Winston-Salem State University

Legacy of queens. Collective of purpose.

The Miss WSSU Collective celebrates the shared history, sisterhood, and continued legacy of the women who have served as Miss Winston-Salem State University.

The Crown Through the Years

One legacy. Three titles. More than nine decades of queens.

The Miss WSSU tradition began in 1934 with Hazel Bingham, the first documented Miss Winston-Salem Teachers College. As the institution grew and its name evolved, so did the title carried by its queen—while the legacy of leadership, service, grace, and representation continued from one generation to the next.

  1. 1934

    Miss Winston-Salem Teachers College

    Hazel Bingham

    The first documented queen and the beginning of a crown tradition that has endured for more than 90 years.

  2. 1963

    Miss Winston-Salem State College

    Pauline Matthews

    As the institution became Winston-Salem State College, the crown entered a new chapter—continuing a legacy already nearly three decades strong.

  3. 1969–Present

    Miss Winston-Salem State University

    Glenda Jo Cardwell — 1969–70

    With university status came the title known today. Glenda Jo Cardwell carried the crown during WSSU's first academic year as Winston-Salem State University, beginning the modern chapter of a legacy continued by generations of queens.

The name has changed. The crown has evolved. The legacy continues.

Alumnae queens in Miss WSSU letterman jackets lined up at Homecoming

Our Story

Since the first Miss Winston-Salem State University was crowned, each queen has had the privilege of carrying forward a tradition rooted in leadership, scholarship, service, and love for WSSU.

The Miss WSSU Collective was created in gratitude for that legacy — to honor the women who came before us, strengthen the connections between queens across generations, and preserve the stories and contributions that have helped shape our university.

Reunion 2026 is a meaningful opportunity for us to come together once again. Across three days of coronation, service, fellowship, and game-day pride, we look forward to celebrating our shared history, supporting the queens of today, and continuing to pour into the legacy entrusted to us.