1918

About 70 alumni attended Kent State’s first Homecoming on Feb. 15 and 16. The two-day event featured the senior class play, “As You Like It,” an indoor baseball game between faculty and students, a luncheon and a dance in Moulton Hall.

1925

Homecoming became an increasingly popular event and more than 1,000 people attended the 8th annual dance that was held in Wills Gymnasium.

1929

More than a decade after the first Homecoming event, Kent State decided to hold Homecoming weekend in conjunction with a fall football game.

1940

Kent State’s first Homecoming queen was crowned.

1976

The Flashes beat Eastern Michigan 38-13. Kent State did not crown a Homecoming queen this year because of student complaints about the queen contest. The Chestnut Burr yearbook recorded this occurrence: “Homecoming tradition was completely broken this year when no queen was selected. Andy Malitz, head of the All Campus Programming Board Homecoming Committee, attributed this to the women’s movement. Lobbyists from Kent Women Against Coalition and other groups said that a queen contest was a ‘sexist thing,’ and they would not permit it — no matter how much of tradition it was.”

1981

Kent State held its first Homecoming parade. The initiative was led by Anita D. Herington, former executive director of the Kent Alumni Association.

2012

This year, festivities begin Saturday with the 12th annual Bowman Cup 5K Race at 8 a.m. The race will be followed by the annual alumni continental breakfast at 9 a.m. and the Homecoming Parade at 10 a.m. The Flashes will take on the Western Michigan Broncos at 3:30 p.m. in Dix Stadium, and the Homecoming King and Queen will be announced at halftime.

Contact Alyssa Morlacci at [email protected].