Previous Miss University Titleholders
1950 Katherine Wright
1951 Jackie Walker
1952 Mertice Jeter
1953 Dora Lee Livingston
1954 Suzanne Dugger
1955 Linda Martin
1956 Sandra Webb
1957 Anne Fletcher
1958 Margie Wilson
1959 Lynda Meade**
1960 Patty Povall
1961 Annice Raye Jernigan*
1962 Catherine Parsons
1963 Mary Lou Pace
1964 Particia Alice Puckett
1965 Barbara Fitch Straub
1966 Betty Carlisle
1967 Martha Tate Stokely
1968 Nancy Carole Land
1969 Cynthia Gay Vincent
1970 Marilyn Hemphill
1971 Jeani Duckett
1972 Barbara Butler
1973 Tori Petty
1974 Donna Hilde
1975 Becky Moore
1976 Nancy White
1977 Mary Donnelly*
1978 Pam Hague
1979 Cheryl Stewart
1980 Wendy Shumake
1981 Becky Bush
1982 Daphne Park
1983 Kathy Johnson
1984 Kathy Manning*
1985 Susan Akin**
1986 Ladye Love Long
1987 Patricia Keith
1988 Dana Dalton
1989 Sherry Bowles
1990 Missy Hurdle
1991 Misty Hammack
1992 Lenena Holder
1993 Candy Carlisle
1994 Arleen McDonald
1995 Kelli Lewis
1996 Karen Smith
1997 Carissa Wells
1998 Audrey Dorroh
1999 Mysti Futral
2000 Megan Flowers
2001 Misty Rea
2002 Jessica Hill
2003 Jennifer Jernigan
2004 April Lancaster
2005 Jennifer Jernigan
2006 Tara Tutor
2007 Amanda Harmon
2008 Mary Brandon Norman
2009 Brooke Beard
2010 Adrian Turner
2011 Katherine Barkett
2012 Kayla Snow
2013 Caroline Conerly
2014 Anna Beth Higginbotham
2015 France Beard
2016 Carol Coker
2017 Leah Gibson
2018 Charley Ann Nix
2019 Blair Wortsmith
The pageant, a preliminary to the Miss Mississippi and Miss America pageants, began at the University in 1950 with the selection of Katherine Wright of Oxford as the first Miss University. The University of Mississippi has had five girls claim the title of Miss Mississippi as representative of the University. Lynda Mead (1959), Annice Raye Jernigan (1961), Mary Donnelly (1977), Kathy Manning (1984), and Susan Akin (1985) all claimed the title of Miss Mississippi as Miss University. Lynda Lee Mead and Susan Akin went on to win the crown of Miss America as they represented Mississippi in Atlantic City. The University is proud of its history in the Miss Mississippi and Miss America pageant system.