Beauty Queens Abound At ECU
This article describes the beauty queen tradition at ECU. This and other articles may be found in the University Archives.Citation for this article is: "Beauty Queens Abound At ECU," Goldsboro News-Argus, Sepemter 5, 1971.
Greenville -- With the coronation of Patsy Gail Wood as Miss North Carolina, 1971, and Cheryl Sue Johnson as this year's Rhododendron Queen, East Carolina University continues its tradition as a leader in the "beauty plus brains" category.
From Winston-Salem to Long Beach, ECU coeds consistently bring home the trophies designating winners. The following include some of the beauties who have won state and national titles.
Four Miss North Carolinas in recent years have been enrolled at East Carolina. Still active in state beauty pageant affairs, is Miss North Carolina of 1958, from Greenville the former Betty Lane Evans, now Mrs. Ted Lee Bissette of Spring Hope.
In 1969, Miss North Carolina was Elisa Annette Johnson of New Bern, an ECU student.
The 1971 Miss North Carolina, who will represent the Tar Heel state in the Miss America pageant soon forthcoming in Atlantic City, is Patsy Gail Wood, a 1969 graduate of ECU. The daughter Mr. and Mrs. John W. Wood, Rt. 2, Benson, taught primary education in Garner last year, the town she represented in the Miss N.C. pageant.
Mary Rudroff of Winston-Salem is another Miss North Carolina, 1971, and represented the state in the recent "Miss USA" contest held in Miami in May. Mary, a senior at ECU, is a commercial art major and will complete requirements for the degree during fall quarter. The "Miss USA" contest is preliminary to the "Miss Universe" competition.
ECU coeds have well represented the state in various contests representing industries of the state, especially agricultural.
Judy Brewer of Wilson, for example, who was "Miss Wilson" in the Miss N.C. pageant, is the reigning "North Carolina Apple Queen". She is currently a primary education major at ECU and was a contestant in last year's search for the National Tobacco Queen.
Bonita Sue George of Havelock is a sophomore at ECU and commuted to classes each day this past summer. She carried the title of Southeastern N.C. Tobacco Princess in the national contest in Richmond last year. Bonnie Sue, as her friends call her, is also a former North Carolina Blueberry Queen. Debbie Falls of Vale is a former N.C. Apple Queen.
Cheryl Sue Johnson, this year's Rhondodendron Queen, lives in Long Beach. She was also North Carolina's 1970 "Watermelon Queen", and represented the state's melon producers in the national contest held during Mardi Gras in New Orleans in February. Cheryl placed second in that national competition.
Mary Dannehl of Goldsboro, who led the ECU Marching Pirates as majorette last year, was for three years "Miss Majorette" of North Carolina. In 1967 she was selected "America's Most Beautiful Majorette" in national competition held at Myrtle Beach. Mary, a graduating senior, was married recently and now lives in Albemarle.
Susan Walton, an ECU graduate of 1971 with a BS degree, hails from Jacksonville. At ECU she held the titles of Homecoming Queen and Football Queen. She has also been "Miss N.C. Peach Queen", "Miss Jacksonville", "Miss Onslow County", and was second runner-up in the Miss North Carolina pageant of 1969.
Susan became Mrs. David Stephen Sledge during the summer.
"Miss National Smile Girl" in 1969 was Debby Buff, one of ECU's imports from the "Sun and Fun Capital of the World", Miami, Fla. Debby, a member of the class of '71, was also first runner-up to "Miss Greenville" in 1970 and "Miss East Carolina Classic, '69".
Carla Patrick, who won the ECU "Campus Queen" contest in 1970, comes to ECU from Hampton, Va., where she presently resides. However, she has lived all over, and held the title of "Miss Datesetter" from Utica, N.Y., the city she represented in the "Miss Teenage America" contest. Carla was also a contestant in the "Miss Texas pageant in 1969. She was a cheerleader for the Pirates last year.
Sherry Robertson of Petersburg, Va., represented ECU with her 1967 title of "Miss Cheerleader USA" and, in 1968, as Miss WNCT-TV, represented the U.S. as "Miss Waves", a title she carried to the international competition at Expo '69 in Montreal. Sherry is now a teacher in Alexandria, Va.
Martha White Walker was an ECU sophomore when she won the title of 1965 National Tobaccoland Queen. She is now a teacher in Alexandria, Va.
Martha White Walker was an ECU sophomore when she won the title of 1965 National Tobaccoland Queen. She is now Mrs. Martha W. Stevens and lives in LaCrosse, Va.
College Queens
The annual National College Queen Pageant is planned to honor America's most outstanding college girl. The finalists, one from each of the 50 states, are chosen for their scholastic ability, campus leadership, community service, personality and looks, ECU has been represented in four out of the past seven national pageants.
In 1965, Lynda Hunning, a member of the ECC class of that year, carried the colors and support of the state to the 1965 national competition. She is now Mrs. E.L. Harrington Jr., of Greenville.
Another East Carolina College Queen was the 1966 N.C. representative to the national competition, Carleen Emily Hjortsvang.
Carleen is currently living in Rochester N.Y. She is a 1969 ECU graduate with the BS degree in Home Economics.
In 1967, Mrs. Paul Thompson of Cullowhee, the former Ruth Fleming of Greenville, represented ECU and North Carolina at the pageant in New York.
