Galvan was born and raised in Port Lavaca, Texas, by parents David Bruce Smith and Belle Dunlap-Smith, and grandmother Adela Dunlap.
[5] Galvan graduated from Calhoun High School in 1969[2] and was a former student at Victoria College[6] and a junior in elementary education at the University of Texas at Austin when she decided to participate in Miss World USA.
[7] As the official representative of her country to the Miss World 1971 pageant, held in London, she was a bookies' favorite[8] and became one of the top seven finalists, placing sixth overall.
[12] In January 1975, Galvan was briefly signed by Wilhelmina Models, but New York City's jet set lifestyle proved to be overwhelming for her small-town upbringing, and she returned to Austin one month later.
[2] In 1980, Galvan married husband David[2] with whom she has six children, and moved to Helotes, Texas,[13] near the Hill Country in San Antonio's metropolitan area to focus on raising her family.