Miss Southern 1953-54
When coming to college, students are often given sets of rules and regulations they are expected to abide by for the upcoming year on campus. These include general guidelines about who is allowed in dormitories, the restriction of substances on campus, and the hours of operation for certain Southern Miss buildings. Seventy years ago, when The University of Southern Mississippi was known as Mississippi Southern College, the Women's Student Government Association (WSGA) sponsored a handbook to guide new collegiate women on campus involvement, rules, policies, etiquette, academic awards, and social life.
WSGA's main purpose was to "unify the women students in a representative form of self-government…and to foster friendship among the women of the University" (Constitution of the Association of Women Students). Although women's handbooks had been previously printed, the production of Miss Southern did not begin until 1952. Before this, the women's guides contained less of a variety of student involvement information and solely consisted of rules, regulations, and information about sororities. Lena Gough, Dean of Women, and Evelyn Montgomery, WSGA President, began planning the publication of Miss Southern in May of 1952, and the first edition was created the following fall semester.
This 1953-54 handbook starts by featuring inspiring introductory letters from the R. C. Cook, the University's president, and the Dean of Women, Lena Gough. The main goals in their writings were to calm nerves, make sure students knew faculty were there to help with their transition, and get students excited about their future life on campus. Cook hoped that students would increase their "development in leadership, personality, and other traits so necessary in the life of the young college woman." The handbook then provides brief descriptions of faculty members and WSGA officers.
WSGA was created and considered necessary because there were "so many problems that apply only to women students and that would only cause embarrassment if men students knew about them" (Investigating Committee's Report on the Women's Student Government Association). This is followed by sets of rules, many of which were only applicable to women students, creating inequality and sexism between genders. Mississippi Southern was very strict on what women could and could not wear, when they were allowed to leave their dorms, how tidy their room was kept, and who they could hang out with.
Women could only wear "bathing suits, shorts, pedal pushers, jeans or slacks" when participating in active sports. These articles of clothing could not be worn in administration buildings, libraries, lounges, or any other public buildings, and women who wore these things had to use side doors to enter their dormitories. Women were required to sign in and out of dorms, had to be in their room by curfew for room checks, and it was mandatory to ask permission from their hostess and parents before leaving campus. Special privileges were then listed depending on your year and academic performance, allowing some people more free date nights.
Miss Southern provides insight into the obstacles and expectations of collegiate women during the 1950s. Although there was some mention of the requirements of men's appearance and behaviors, there was never an in-depth handbook micromanaging every aspect of their lives.
The latter half of the handbook highlights different women's award winners, honors clubs, and sororities. Each group or organization had its own page to give a brief description of their purpose and leadership roles. The final page of the handbook is a calendar of events for the following school year, including holidays, dances, and campus performances.
For additional information on the Miss Southern handbooks, contact Jennifer Brannock at .
This item of the month was written by Josianna Johnson, a sophomore majoring in health sciences.
**Items of the Month featured in 2024-2026 will be the work of Southern Miss students who took HON 303, a seminar held in Fall 2024 focusing on archives and special collections.