Maryville College counts down the days to the ‘most wonderful time of year’: Homecoming 2024!
Oct. 3, 2024
Imagine how magnificent the present-day Maryville College campus looked in 1871.
Shortly after the Civil War, College administrators, led by then-President Thomas Jefferson Lamar, purchased “60 acres of high ground just east of the town,” and within four years, Anderson Hall, a professor’s residence and two dormitories stood in stark contrast to the surrounding pastures and fields.
“The extensive grounds and three-story buildings on ‘The Hill’ must have seemed quite magnificent in East Tennessee that soon after the War,” wrote Ralph Waldo Lloyd in the book Maryville College: A History of 150 Years (1819-1969).
Its magnificence endures, and on the final weekend of October, those who earned a degree, found themselves and defined their futures on that hill are invited to return. “Homecoming on College Hill” will take place Oct. 25-27, and Scots past and present will gather then to celebrate the shared bonds made as proud adherents to the orange and garnet.
“Homecoming is literally the most special time of year, because so many alumni, students, faculty, staff and members of the community come together to celebrate our shared love of Maryville College,” said Jennifer Phillips Triplett ’07, director of Alumni Affairs. “This year, we’re recognizing the milestone classes of 1964, 1974 and 1984, and reunions for classes ending in 4 and 9. We can’t wait to welcome all alumni home to this special place where ‘orange and garnet float forever,’ as the words to our Alma Mater remind us, and ‘where Chilhowee’s lofty mountains pierce the Southern blue.’”
As it does every year, “Homecoming on College Hill” will feature signature events such as the annual Homecoming parade, a craft festival, a football game, an all-inclusive fan zone for children and adults known as “Scot Land,” and more. Returning for the second year will be a Friday night Founder’s Day Showcase to celebrate the performing and visual arts at MC, and the President’s Welcome Reception will kick off the weekend festivities. Unless otherwise noted, all Homecoming events are free and open to the public.
And the celebrations won’t be limited to the Maryville College campus: Through the College’s partnership with the Downtown Maryville Alliance, a number of area businesses will commemorate Homecoming by participating in a “Scottie Scavenger Hunt” through downtown Maryville, as well as offering specials designed specifically for MC alumni and community supporters. Beginning Saturday, Oct. 5, area families are invited to join the fun and “Spot the Scottie” at participating businesses. Completed game cards will earn children a special gift and an entry for a raffle prize. During Homecoming weekend, look for area businesses sharing their Scots Spirit with posters and specials, which will be shared on the Maryville College website and social media.
“We’re honored that so many downtown businesses are helping us make Homecoming weekend even more special, but given that so many of our alumni call Maryville home and are actively involved in the community to ‘do good on the largest possible scale,’ it’s not a surprise!” Triplett said. “Those interested in what these organizations have to offer should follow our social media channels for updates and information, and if they’re traveling in for ‘Homecoming on College Hill,’ they should definitely check out the College website for discounted rates at area hotels.”
As Maryville College recognizes the 50th anniversary of the American Sign Language-English Interpreting program of study — the first of its kind in the nation — throughout the current academic year, Homecoming will also include several special activities to reflect this milestone. A student ASL Choir will perform at the Founder’s Day Showcase, and students and alumni will join together to sign the National Anthem prior to Saturday’s football game kickoff.
“We are also pleased to have student interpreters present at signature events to provide additional interpretation availability for attendees,” Triplett said. “Alumni of the 50-year program will also find time to gather together while back on College Hill.”
Please visit https://www.maryvillecollege.edu/homecoming for the full schedule and details of more than 50 separate events.
Friday activities
Head Coach Ben Fox will host former MC football players for an 11 a.m. lunch on Oct. 25 in the Proffitt Dining Room of Pearsons Hall. The presentation will highlight the next day’s match against the Methodist University Monarchs and give alumni an opportunity to meet current coaches and learn more about the direction of the football program under Fox.
At 2 p.m. Friday afternoon, Dr. Robert Mahley ’63, a nationally recognized pioneer in the field of Alzheimer’s disease research, will offer a special presentation in the Harold and Jean Lambert Recital Hall of the Clayton Center for the Arts. Immediately following, the MC Divisions of Natural Sciences, Behavioral Sciences and Mathematics and Computer Science will hold a Sutton Science Center open house that will spotlight MC student research.
Golfers are invited to register for the annual Boydson Baird Memorial Golf Tournament at Lambert Acres Golf Course. Organized by Randy Lambert ’76, the event gets under way at 1 p.m. with a shotgun start and ends with a 5:30 p.m. reception. Also Friday afternoon, those alums curious to revisit their former living facilities will be able to attend open houses in residence halls, and MC Admissions student ambassadors will give abbreviated tours to fill visitors in on campus updates.
