September 30, 1955
An expected 3000 alumni will attend the University of Arizona’s first two-day Homecoming roundup and barbecue on the Women’s Field and the Homecoming Dance with Tommy Alexander’s band in Bear Down Gym. The float parade is scheduled for Saturday morning in downtown Tucson, and the Wildcats will play the University of Oregon Saturday night in the UA Stadium.
Activities will begin Friday with registration from 12 noon to 5 p.m. at three tables stationed on the mall in front of the Student Union. Information booths will also be set up in the Union and at the Santa Rita, Pioneer and Westerner Hotels downtown.
Tables representing colleges and graduating classes will be set up during the registration period. “”Such an arrangement,”” explained Boyd Allen, secretary of the Alumni Association who is in charge of Homecoming festivities, “”will provide opportunities for alumni to meet old friends. People of the same class and college will thus be brought together.””
From 6 to 8 p.m. the Homecoming roundup and barbecue will be held on the Women’s Athletic Field. The western barbecue will be prepared by Marty Baldwin, local businessman, in a newly constructed pit near the Greek Theatre.
To accommodate the expected record crowd, the Homecoming Dance has been moved to Bear Down Gym. Tommy Alexander’s band will play for alumni and students from 9 p.m. to midnight.
The float parade is scheduled for 11:30 in the downtown area. “”This year’s float judges will be chosen from among local artists and advertisers,”” announced Neil Ward, Bobcat Homecoming coordinator. Bobcats, senior men’s honorary, have been in charge of the Homecoming parade since 1927. Merchants will close their stores while the floats are in the downtown area, according to Allen.
Sororities, residence halls and Phrateres have nominated candidates for Homecoming Queen. Five finalists will be elected from these nominess during the primary elections on Oct. 5. From these five a queen will be elected at the final class election on Oct. 12.
Sigma Phi Epsilon and Delta Delta Delta have jointly been given the option to build the Queen’s Float.
“”Bobcats would like to go on record as discouraging organizations to collaborate on floats. No cooperative float will be eligible for an award,”” Ward explained.
Following the parade, alumni will meet for the all-alumni luncheon at 12:30 in the Pioneer Hotel. Receptions at the various colleges will begin at 2:30 p.m.
At 4 p.m. in the main Auditorium the Alumni Association will have a general meeting, the first in 22 years. “”We expect to reorganize the association into a federation consisting of colleges which parallel professional groups,”” explained Allen.
“”This well organize the present association into functioning groups of members whose interests are similar,”” the alumni secretary continued.
Fraternities and sororities will hold open houses for their alumni from 5:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. “”We hope that townspeople will schedule their parties during the same period so that the visiting alumni will remain on campus all day,”” Allen stated.
Also from 5:30 to 7:17 p.m., a buffet supper will be served in the Student Union.
A pre-game float parade of all prize-winning floats is scheduled 7:30 p.m. in the stadium. Immediately before the game, winners of the 13 awards will be announced.
Awards to be presented include: 1st, 2nd and 3rd in men’s and women’s beauty and 1st, 2nd and 3rd in men’s and women’s originality.
During the halftime ceremonies, the alumni Service Award will be presented and acknowledgment will be given to the tams of 1905 and 1930.