Nancy Streets-Lyons was the first and last black Miss IU, decades before a black woman would be named Miss America.

“She is 73 now. Her eyebrows are thinner than they were in the old photos — her hair has turned gray. When she descends a staircase, she takes each step carefully. But there’s still a bob in her walk, and when she smiles, her cheeks break into the same dimples that charmed the pageant judges. She’s not afraid to speak her mind. She’s funny. She’s warm. Whenever she meets someone new, she offers a big hug…”

Streets-Lyons is featured in senior Charles Scudder’s nationally recognized and award winning Indiana Daily Student article entitled, “A Queen Comes Home.”

She is also this year’s keynote speaker at an alumni and student empowerment brunch being held during the Neal-Marshall Alumni Club’s Reunion XXI. We’re excited to welcome Nancy back to IU once again.

Clarence Boone, Jr., Alumni Relations Officer and Director, Diversity Programs