Homecoming 2007

More than one-thousand Knox College alumni are expected to return to campus for the College's Homecoming 2007 weekend, October 19-21, highlighted by a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the construction of Knox's Old Main.

A custom-made cake, shaped like the historic Lincoln-Douglas Debate site, will make a brief but tasteful appearance on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 20, before it will be demolished by Knox alumni at a reception later that evening. Student groups are also celebrating Old Main's 150th birthday with a cake-making competition that caries a $500 top prize.

Public events during Homecoming Weekend are:

Friday, Oct. 19, 4 p.m.
Old Main (Kresge Hall in case of rain)
Lecture: "The Da Vinci Code in Knox's Old Main," by Lance Factor, professor of philosophy at Knox, followed by short walking tour of the building. A National Historic Landmark and sole remaining site of a Lincoln Douglas Debate, Old Main was built in 1857. For the past several years, Factor has been researching Old Main and its architect, Charles Ulricson, an immigrant from Sweden who lived in Peoria and designed a number of buildings there.

Factor, currently working on a book about Old Main, believes that Ulricson secretly incorporated a number of Masonic elements into Old Main's details, materials and proportions. College officials, however, led by then-President Jonathan Blanchard, were strongly anti-Masonic. Factor believes that explains why Ulricson did not reveal those elements at the time, nor leave any written records of them.

Factor holds the George Appleton Lawrence Distinguished Service Professorship in Philosophy. He has taught at Knox since 1969, specializing in American philosophy and the philosophy of science.

Friday, Oct. 19, 7 p.m.
Gallery, Ford Center for the Fine Arts
Alumni Art Show Opening: Remarks by the artists, photographer Tommaso Lesnick, Class of 1992; and sculptor Elena Rakochy, Class of 1995.

Saturday, Oct. 20, 10 a.m.
Kresge Hall, Ford Center for the Fine Arts
Homecoming Convocation: Remarks by Homer Johnson, Class of 1955, and Leah Elizabeth Heister, Senior Class President. Presentation of Knox Service Awards to Nancy Cane Beelman, Class of 1958 (posthumous); Lynn Sailer of Arlington Heights, Illinois, Class of 1956; and Dorothy Thomas Wharton of Stuart, Florida, Class of 1955. The awards recognize outstanding volunteer service to the College.

Saturday, Oct. 20, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Lobby, Ford Center for the Fine Arts
Alumni-Faculty Book Signing: Knox College alumni and faculty will sign copies of their books. Approximately a dozen faculty and alumni authors are scheduled to attend.

Saturday, Oct. 20, 12 noon
Soccer Field, 136 W. Knox St
Dedication of Knox's soccer field, which has been named in honor of Jorge Prats, professor emeritus of modern languages and the first coach of both the men's and women's soccer programs.

Athletic events during Homecoming weekend will include volleyball, men's and women's soccer, and football games. A listing of athletic events is available at Knox's on-line event calendar, http://www.knox.edu/x13517.xml

Activities for Knox alumni include visits to selected classes on Friday; tours of campus buildings; and open houses, receptions and reunion dinners on Friday and Saturday. More information about alumni events is available from the Office of Alumni Affairs, 309 341 7238.

Above, Lance Factor, in the attic of Old Main, inspects metal leaves that once adorned the bell tower atop the building. Below, south view of Old Main. At bottom, typical halftime at the Homecoming football game.