My first Harding Homecoming and Annual Bible Lectureship was during Thanksgiving week in 1939. It was a very memorable one. When Harding bought the Searcy campus in 1934 and moved here from Morrilton, Ark., only $7,000 was available for the down payment and a mortgage for $68,000. That amount was still owed in 1939. Dr. George S. Benson, an alumnus who was called back in 1936 from his mission work in China to become president of Harding, had worked hard to raise enough money to pay off the debt.
The Lectureship started on the Sunday before Thanksgiving and lasted for eight days. On Thursday, after the morning lectures, Dr. Benson spoke about the final money-raising efforts and announced that they had successfully raised enough to pay off the mortgage. There was a thunderous applause from the audience and, even though it was a cold, drizzly day, everyone left the auditorium in old Godden Hall to gather on the front lawn to witness the burning of the mortgage. A pile of cardboard boxes was ignited and, although he had raised most of the money, Dr. Benson graciously handed the mortgage to Brother J.N. Armstrong to let him burn it. He threw it into the flames amid applause and a prayer of thanksgiving to God. The Harding campus has never been mortgaged again. The feast that followed in the Pattie Cobb dining hall was a joyous one.
High schools, colleges and universities have been celebrating homecomings for more than 100 years. They may vary a little, but usually they include football games, a homecoming court replete with royalty and attendants, parades, tailgate parties, pep rallies, formal dances and bonfires.
Harding’s Homecoming has a much different beginning and purpose. Eighty-nine years ago, in the fall of 1924, the administration planned a Bible Lectureship, which doubled as Homecoming. Alumni from forerunners, such as Arkansas Christian College and Harper College, were invited to attend. It was the beginning of a long tradition that still exists. Harding’s 89th fall Lectureship has just been completed. Almost 1,000 visitors joined the homefolks for the lectures and classes. Many of them were alumni coming home to the school they loved.
Thanksgiving week was soon chosen as the appropriate time to have the annual Lectureship and Homecoming. This was usually a period when workers could have a little time off and schools were not in session on Thanksgiving. Not so with Harding. Harding students had regular classes all week and on Thanksgiving Day they were expected to attend the lectures.
Then, two things happened that separated Homecoming from Lectureship. In 1959, Harding reinstated intercollegiate football, absent since 1938, and students pressed for more time off at Thanksgiving to be home to celebrate with their families. First, it was only Thursday off, then Friday also and then, since many lived too far away to go home in such a short time, the whole week was declared a holiday. Harding’s Lectureship was moved to an earlier fall date and Homecoming was scheduled each year at the time of a home football game with a traditional foe.
In 1959 the first more traditional football Homecoming at Harding was held when the Southern Arkansas University Muleriders came to play the Bisons. There was a parade through the streets of Searcy. The winning float was titled “Autumn Menu” and was decorated with “Muleburgers” and “Southern Steaks.” Through the years the celebration has varied a little, but always is a wonderful occasion with many hundreds of alumni and friends joining the homefolks in a pep rally, crowning of the queen, Black and Gold Banquet, reunions, alumni chapel, tailgate parties, good food and fellowship and, hopefully, a victory over a football rival. Today begins Homecoming 2012, which is themed “Dreams Still Come True.” May it be so.
