Bicentennial Homecoming 2019 set for Oct. 18-20

Sept. 24, 2019

Maryville College is inviting alumni, parents and friends back to campus for its Bicentennial Homecoming Oct. 18-20, 2019.

Activities include athletic events, reunions, musical performances, a “Decades Bash,” crafts festival and a special Bicentennial Celebration Gala. Unless indicated otherwise, all events are free and open to the public.

Kickoff for the Maryville College-Methodist University football game is scheduled for 2 p.m., Oct. 19 on Honaker Field. Tickets are $10 for general admission.

“Whether you are a student, an alumnus, a current faculty or staff member, or a member of the Maryville community, you are invited to participate in the College’s Homecoming weekend,” said Angie Harris, director of alumni affairs. “Since Oct. 19 is the actual founding day of the College 200 years ago, we are commemorating this important date with the Bicentennial Celebration Gala. On this evening, we will reflect on our College’s rich past, uplift its innovative present and look forward to its impact over the next 200 years. The event promises a surprise or two and will be interactive, with guests moving throughout the Clayton Center for the Arts.”

Friday events

MC’s “Willard House Welcome” will begin at 8 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m. Alumni and friends are encouraged to stop by Willard House early for registration, refreshments, information, a schedule of activities and messages. Milestone reunion classes (1959, 1969 and 1979) can pick up packets during this time.

The Boydson Baird Memorial Golf Tournament will be held at Lambert Acres Golf Course at 1 p.m., followed by a reception at 5:30 p.m.

The Alumni Awards Ceremony will be held from 1:30 until 2:30 p.m. in the Clayton Center for the Arts’ Harold and Jean Lambert Recital Hall. The event will honor two alumni award recipients: Arthur Masker ’69 will be awarded the prestigious Alumni Citation, and Matthew Murrill ’08 will be presented the Kin Takahashi Award for Young Alumni.

Maryville College tennis will host Johnson University at 3 p.m. at the courts behind Crawford House.

Ghost Tours will be led in the College Woods by Alpha Psi Omega, the College’s theatre society, beginning at 6 p.m.

A “Decades Bash” is a reunion event for all MC alumni that includes hors d’oeuvres, drinks and dancing. Several classes are having their reunions during the event, which will begin at 7 p.m. in the Clayton Center for the Arts’ William Baxter Lee III Grand Foyer. Tickets are $25 per person, and there will be a cash bar.

The alumni baseball game will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Scotland Yard.   

Saturday events

MC’s “Willard House Welcome” will begin at 8 a.m. and continue until noon. Alumni and friends are encouraged to stop by Willard House early for registration, information, a schedule of activities, and messages. Milestone reunion classes (1959, 1969 and 1979) can pick up packets during this time.

The annual Service of Remembrance, which memorializes alumni and special friends who have passed away since last Homecoming, will be held at 9 a.m. in the Samuel Tyndale Wilson Center for Campus Ministry, with the Rev. Dr. Anne D. McKee, campus minister, leading services. A gathering for church professionals – alumni who serve as clergy, youth directors, church musicians or seminary students – will follow the service.

Mountain Challenge will open its Alpine Tower for climbing between 9 a.m. and noon at Crawford House.

The Harvest Crafts Festival and Bake Sale, held in Alumni Gym from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., will feature a variety of crafts and baked goods. Sponsored by the College’s Blount County Alumni Chapter, the event helps provide college scholarships for Blount County MC students.

Former MC softball players will participate in a friendly game with current MC softball players at 9:30 a.m. on the softball field.

The “Little Scotties” Children’s Area, which includes inflatable slides and kid-friendly activities, will be set up on the lawn near Willard House from 10 a.m. until 12:45 p.m.

Voices of Praise will perform in front of Thaw Hall from 10:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The Homecoming Choir, featuring former MC choir members, as well as current members of the Maryville College Concert Choir, will perform at 11 a.m. in the Clayton Center for the Arts’ Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre. 

A campus and reunion tailgate will be held from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on the Cooper Practice Field. Food trucks will offer a variety of lunch options (prices vary per vendor).

The Homecoming Parade kicks off at 1 p.m. on Circle Drive, between Carnegie Hall and Anderson Hall.

The MC Fighting Scots football team will take on the Methodist University Monarchs at 2 p.m. on Honaker Field. Tickets are $10 for general admission.

The Bicentennial Celebration Gala will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Clayton Center for the Arts to mark the College’s 200th anniversary. Tickets are $25 and are available through the Clayton Center Box Office. For tickets, please call 865.981.8590 or visit the Clayton Center website.  

Sunday events

The annual Wall of Fame Brunch and Induction Ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. in the Clayton Center for the Arts’ William Baxter Lee III Grand Foyer. Established in 1975, the Wall of Fame recognizes outstanding individuals who have contributed to the tradition of MC athletics. The 2019 class includes Lynn Dildine ’70 (Baseball, Basketball, Track), Thomas Stephens ’93 (Football), John Robinette ’95 (Men’s Basketball), Mandy (Franklin) Welch ’00 (Women’s Soccer), Karen (Tobias) Pilkington ’05 (Volleyball), and Roy Kramer ’51 (Special). The cost for the brunch is $20 per person. For tickets, call the MC Athletics Department at 865.981.8280.

A Church and College Worship Service will begin at 11:05 a.m. at New Providence Presbyterian Church. This special Homecoming service will celebrate the historic connection between New Providence and Maryville College.

For a complete schedule of Homecoming activities or to register for events, please visit the Maryville College website at https://www.maryvillecollege.edu/homecoming. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the Office of Alumni Affairs at 865.981.8202.

Maryville College is a nationally-ranked institution of higher learning and one of America’s oldest colleges. For more than 200 years we’ve educated students to be giving citizens and gifted leaders, to study everything, so that they are prepared for anything — to address any problem, engage with any audience and launch successful careers right away. Located in Maryville, Tennessee, between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the city of Knoxville, Maryville College offers nearly 1,200  students from around the world both the beauty of a rural setting and the advantages of an urban center, as well as more than 60 majors, seven pre-professional programs and career preparation from their first day on campus to their last. Today, our 10,000 alumni are living life strong of mind and brave of heart and are prepared, in the words of our Presbyterian founder, to “do good on the largest possible scale.”