CHADRON, Neb. - Homecoming at Chadron State College dates back to 1921, on the 10th anniversary of the institution. Robert I. Elliott, then president of Chadron State and the person for whom Elliott Field is named, sent a letter to the college's relatively few graduates.  In part, it said:
 
"Have you ever thought you'd like to meet all your school friends again?  Come on back! They'll be here. It's going to be the biggest reunion ever. In the morning there'll be a special chapel (service). In the afternoon will be the peppiest football game of the season. In the evening will be the jolliest reception you ever attended. You'll be there, won't you?"

There's no record of how many homecoming games the Eagles have won since 1921, but it is known that CSC has a 32-13-1 record while playing before the Old Grads since 1969.

Apparently the first homecoming queen was Lucile Wheritt of Hot Springs, S.D., who was crowned in 1933. She married a CSC football player, Lyle Broich, and they came from their home in Idaho to participate in homecoming 1985.

The crowning of a king began in 1982. The first was Charlie Mitchell, who had lived in Chadron much of his youth, moved to Texas for his final two years of high school and then returned to attend college and play football for the Eagles. Mitchell received the Distinguished Young Alumni Award in 1996 and was inducted into the CSC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002. He also is the designer of the logo CSC used for more than a decade.

For many years, the activities have included a parade up or down Chadron's Main Street on Saturday morning prior to the football game. For years, the parade began at the railroad tracks and came south up Main Street.  Then about 20 years ago, it was started on campus and went north down Main Street.  The past five years, the parade has begun at First and Main Street again and ended on the campus.  Photographers like this arrangement best because they can get better photos when the floats are moving into the sun.

It is followed a luncheon in which several awards are presented. In a decade or so, these have included Distinguished Service and/or Distinguished Alumni and Distinguished Young Awards.
Frequently, various alumni groups, including classes, have dinners on Saturday evening following the football game.

Band Day was begun at Chadron State in 1952 and was a colorful addition to Homecoming each autumn for more than 50 years. The visiting high school bands, some from as far away as 400 miles, marched in the parade. Often more than a dozen bands participated.  The bandsmen would then have lunch in the CSC cafeteria and attend the first half of the football game. Many of them would be seated on planks that were placed on wooden blocks around the field.

At halftime, the hundreds of musicians would form a massed band to entertain the homecoming crowd. Often they would fill the field from end zone to end zone. Sometime in the 1990s, a marching contest was developed for the bands.  It would take place on the Chadron High School football field between the parade and the game. Prizes were awarded to the top bands in the marching competition, just as trophies were presented to the outstanding bands in the parade.  The winning bands in the marching competition would then perform prior to kickoff and halftime of the football game.

Another tradition that was begun "way back when," died out for several decades, but has been revived in this century, is the "lighting of the C," Chadron State's unique landmark that overlooks the campus.