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University Daily Kansan
Friday, Nov. 22, 1957
Variety Keynote Of Homecomings
Hobo Day, Old Timer's Night, an old fashion medicine show, a bicycle race and a war bond promotion have been included in past Homecoming celebrations.
The first Homecoming was in 1913. Alumni were invited back to watch the KU-Nebraska football game in which Nebraska defeated KU 9-0. None was held after 1915 due to World War I. The event was officially placed on the University's calendar in 1919.
During the '20's freshman and sophomore classes competed in the "Freshman Olympics" to decide if the freshmen would wear derbies in the spring or not.
Women Too
By 1924 women took part in the event. About 600 women demonstrated group games and a hockey match. Maze running, calisthenics drill and group games were demonstrated by 700 men.
Old Timer's Night was inaugurated in 1921. This was an opportunity for the alumni to talk over old times. The Nov. 21, 1923 University Daily Kansan quoted the chairman of the Homecoming committee as saying, "This night is intended for the student body and faculty who are interested as much as it is for the alumni." The story also said the date was closed to organization parties.
Old-Time Medicine Men
Old-Time Medicine Men
Another feature of Homecoming in the 1920's was Doc Yak, an old-time medicine man, who distributed "pep pills" to KU supporters. Doc Yak was actually two Lawrence businessmen, the late C. C. Carl and the late J. R. Holmes.
An airplane with a neon sign which read "Beat M.U." circled over Lawrence Friday night before the annual Homecoming game in 1933. earlier it had circled over Kansas City, with a neon sign reading "KU-MU game."
Homecoming has included various races. In 1939, 32 students entered a bicycle race. The winner received a turkey. Organized groups entered ducks in a duck race across Potter Lake in 1935.
For three weeks before the 1942 Homecoming game between KU and NU a scrap metal drive was held between Kansas and Nebraska. Between halves at the game the governor of Nebraska, the losing state, presented the Kansas governor with a $25 war bond.
Program Helps Gifted Students
The KU gifted student program now in its third year, provides the extra impetus needed to stimulate outstanding KU scholars.
Under the direction of Francis Heller, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the program has served over 100 students.
The program was begun in 1955 as an experiment to produce effective leadership for the future and to preserve for Kansas its "brain power," according to Dr. Heller.
The program is offered to students who come to KU on Summerfield and Watkins scholarships, finish high on the final examinations for these scholarships, qualify for certificates of merit in the National Merit Examinations or are selected through KU's own testing program
Dr. Heher said the normal freshman entrance examinations are not adequate for the testing of the students in the gifted student program. The examinations used are on the junior class level.
The original experimental group indicates the success of the program thus far, he said. In this group most of the students attained junior status at the end of three semesters. Two of them advanced to senior status at the end of four semesters.
After the first semester the grade-point average of all the students was equal to that required for initiation into Phi Beta Kappa, he said.
Traditions Change But Queen Is Still Chosen
As the traditions of Homecoming festivities have progressed, one figure has become more and more important — the Homecoming queen.
Lucy Trees of Winfield, and a member of Chi Omega sorority, was the first Homecoming queen. She was elected in 1933 by the varsity football sound.
In 1935 the student body had its first chance to vote for the Homecoming queen. Any girl was eligible that year.
A committee from the Lawrence Junior Chamber of Commerce picked the queen and her two attendants in 1941. That year any University woman was eligible by self-declaration, in addition to the house-sponsored candidates. The committee judged the candidates on "beauty, personality, oomph, 'it', and any and all queenly attributes."
Interviews Used
Informal interviews were used to select the queen in 1942. She was presented to the audience at a dance in Hech Auditorium the night before Homecoming and was crowned at the end of the evening. Gov. Payne Ratner presented the queen
with flowers in ceremonies before the game.
Technicolor motion pictures were made of the candidates for the 1945 Homecoming queen. They, together with individual photographs, were sent to non-University judges. The coronation ceremony became more elaborate that year with the University band forming a heart, pierced with an arrow formed by Jay Janes.
In 1943 a military theme prevailed at Homecoming because of World War II. A naval officer was one of the three queen judges that year.
More Restrictions
More restrictions were placed on the candidates in 1952, and have been followed since that time. The women had to have a C average in classwork and had to have completed one semester at KU in addition to participating in campus activities.
The queen of the 1956 Homecoming was Susie Stout, Wichita junior, who will see her successor crowned at the half-time activities Saturday.