Pumphandle History

For nearly 160 years, Knox College students, faculty, and staff have gathered at the start of the academic year to meet new friends and reunite with old ones at Pumphandle. This storied (and beloved) tradition is a fitting start to the year for a community that prides itself on the close connections we make with our classmates, professors, mentors, and colleagues. 

Pumphandle's name originates from the act and motion of shaking hands. The president starts the line each year, greeting members of the Knox community by shaking their hand. (This may also include fist bumping or simply saying hello, depending on personal preference). One by one, everyone in line shakes hands with each other. As each person passes through the line, they become the new end. And so the line grows, snaking through the spaces around Old Main. One of the most unique things about Pumphandle is that it is never the same; the line formed by the campus community follows a different path each year.

Pumphandle originated in the 1860s as a formal event in terms of format and expected student attire (evening dress was required). Over time, the event has become more casual as it changed venues, moving from Seymour Hall to Memorial Gym and, finally, to the South Lawn of Old Main. A campus-wide dance also followed the event for nearly 50 years. Today, Pumphandle remains a casual and festive event. Though a campus-wide dance is no longer held, students sometimes wear costumes or even bring props like couches to the festivities.

Learn more about Pumphandle’s history in this brief timeline: 

1886-1920: The College’s Christian associations hosted annual “get acquainted” socials.

1921-1926:  Pumphandle (as it was now known) was held by the Young Men and Women Christian Association in Seymour Hall on a Thursday evening at the start of the academic year. A receiving line of the association’s men greeted the new first-year men with a handshake and a copy of the Campus Handbook. The women lined up around the walls, and the men passed by meeting each one in turn. The program listed speakers, such as the president and the deans of men and women, and closed with the singing of Knox songs from the handbook. Refreshments were served. 

1927-1937: The Student Council took charge of Pumphandle. Students, faculty, and guests assembled in Seymour Hall on the academic year’s first Thursday evening from 8:00 to 11:00 P.M., and dancing immediately followed the greetings.

1938-1952: Pumphandle was held in Seymour Hall, starting at 8:30 P.M. on the night before the start of classes.

1956-1975: Pumphandle was moved to Memorial Gym.*

1976: Pumphandle moves to the South Lawn of Old Main, immediately followed by a Pumphandle dance in Memorial Gym from 8:30 to 11:00 P.M.

1977-Present: Pumphandle no longer features a campus-wide dance and takes on the format that remains to this day. Pumphandle typically takes place the night before the first day of classes.

*In 1961, David Sutton, Class of 1964, brought an actual pump handle to the event as a gimmick. This may be inspiration for today’s purple and gold pump handle that marks the start of each Pumphandle line.

Thanks to the Knox College Special Collections & Archives for the historical information.