Miss Campus Chest
The word 'chest' can refer to the part of the anatomy between the neck and abdomen. But it can also mean a strongbox or a financial fund. The latter meaning became popular during World War II when organizations would hold "war chest" campaigns to raise funds for the war effort. Often these campaigns would sponsor beauty contests as part of their promotional efforts, leading to the selection of young women as "Miss War Chest." Santa Rosa Press Democrat - Oct 17, 1945 Following the war, the chest idea spread to universities. "Campus Chest" campaigns were launched to raise funds for charity. And it didn't take long before "Miss Campus Chest" contests were proposed to help the fund-raising efforts. However, the double-meaning of Miss Campus Chest was obvious, and at the University of North Carolina (where in 1950 one of the first Miss Campus Chest contests was to be held) the sororities instructed all their members not to participate, despite the insistence of the Campus Chest organizers that they really, really hadn't intended the title to be suggestive. Vermont Sunday News - May 28, 1950 The Daily Tar Heel (UNC's student newspaper) responded by suggesting that burlesque star Evelyn West should be chosen as Miss Campus Chest. West had famously insured her chest for $50,000 through Lloyd's of London in 1947 and had tried to legally change her name to Evelyn "$50,000 Treasure Chest" West. Daily Tar Heel - Jan 31, 1950 One would have thought that this controversy would have put an end to Miss Campus Chest contests, but they continued to be held throughout the 1950s and '60s, and even a few times in the '70s. For the most part they presented themselves as prim and proper affairs, free of lewd overtones. Although it would have been easy enough to change the title to something like Miss Campus Charity Fund. So you have to imagine that the organizers deliberately stuck with the name, knowing what it suggested. Norman Transcript - Oct 30, 1956 Oklahoma Daily - Oct 31, 1956 Contrast this with the history of the Miss Watermelon Bust contests that spanned the same period of time. They also had an innocent origin (watermelon busts were annual festivals/parties dating back to the nineteenth century), but in the campus scene of the '60s and '70s the anatomical implication of the title was emphasized rather than downplayed.
The latter meaning became popular during World War II when organizations would hold "war chest" campaigns to raise funds for the war effort. Often these campaigns would sponsor beauty contests as part of their promotional efforts, leading to the selection of young women as "Miss War Chest."
Santa Rosa Press Democrat - Oct 17, 1945
Following the war, the chest idea spread to universities. "Campus Chest" campaigns were launched to raise funds for charity. And it didn't take long before "Miss Campus Chest" contests were proposed to help the fund-raising efforts.
However, the double-meaning of Miss Campus Chest was obvious, and at the University of North Carolina (where in 1950 one of the first Miss Campus Chest contests was to be held) the sororities instructed all their members not to participate, despite the insistence of the Campus Chest organizers that they really, really hadn't intended the title to be suggestive.
Vermont Sunday News - May 28, 1950
The Daily Tar Heel (UNC's student newspaper) responded by suggesting that burlesque star Evelyn West should be chosen as Miss Campus Chest. West had famously insured her chest for $50,000 through Lloyd's of London in 1947 and had tried to legally change her name to Evelyn "$50,000 Treasure Chest" West.
Daily Tar Heel - Jan 31, 1950
One would have thought that this controversy would have put an end to Miss Campus Chest contests, but they continued to be held throughout the 1950s and '60s, and even a few times in the '70s. For the most part they presented themselves as prim and proper affairs, free of lewd overtones. Although it would have been easy enough to change the title to something like Miss Campus Charity Fund. So you have to imagine that the organizers deliberately stuck with the name, knowing what it suggested.
Norman Transcript - Oct 30, 1956
Oklahoma Daily - Oct 31, 1956
Contrast this with the history of the Miss Watermelon Bust contests that spanned the same period of time. They also had an innocent origin (watermelon busts were annual festivals/parties dating back to the nineteenth century), but in the campus scene of the '60s and '70s the anatomical implication of the title was emphasized rather than downplayed.
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