Pageant History

In 1981, OCU Vocal Performance Major, Susan Powell, won the title of Miss America. She was the second OCU student to win Miss America, and the 11th OCU student to win Miss Oklahoma. Susan had a desire for OCU to have its own pageant and recruited her friend and pageant production veteran, Kathy McCracken, to meet with OCU officials. A plan was designed and the first Miss OCU Pageant, under the direction of Kathy McCracken was held in January 1982. McCracken continued to produce the pageant until 1992, when Darwina Marshall was named Executive Director and McCracken was appointed by the Board to be the pageant's first Chief Executive Officer.

Oklahoma City University's partnership plays an integral part of the success of the Miss OCU Pageant. In its first year, Oklahoma City University awarded $40,000 in scholarship to Miss OCU and the top four finalists. This year, Oklahoma City University will award a record $40,000+ in scholarships to Miss OCU and the top four finalists.

Former Miss OCU Pageant board member, James Beames, established a scholarship in honor of Jimmye Ruth Beames to be awarded to the Miss OCU pageant contestant receiving the highest talent score. 2002 marks the third year for this scholarship to be awarded.

From a pageant board of three, today the Miss OCU Board averages 20 members annually. Since its inception, all expenses to produce the pageant and to prepare Miss OCU for the Miss Oklahoma competition are covered by fund-raising efforts of the Miss OCU Board of Directors.

In 1995, the pageant board moved to the next level by producing the first Miss OCU Teen pageant, open Nationwide to teen girls in high school aged 14-18. The Teen Pageant's enormous success inspired the board to continue the program, now in its seventh year.

Miss OCU Entry Packet - please complete ALL information in the packet. The file has been set-up so that you can type your responses in and then print the completed document.

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