100 Years of Homecoming (continued)

1980s

1981 Savitar

1983- The first Homecoming Blood Drive was kicked off.

1984- Don Faurot returned to Columbia to serve as Grand Marshal of Mizzou’s Homecoming festivities.

(November 1985 Missouri Alumnus Courtesy of University Archives) “Couple reigns at 1985 Homecoming.”

1985- Marvin Cobbs and Vivian King were elected by student vote to reign as Missouri’s first African American Homecoming king and queen couple (notably, Jill Young was elected Mizzou’s first African American Homecoming Queen in 1971). The 1986 Savitar yearbook congratulates them.

1988- The Multicultural Extravaganza became part of Mizzou’s Homecoming traditions.

1990s

1990- Mizzou’s Legion of Black Collegians (est. in 1969) used the Homecoming parade to stage a Missouri Student Association sanctioned protest “against an attitude of insensitivity toward minorities on campus.” The protest received state-wide media coverage and the University listened. A.J. Schnack, then president of the MSA, confirmed in a 1990 Alumnus Magazine interview that “Credit goes to the Legion of Black Collegians. LBC put the issue to the forefront. Because they did that, I and others have had to respond.”

(1991 Savitar) The Legion of Black Collegians protest during the Homecoming parade.

1991- The Homecoming committee strove for greater diversity and the parade included floats for social and service organizations like the Women’s Center and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance (sometimes called the Triangle Coalition).

1992- Mort Walker, renowned cartoonist and Mizzou alumnus, served as Homecoming Grand Marshal. Mort and son his Neal used Homecoming to unveil the new Beetle Bailey bronze statue on campus. Amid the festivities, several handy students and fans volunteered to build a house for Habitat for Humanity and gave new meaning to the word ‘Homecoming’.

1993 Savitar

1995- The annual 5k for charity became part of Mizzou’s Homecoming traditions.

1998 & 1999- The Council for Advancement and Support of Education declared Mizzou’s Homecoming program the best in the nation!

1999- The annual blood drive collected 3,156 pints of blood in one day, enough to secure the Guinness Book world record for the largest number of useable units collected in a single day at a single location.

(2000 Savitar) The Red Cross “Donation Station.”

Authored by Niki Eaton, PhD Student, Art History and Archaeology