The Dixie Darlings celebrated their 50th Anniversary in 2004, at Southern Miss' Homecoming. 25 of the original 32 members of the 1954 Dixie Darlings squad marched on the field during the halftime show.

The World-Famous Dixie Darlings, created in the early 1950’s under Southern Miss' fourth president, Dr. Robert Cecil Cook, have represented the spirit and tradition of Southern Miss, since their inception.

In 1954, university band director Dr. Raymond Mannoni [founder] wanted to start a drill team of young women to perform with the Southern Miss band. He wanted a group patterned after the Kilgore [Texas Community College] Rangerettes.

Mannoni had seen the Rangerettes perform at the Senior Bowl game in Mobile in January, 1954 and contacted one of its members, Joyce Scimeca [now Joyce Scimeca McHenry], in June of that year and asked her to come to Southern Miss [then known as Mississippi Southern College] to audition. He then introduced Scimeca to MSC president Dr. Robert C. Cook, who offered her a full scholarship after their meeting, and the dance team was established.

"The girls were chosen by Dr. Mannoni partly from their performances in high school [as dancers or cheerleaders]," said McHenry, a Covington, La., resident who was instrumental in helping Mannoni begin the program and choreograph dance routines. "When we began, there were 16 regular [dancers] and two alternates. By year's end, that number had doubled."

After the first week of practice and being called the "Dixie Maids", Mannoni decided he did not like that particular title, so he called everyone together to make a decision. After several suggestions, he narrowed it down to two names: the "Dixie Dancers" or the "Dixie Darlings." "Barbara Rhodes and I wanted the name to be 'Dixie Darlings,'" Scimeca said. "I don't remember if he allowed us to vote on one of the two names or if he decided himself, but 'Dixie Darlings' was chosen and we were ready to perform for the first time at the MSC-Alabama game at Montgomery in September 1954."

The original Dixie Darling costume was a black velvet top and shorts. The top had a gold braid over a scooped neckline, and the shorts had a gold tassel on each side. The dancers wore white boots with black fringe, and donned white gloves. The media often referred them as the "World-Famous Dixie Darlings."

Powell said the demanding practice schedule for the Dixie Darlings was due to Mannoni's desire to have a top-notch halftime performance. "He was a real perfectionist," said Powell, who was a cheerleader in high school and had received dance lessons. And just because a Dixie Darling had performed at one game or event was no guarantee they would be in the starting lineup the next time, Powell said, evidence of Mannoni's desire for quality performances. "We had to try out before each game," Powell said, "because there was always at least a couple of alternates or more [to compete against], so you would have to worry about that."

The original Dixie Darlings comprised Ann Bond Beasley of Greenville; Ann Briggs McCormick [deceased]; Carolyn Cochran McGinnis of Houston, Texas; Kay Crenshaw McCrary of Laurel; Joyce Dawson Trenton [deceased]; Betty Farnham Cotten of Hattiesburg; Jean Freeman Webb of New Orleans; Pat Harris Millican of St. Simons Island, Ga.; Jeanel Hewes Pettey of Gulfport; Mary Lou Key McClammy [deceased]; Betty King Self of Richardson, Texas; Ann Lynch Boyer of Jacksonville Beach, Fla.; Lady Dell Mechatto Martin of Merritt Island, Fla.; Miriam Middleton Moyer of Brookhaven; Ann Miller Jordan of New Orleans; Fredde Mincher Taylor of Long Beach; Mary Brown Nowell Kaiser of Natchez; Jo Ellen Pirtle Clark of Ruston, La.; Nancy Powell Bryant of Hattiesburg; Barbara Rhodes Dearman of Jackson; Joyce Scimeca McHenry of Covington, La.; Mary Ann Smith Jasper of Wesson; Sue Smylie Thompson of Meridian; and Patsy Stegall Richardson of Hattiesburg.

[Source: Department of Marketing and Public Relations at The University of Southern Mississippi]