Knox Welcomes Nearly 1,000 Guests for Homecoming, Friends & Family Weekend

Knox College campus was filled with hues of autumn alongside splashes of purple and gold as alumni, students, family, and friends poured onto campus for the 2024 Homecoming and Friends & Family Weekend. 

Nearly a thousand guests traveled to Galesburg, some from as far as Australia and the United Kingdom, to reconnect, celebrate, and share memories. The festivities honored Knox’s rich history and community spirit, with attendees ranging from the Class of 1951 to the Class of 2023, including more than 70 attendees from the Class of 1974, who celebrated their 50th Reunion.

Two members of the Class of 1974, John and Carol Posey Munchoff met at Knox during their junior year and, 50 years later, are back on campus for the first time together celebrating their Reunion. “It's great to see that [Knox] hasn't changed much, but it's also changed quite a lot,” John said. “You spend four years of your life here, and it's just good to come back and see some of the places that you lived at.” The pair have enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with familiar faces, as well as meet new ones.

In addition to reunions, alumni, parents, and friends enjoyed a wide range of activities, including tours of campus, classroom visits with faculty, Friday night fireworks, Homecoming Convocation, cheering on the Prairie Fire football, volleyball, and men's and women's soccer teams, a memorial for late Professor Emeritus of Modern Languages Jorge Prats, the Beth Potter '89 and Robin Carre '85 Memorial 5K Walk/Run, and more. See photos from these and more weekend events on the Knox Flickr page. 

Alumni Awards

Numerous alumni were also recognized over the weekend, including the Knox-Lombard Hall of Fame inductees Ted Boecker ’70 (swimming & diving, golf, inducted in 2023), James Fennema ’73 (baseball), Paul Bennett ’08 (baseball, football), Mike Hendrick ’13 (football), and the 1987-88 women’s basketball team. Knox Service Awards were presented at Saturday’s Convocation to John H. Gorski ’73, Tasha Weatherspoon Fleming ’96, and Jim Davis ’06. 

“At Knox, you didn’t have to pick between the weight room and picking up a paintbrush. Knox allowed me to be the fullest version of myself and I’m grateful for it every day,” Davis said during his acceptance speech.

The Fifty Year Club also awarded its annual Scroll of Honor to Steven L. Seward ’68, Carolyne “Carrie” Swanson McPherson ’68, and Howard Heath ’73. Full information about all award recipients can be found here.

The Class of 1974 received the Ralph Walter Prize, which recognizes the Reunion class with the highest giving participation in the last fiscal year, raising more than $3.5 million for Knox. Class Speaker Ernie Buck ’74 closed the ceremony with a touching tribute to the class and its enduring legacy. 

“If you’re one of the people who find walking the turf of this campus nourishing to the soul, you may want to consider donating time to the important ideas and positions you discovered here. Share your knowledge and the love of lifelong learning with others,” Buck added. 

Reconnecting on Campus

Among the many large friend groups coming together over the weekend, Julie Larson ’04, Jacob Beard ’04, Will Rogers ’04, Kyle Cason ’01, and John Peters ’01 took the opportunity to all be back on campus together for the first time in over 20 years. Talip Kilic ’04 also joined the group, returning to campus alongside his wife Heather '04 at receiving an Alumni Achievement Award in the spring. While they have seen each other over the years, being back on campus brought back shared memories. “I feel grateful for being back here and being able to connect with my friends after a long time,” Kilic said. “I'm very happy and also very introspective this weekend about my experience here and about the friendships I've built over the years.” 

Rodgers appreciated having the time to bring everyone together, sharing that it felt like no time had passed at all. “We're all still the same in so many ways, but it's also fun to see how life has changed us,” he added.

Around campus, other members of the Knox community shared their reasons for returning to campus and the excitement they felt for the occasion:

Theauntae Jones ’28 is a first-year defensive lineman on the Prairie Fire football team. For his first Homecoming and Friends & Family Weekend, he was excited to have his mom, cousin, and aunt watch him play. After the game, they spent time exploring Galesburg and the surrounding area. “Being with family is awesome because I don’t get to do that as much anymore,” he added.

Michael Boyd ’86 returns to campus for Homecoming and Friends and Family weekend every year as a tradition. Boyd emphasized how important it is for him to stay connected with the Knox community. Walking around campus stirs memories of professors and classes in buildings like Old Main and the Umbeck Science and Mathematics Center. “You walk through these places, and it all comes back,” he said.

Christina Krawczyk ’89 P’23 and her son Zach Krawczyk ’23 shared a love for theatre during their time at Knox. Returning to campus as a family, they made sure to take their time exploring the Ford Center for the Fine Arts where they made some of their core memories. “There's a different veneer on things. It still feels very much the same. It's the feeling that you get when you walk on campus and you know you’re home. It's beautiful,” Christina said.

More opportunities for members of the Knox community to reconnect with Knox and each other are on the horizon.

“Knox’s campus has been buzzing with excitement and energy, as well as the promise of a bright future,” said President McGadney at Homecoming Convocation. “I want to take the momentum we’re feeling here on campus out on the road to share with the Knox community, near and far. . . all part of our Venture Boldly campaign—the first comprehensive campaign in 20 years—in support of our efforts to make a great college even better."

More information on upcoming events can be found on the Venture Boldly website.

As the celebration concluded, Knox College’s 2024 Homecoming and Friends & Family Weekend left everyone with a renewed sense of connection, nostalgia, and community pride. From reliving campus traditions to celebrating lasting friendships and creating new memories, the enthusiasm shared by attendees echoed their lifelong bond with Knox.