Just outside of Kresge Recital Hall on Saturday, six 1966 Knox College graduates shared memories of their college days, including the time they helped pile sandbags in Oquawka, a flood-threatened Mississippi River town.

About 50 years after that experience, the women gathered to get ready for the 2016 Homecoming Convocation that was part of Knox's Homecoming.

Sandra Steinhauer Gales ‘66 recalled that students didn't hesitate to lend a hand and fight the flood, which happened around 1964. She and Susan Yount Petit '66 said that attitude reflected the values instilled by Knox.

"What's important to me is what I call the Knox ethos, basically of service," Petit said. "If you look at the kinds of professions people went into, they were mostly, in one way or another, some kind of service profession."

"Knox made us understand that we have to contribute to our immediate community, our world community, and everything in between," she added.

Gales, Petit, and their friends Janet Wittig Warfield '66, Carolyn Bauman Curry '66, Claudia Cole Gross '66, and Judy Ducay Moen '66 were among more than 1,000 alumni and friends at Knox's 2016 Homecoming celebration on October 14-16.

The wide range of Homecoming activities included the dedication of the new Whitcomb Art Center; the announcement of the name of the new Prairie Fire mascot, Blaze; Homecoming Convocation; football and soccer games; an all-class reunion; a 5K walk/run; and multiple receptions.

Current Knox students organized additional events throughout Homecoming week, such as pumpkin-carving, window painting, and games.

Alumni Memories

Dushawn Darling '15 returned for the 2016 Homecoming largely because he wanted to see the Whitcomb Art Center.

"Having this building is definitely going to shine a light on students' work and what they're doing. It was much needed," he said. "It's amazing."

Darling had a busy Homecoming schedule that included attending events for Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, where he's a member; ABLE (Allied Blacks for Liberty and Equality), where he was president; and Lo Nuestro, where he was vice president and treasurer.

Greta Kallio Nagel '66 enjoyed many of this year's Homecoming activities, including a discussion on social changes in the 1960s. Associate Professor of History Konrad Hamilton, who led the discussion, was "a wonderful moderator," she said.

An art history major at Knox, Kallio also appreciated the chance to see the Whitcomb Art Center. "I'm impressed by the flexibility of the space," she said.

Arlene Mitchell '94 said she likes the Prairie Fire's new mascot, Blaze, whose name and costume were revealed as part of this year's Homecoming.

"I was happy to see Blaze at the (football) game today," she said. "It was a great experience, a whole football experience."

Diana Chavira '16 says one of her fondest Knox memories is the jazz band's trip to China during the 2015-16 academic year.

"We felt like a band. We were a family," she said. "We grew stronger as a family in China."

Chavira, who was celebrating her first Homecoming as a Knox graduate, said she was especially looking forward to visiting the Whitcomb Art Center and the Delta Delta Delta sorority's open house.

Homecoming Awards

The jazzy song "Route 66," performed by Ricky Dale and the Dreamers, kicked off the traditional Homecoming Convocation as dozens of members of the Class of 1966 proudly entered Kresge Recital Hall on Saturday morning.

The Class of 1966, observing its 50-year reunion, presented Knox College with a giant check representing the classmates' combined contribution to the College. The amount written on the check was $1,059,128.66.

Other presentations made at Homecoming Convocation were:

• The Ralph Walter Prize to the Class of 1966 for highest percentage of alumni donating to the College.
• The Homecoming Attendance Award to the Class of 1966 for having the largest number (58, as of Friday night) of registered class members at Homecoming.
• Knox Service Awards to Jacob Plummer ‘00 and Bob Schmid ‘62. Service Awards are given to members of the Knox community to recognize outstanding volunteer service benefiting the College.
• The Steven Floyd Fellowship Award was presented to Andrew Marr ‘17.

See more Homecoming 2016 photos on the Knox College Flickr page.

Watch a Storify of all things Homecoming.