Homecoming

Mention "Homecoming" to most Beaver fans and one word comes to mind...football. And yet, OSU’s Homecoming tradition dates to long before the invention of the pigskin sport, back to the earliest years of Corvallis College, the church-owned pioneer academy that would become Oregon State University. In the beginning, the idea of alumni returning annually at a designated time to celebrate their alma mater was reserved for the week of commencement, generally held in June. Oregon Staters would gather to watch the senior class complete final exams and receive diplomas, after which the new grads would be inducted into the alumni association.

When, in 1889, OSU (known then as State Agricultural College or SAC) moved from its downtown location to what is now Benton Hall, Homecoming for alumni meant gathering on the building's front lawn to renew old ties, hold class meetings, and share a picnic lunch with the graduating class. To those who lived it, this was "Homecoming." In essence, it was a mind-set. Around 1904, a game was added to the football schedule pitting past members of the team with the current squad. In this and in subsequent years the contest became known as the "Alumni Game." It was also a "must-see" among Oregon State faithful. A new mind-set was evolving as alumni began associating Home-coming, to use the original spelling, with a football game, not commencement. The last stage in Homecoming's evolution came in 1910. At the end of the Civil War game, an ugly riot broke out, which resulted in a canceling of the game for the 1911 season. The rivalry resumed in 1912, but only after OSU and the UO agreed to play on a neutral site, this at a hastily constructed stadium in the nearby town of Albany. At the time, this was the most highly anticipated football game ever played in the Beaver state. More than 10,000 spectators from around the Northwest packed the new facility. The governor was there. So were the presidents of both institutions. For the thousands of Oregon Staters who had traveled some distance (usually by train) to watch the contest, this was the best "Homecoming" they had ever enjoyed. By 1916, the UO had become Oregon State’s official "Homecoming" opponent, even when the two schools met in Eugene. OSU fans would enjoy a full slate of Homecoming activities in Corvallis, trek south for the main event, then return north to continue the revelry.

By the 1930s, other schools began to replace the Ducks for Homecoming, especially Washington State.

Photo from the 1938 Orange & Black.

Aside from the game itself, the oldest tradition associated with Homecoming is the bonfire, known early on as the "Rook Bonfire" because it was the responsibility of the freshman class to both gather the wood and guard the stack from pranksters who might want to torch the pile early. No one knows the date of OSU’s first bonfire but it was probably around 1907. Bonfires during the 1930s were some of the most spectacular in all of college football. Heights beyond 70 feet were attained, the flames consuming wooden structures that took days to complete.