Spring Break
A fall tradition almost 40 years in the making
Philip Lindeman
Issue date: 10/7/09 Section: Special Sections
Homecoming is a time of stories: those about bonfires, parties, football and from alumni about the good old days at the CSU.
And just like it often happens, facts get fuzzy over time, whether it takes a day or a decade.
At CSU, the story that has become blurry with the years is when homecoming itself actually started. In fact, there are four different accounts - separated by nearly 40 years - about when the biggest celebration of the fall began.
In the Oct. 14, 1960 edition of the Collegian, features editor Connie Taylor writes that homecoming didn't even start in the fall, but the summer.
"In 1882 the first homecoming was held at the end of the summer session," Taylor cited in the article. It was a humble event, marked by a single lecture in a "flower-bedecked" hall, she said.
"That's just flat out wrong," said James Hansen, a professor emeritus of history at CSU, about Taylor's timeline. Hansen is the author of "Democracy's College in the Centennial State: A History of Colorado State University," a comprehensive record of CSU that includes the origins of many traditions, including homecoming.
"It's really a 20th century phenomenon," Hansen said. The first official use of the word "homecoming" to describe an alumni gathering is credited to the University of Missouri in 1911, Hansen said. The date is also recognized by the NCAA.
Homecoming at CSU, even under a different name, could not have occurred in 1882 because there were hardly any alumni around to have one, Hansen said. The first diploma at CSU, then known as Colorado Agricultural College, wasn't even awarded until 1884.
Another account says that homecoming first became a fall tradition in 1901 when football was introduced, according to the CSU Homecoming and Family Weekend Web site. Hansen believes this is wrong as well.
"There are two different accounts, so you can take your pick," Hansen said.
The first date offered by Hansen is Oct. 3, 1914. On that day, a special football match between the varsity team, the Aggies, and alumni was held. The alumni won 3-0.
The headline for an article in the Collegian before the event reads: "Plans for the first C.A.C. alumni day are progressing." The article notes that CU-Boulder as well as other eastern universities already had events for alumni.
"It is possible that this will become an annual tradition at the State College and one of the dearest traditions in the years to come," the article said. The word homecoming is never mentioned.
The celebration described as the first official homecoming at CSU took place on Nov. 19, 1921, according to Hansen. The day included an alumni lunch, a football game against CU - the Aggies lost 10-0 - and a dance.
The 1921 homecoming was spearheaded by two important men in CSU history: I.E. Newsom, then the alumni association president, and Charles Shepardson, the captain of the football team in 1916 and editor of the alumni magazine.
"The first annual Home-coming day," was how Shepardson described the event in the alumni magazine.
One question on Hansen's mind is why there is a seven year gap between the initial mention of an alumni gathering and the first appearance of homecoming events.
"There's a war involved. We go to World War I in 1917, so there is a lot of disruption on campus that would've eliminated the organization of homecoming," Hansen said. He admits that he is only hypothesizing about the war's effect, but notes that both men were present in 1914, gone during the war, and returned in the 1920s.
By 1925, homecoming took on an annual pattern of events, Hansen said. This included a parade for varsity athletes, fraternity and sorority dinners and a dance.
The reason for such disparity between the dates of important events, especially in CSU's formative years, is because few concrete records remain from that time, Hansen said. Despite leaning strongly toward 1921 as the first official homecoming, Hansen admits, "you could flip a coin." Much like any story, the truth here is open to interpretation.
Philip Lindeman is a reporter for College Avenue magazine and can be reached at csumag@lamar.colostate.edu.
And just like it often happens, facts get fuzzy over time, whether it takes a day or a decade.
At CSU, the story that has become blurry with the years is when homecoming itself actually started. In fact, there are four different accounts - separated by nearly 40 years - about when the biggest celebration of the fall began.
In the Oct. 14, 1960 edition of the Collegian, features editor Connie Taylor writes that homecoming didn't even start in the fall, but the summer.
"In 1882 the first homecoming was held at the end of the summer session," Taylor cited in the article. It was a humble event, marked by a single lecture in a "flower-bedecked" hall, she said.
"That's just flat out wrong," said James Hansen, a professor emeritus of history at CSU, about Taylor's timeline. Hansen is the author of "Democracy's College in the Centennial State: A History of Colorado State University," a comprehensive record of CSU that includes the origins of many traditions, including homecoming.
"It's really a 20th century phenomenon," Hansen said. The first official use of the word "homecoming" to describe an alumni gathering is credited to the University of Missouri in 1911, Hansen said. The date is also recognized by the NCAA.
Homecoming at CSU, even under a different name, could not have occurred in 1882 because there were hardly any alumni around to have one, Hansen said. The first diploma at CSU, then known as Colorado Agricultural College, wasn't even awarded until 1884.
Another account says that homecoming first became a fall tradition in 1901 when football was introduced, according to the CSU Homecoming and Family Weekend Web site. Hansen believes this is wrong as well.
"There are two different accounts, so you can take your pick," Hansen said.
The first date offered by Hansen is Oct. 3, 1914. On that day, a special football match between the varsity team, the Aggies, and alumni was held. The alumni won 3-0.
The headline for an article in the Collegian before the event reads: "Plans for the first C.A.C. alumni day are progressing." The article notes that CU-Boulder as well as other eastern universities already had events for alumni.
"It is possible that this will become an annual tradition at the State College and one of the dearest traditions in the years to come," the article said. The word homecoming is never mentioned.
The celebration described as the first official homecoming at CSU took place on Nov. 19, 1921, according to Hansen. The day included an alumni lunch, a football game against CU - the Aggies lost 10-0 - and a dance.
The 1921 homecoming was spearheaded by two important men in CSU history: I.E. Newsom, then the alumni association president, and Charles Shepardson, the captain of the football team in 1916 and editor of the alumni magazine.
"The first annual Home-coming day," was how Shepardson described the event in the alumni magazine.
One question on Hansen's mind is why there is a seven year gap between the initial mention of an alumni gathering and the first appearance of homecoming events.
"There's a war involved. We go to World War I in 1917, so there is a lot of disruption on campus that would've eliminated the organization of homecoming," Hansen said. He admits that he is only hypothesizing about the war's effect, but notes that both men were present in 1914, gone during the war, and returned in the 1920s.
By 1925, homecoming took on an annual pattern of events, Hansen said. This included a parade for varsity athletes, fraternity and sorority dinners and a dance.
The reason for such disparity between the dates of important events, especially in CSU's formative years, is because few concrete records remain from that time, Hansen said. Despite leaning strongly toward 1921 as the first official homecoming, Hansen admits, "you could flip a coin." Much like any story, the truth here is open to interpretation.
Philip Lindeman is a reporter for College Avenue magazine and can be reached at csumag@lamar.colostate.edu.
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