EIU Homecoming 2011

Panther Pride has existed for a great many years. We are all part of Eastern's Greatness in Blue!

1915

Eastern held its first homecoming in 1915. Using the University of Illinois' first homecoming as a model, students, faculty and Charleston businessmen worked together to make the first homecoming "the biggest and most memorable event ever pulled off."

By that time, nearly 500 students had graduated from the Normal School, and almost have returned for homecoming. Special exercises at the usual Saturday morning chapel opened the homecoming festivities. Classes were still conducted on Saturday at the time. Then, school went on as usual, with each class meeting at its regular time, but with alumni dropping in to visit their former teachers. A welcoming song for the visiting alumni along with zither solos marked the highlight of the morning exercises. The homecoming parade around the Charleston square featured two decorated cars filled with clown and butterfly girls, and, of course, the Normal School Band.

Eastern won its first homecoming football game, 52-6, against Shurtleff College, located near Alton, Illinois, as the fans shouted, "Ozzle, fizzle, nozzle fizzle, Ozzle fizzle bam. Bit his adams apple off, Huckleberry jam!" The butterfly girls provided half-time entertainment by performing aesthetic dances.

1919

The 1919 homecoming was dedicated to the men of the School who had died in the armed forces during the World War. At the opening ceremony of the football game special services dedicated the athletic field to Martin "Otto" Schahrer, who had been killed in France the previous year.

1946

All through homecoming month in 1946 a record player on the porch of the little Phi Sigma Epsilon house blared the music and lyrics of "Jimmy Cracked Corn and I Don't Care" to celebrate the return of a former Phi Sig, the now-famous poor boy from Jasper County, Burl Ives.

The homecoming tug of war that year resulted in the freshman team being pulled through the campus lake (upperclassmen used automobile power to win).

1947

Coach O'Brien's squad won the first homecoming game in seven years, beating Normal. This win was the prologue to the era of Eastern's becoming a football power with a national reputation.

1948

Removal of the drives and construction of the walks and new parking areas was fully underway during the 1948 homecoming; returning former students were bewildered by the torn-up campus. The traditional homecoming tug-of-war disappeared because the campus lake was being drained and graded.

Homecoming was one of the most outstanding, with more than 1,000 former students attending. After sororities had held the homecoming queen crown for nearly a decade, Ruth St. John, a senior independent from Toledo, broke the monopoly and reined during the "Golden Jubilee Anniversary."

The homecoming parade included 29 Illinois high school bands and 35 floats representing student organizations and Charleston business firms, making it the largest parade in Eastern's history.

1956

The 1956 homecoming also saw change in the coronation of the queen. For the first time she was crowned by the queen from the previous year instead of by the editor of the Eastern News.

1958

The 1958 homecoming was the "grand finale" to the Lincoln-Douglas debate centennial. During the year Eastern and Charleston had joined together to celebrate the one-hundredth anniversary of the historical debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas. The celebration was held at the Charleston fairgrounds.

Later at the homecoming parade, a life-sized model of a campaign train (with passengers and a replica of Lincoln on the rear platform) was one of the highlights. The homecoming play was on Abraham Lincoln and was written by Mrs. Charles (Dorothy) Coleman.

1974

Also in 1974, a male student, Tom Wade, ran for homecoming queen. Wade (who was sponsored by the Radical Student Caucus to protest the amount of money spent by queen candidates on their campaigns, Wade spent $12.43) had originally intended to enter his dog, "Peyote," until he learned that all candidates must have a grade point average. When the votes were counted, Wade had won a place on the homecoming court, coming in third place.

At the homecoming dance, Peyote, wearing a black tie, escorted her master as he took his place of honor on the homecoming queen's court. (The rules were changed the following year to preclude any more male candidates. In response, the Student Senate's human relations committee was planning to investigate this alleged discriminatory action until the Student Senate ordered the committee to "cease and desist" its work on the issue.)

1985

John Mattson was crowned Eastern's first homecoming king. His queen was Kathy Dickey.

The material on this page was originally printed in Eastern Illinois University, released by the Turner Publishing Company on June 15, 1995, on the occassion of EIU's centennial.