CAMPUS PAGEANTS
Pageants were one of the few extra-curricular opportunities available for female university students that presented them in a position of leadership and made them a representative of their school. Campus beauty pageants became an acceptable activity for female students to participate in as it promoted their identity as an active part of the student body, while also ensuring that their femininity was maintained and accentuated.
1968 Miss Canadian University Pageant
WLU Archives
Furthermore, pageants provided women with an opportunity to present their beliefs and ideas on political or social justice issues to their fellow students through both formal pageant interviews and more informal discussions with student or community newspapers. Although media reports most often focused on elements of the pageant relating to beauty, they nonetheless allowed women an opportunity to present their capacity for intellectual achievement.
1969 Miss Canadian University contestants stepping off the plane.
WLU Archives