The MC Volleyball Scots kick off a triple-match at 3 p.m. against Huntington College (playing again at 7 p.m. vs. Wesleyan College), and the annual Alumni Baseball Game will take place at 7 p.m. on Scotland Yard, starting with a ring ceremony for the 2023-24 team in honor of winning the Collegiate Conference of the South tournament championship last May. New for 2024: An Alumni Softball Game, slated for 6 p.m. on the MC Softball Field!
The Founder’s Day Showcase — which is free and open to the public — will begin at 6 p.m. at the Clayton Center for the Arts, featuring remarks by MC President Dr. Bryan F. Coker, a performance by the MC Homecoming Choir, and the presentation of the 2024 Alumni Awards to three outstanding alumni. Preceding the Showcase, the President’s Welcome Reception will begin at 4 p.m. in the Clayton Center for the Arts, celebrating a return home by the College’s supporters and alumni. The public is invited to join this kick-off event, and tickets can be purchased in the MC website. In addition, reunion celebrations honoring alumni from classes ending in 4s and 9s will be observed in various capacities during the afternoon and evening.
Saturday activities
Saturday will include continued reunion gatherings as alumni recognize their graduation from Maryville College, spanning from just five years ago to members of the Class of 1959, who will come together to mark 65 years since they crossed the Commencement stage. In addition to an Archives exhibit on display that will commemorate “MC Milestones” — the 200th anniversary of the first graduating class, the 100th anniversary of moving the library to Thaw Hall, the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the ASL-English Interpreting program, and more — the third annual Alumni Brunch will take place from 9:30-11:30 a.m. in the William Baxter Lee III Foyer of the Clayton Center for the Arts. Open to all alumni and their family members, the cost is $15 per person if purchased before Oct. 1, and $20 afterward. The annual Veteran’s Breakfast will be held in conjunction with the Alumni Brunch and is free of charge for veteran alumni (RSVP is requested). If capacity allows, a limited number of tickets for the Alumni Brunch will be available for purchase on Saturday morning.
A centerpiece of every Maryville College Homecoming, the Alvin C. Baker ’72 Harvest Craft Fair, sponsored by the Blount County Alumni Association, will take place from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Alumni Gym, and at 10 a.m., the Scot-Land Fan Zone will open, featuring the Little Scotties Kids Area, tailgating, food trucks, alumni and student organization tabling, an athletic recruitment tailgate, an appearance by Nibblet, the miniature horse and mascot of the MC Equestrian Team, and more.
“Scot-Land was such a big hit last year that we had to bring it back,” Triplett said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to introduce alumni to current student organizations like the Scots Science Scholars, the Student Programming Board and the Community Engaged Scholars, along with initiatives of the MC Alumni Association like the Diversity Taskforce and the KT Global Taskforce.
“Plenty of space for enjoying lunch from our food truck partners will be available, and of course the Little Scotties Kids Area, staffed by the MC Community Engaged Scholars, will feature face painting, inflatable bounce house activities and more.”
Homecoming patrons can take part in the annual Scots Walk at 10:50 a.m. as the football team walks from McArthur Pavilion to the Cooper Athletic Center (led by a bagpipe player!), and the annual Homecoming Parade around the College’s Circle Drive begins at noon. In addition to student organizations and reunion classes, the parade will be led by the MC Pep Band.
In addition, shuttles will run from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1-5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, to transport attendees to various events and parking locations on campus and RT Lodge. Pick-up locations will be marked by “Scottie Shuttle” stop signs with balloons.
Kickoff for the Maryville College-Methodist University football game is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Honaker Field, and admission is free for everyone. In another example of community support for MC, a College Hill Neighborhood Home Tour will take place at 3 p.m.; the cost is $20 per person.
Annual service held on Sunday
The College’s annual Service of Remembrance, which honors members of the MC family who have passed away since Homecoming 2023, will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, in the Center for Campus Ministry. Those unable to attend will be able to watch a video recording of the service that will be posted after Homecoming weekend.
“Homecoming will be here before we know it, and we want to encourage those who wish to attend to register online and purchase tickets for the events that require them,” Triplett said. “Online ticket sales will end Oct. 18, and while ticketed events will fill up fast, it’s important to remember that the majority of Homecoming activities are free, open to the public and require no RSVP.
“For years, the annual Homecoming Parade was held in downtown Maryville, and while these days it travels through campus, there are so many community partnerships that we’re excited to share with all of our alumni. More announcements will be made as Homecoming gets closer, and we can’t wait to see all of those familiar faces and meet new friends as we celebrate this place that is so dear to so many.”