for Dinah, there’s no place like home. “I promised myself I wouldn’t be silly and bawl like a baby,” she says after making a call to her family back home. “I only called to say hello and tell them what a good time I was having. Aren’t women simply wacky?” New Mexico is lucky to have Dinah Willis.