2008 Woodie Awards
Alumna recalls history of SBU's Homecoming traditions, queens
Brendan Block
Issue date: 10/5/07 Section: News
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Discovering the antecedents of SBU's tradition of Homecoming was extremely difficult to unearth. Out of the many faculty members I consulted, none could indulge me in the first true Homecoming in our University's history. Even still, in the official history book of SWBC and SBU "To Noonday Bright" by Mayme Hamlett, Homecoming is not a large part of the school's history and is merely mentioned a couple of times.
The history book mainly discusses the financial issues and lives of earlier presidents, receiving publication in 1983. The other problems arise when one remembers SBU as a junior college with Homecoming during basketball season.
The antecedents of the Homecoming tradition of SBU occurred in 1926 when there was a football queen on the now obsolete "Dad's Day." It included a parade to the football field. The football program however, was abandoned in 1930 due to financial troubles with the advent of the Great Depression.
My quest for finding the roots of Homecoming began with consulting Miss Ellen Bell, a pillar of SBU. Bell faithfully served both SWBC and SBU from 1950-2000. The sagacious 86-year-old insists they had Homecoming type celebrations as early as the 1940's with the "Basketball Queen."
SWBC, a junior college at the time, would have a banquet in Pike Auditorium where the Wheeler Science Building presently stands.
The building was a unique gathering spot since it housed the college's chapel, basketball court, music department and the only indoor swimming pool in Bolivar. Basketball banquets were held on the gym floor honoring the team, crowning the "Basketball Queen," with many alumni returning for the event.
The first real Homecoming, however, occurred in 1960.
This is the year the basketball queen crowned SWBC's first homecoming queen Marilyn Black. The Homecoming included a parade with some of the floats driven by tractors with the first place float saying "Skunk um Bearcats."
The basketball team played our college alumni team on the first Homecoming in our history.
The history book mainly discusses the financial issues and lives of earlier presidents, receiving publication in 1983. The other problems arise when one remembers SBU as a junior college with Homecoming during basketball season.
The antecedents of the Homecoming tradition of SBU occurred in 1926 when there was a football queen on the now obsolete "Dad's Day." It included a parade to the football field. The football program however, was abandoned in 1930 due to financial troubles with the advent of the Great Depression.
My quest for finding the roots of Homecoming began with consulting Miss Ellen Bell, a pillar of SBU. Bell faithfully served both SWBC and SBU from 1950-2000. The sagacious 86-year-old insists they had Homecoming type celebrations as early as the 1940's with the "Basketball Queen."
SWBC, a junior college at the time, would have a banquet in Pike Auditorium where the Wheeler Science Building presently stands.
The building was a unique gathering spot since it housed the college's chapel, basketball court, music department and the only indoor swimming pool in Bolivar. Basketball banquets were held on the gym floor honoring the team, crowning the "Basketball Queen," with many alumni returning for the event.
The first real Homecoming, however, occurred in 1960.
This is the year the basketball queen crowned SWBC's first homecoming queen Marilyn Black. The Homecoming included a parade with some of the floats driven by tractors with the first place float saying "Skunk um Bearcats."
The basketball team played our college alumni team on the first Homecoming in our history.
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