Vintage Homecoming: Take a step back to 1930
It was bound to happen. The Aggie homecoming tradition has changed slightly since the original celebration in 1930.
An argument could be made that the current version of homecoming is tame compared to the raucous celebration which was the original alumni bash of 1930.
It was dubbed as the greatest party in Logan’s history. The Oct. 10 edition of The Student Life advertised a “Pep Rally, Mammoth Parade, Flag Raising and Music of Competing Bands” to help in making the “First Football Homecoming to Be Long Remembered.”
Pep rallies for football? That could almost give one a flashback to high school. According to The Student Life, this wasn’t any ordinary pep rally.
“Tomorrow at ten thirty one of the greatest football rallies of Aggie days will take place down in front of the Logan Hardware store. Beginning with assembly call by Sergeant Callahan’s artillery, there will be an hour or more of putting the old punch in the backers of the big blue team. Songs, yells, artillery salvos, speeches by Andy Firmage, John Wilson, Hebe Bingham, Dee Davis and Prof. Sorenson and a Soph-Frosh tug of war thru the Fire Department’s hose are the events scheduled.”
Just in case any Aggie thought he could miss out on such an event there were consequences.
“It might also be well to add here that a vigilance committee of the student body will be on hand to run any person, girl or boy through the cold water if they don’t attend the rally. They will have a complete list of all students and several cars to run those down that are not present.”
Don’t think they’re serious?
“Remember students be there in peril of a wet skin, because the vigilance committee intends to carry out its threat.”
They took their football seriously back in 1930.
Aside from wild pep rallies with threats to the student body, the valued tradition of alumni returning to their alma-mater began.
With the institution being established in 1888, one might ask why there hadn’t been an official homecoming prior to 1930.
Bob Parson, university archivist, was unsure the tradition had not been practiced prior to 1930, but said it might have come about as part of the celebration surrounding the opening of the new library on campus. The library which still exists today as part of the Merrill Library.
Parson said the alumni association had been working closely with the university to raise funds for the library, and the completing of the new complex was a source of great celebration for students and alumni.
An Oct. 10 article in The Logan Journal details the alumni association’s efforts.
“The alumni association can well feel proud of its activities in this respect. Three years ago they undertook to raise thru pledges and other means, $100,000.00 to use to put books and source material in the library. To date over three fifths of this amount has been secured in pledges and almost one fifth in actual cash.”
The original homecoming was a great success for the Utah State Agricultural College.
According to the Cache Valley Daily Herald a “huge throng” of alumni and guests converged on Cache Valley for the celebration, some from as far as Salt Lake City, Ogden and Brigham City. The throng traveled in “special automobile caravans” orchestrated by the college.
According to printed information, the highlight of the entire week for both students and alumni was the football contest between the “Utah Aggies” and Colorado University.
The Daily Herald dubbed the game as a thrilling, back-and-forth contest, played on a slippery field because of the inclement weather. Of course the “blue and white warriors” couldn’t lose the inaugural homecoming football game.
Instead, it ended in a 0-0 tie, after neither team could muster up a score. According to The Daily Herald, the Aggies were driving toward a score at the end of the game, but time was not the friend of the Aggies on that day, and the game ended.
One “hoarse, but enthusiastic Aggie fan” said, “Somebody should have shot the timekeeper.”
Violent attitudes were expressed throughout homecoming week from the Aggie faithful.
Seventy-two years later, homecoming traditions have changed. Free barbecues and movie showings have replaced library tours and pep rallies.
However, students who don’t take part in at least one Homecoming activity should watch out for the vigilence committee.
-str@cc.usu.edu