Like the dancing flames of the Homecoming bonfire that morph and grow throughout the night, the weekend itself has transformed from its origins in the 19th century. One of the College's most enduring traditions, Homecoming weekend draws meaning both from its atmosphere of excitement and its ability to connect students to the event's extensive history according to alumni interviewed by The Dartmouth.
The celebration of Homecoming dates back to 1888 when the first bonfire was lit to celebrate the College's baseball team's victory over Manchester College.
In 1893, College President William Jewett Tucker introduced the "New Dartmouth" initiative. Tucker, hoping to unite the four classes internally as well as involve alumni in campus events, used the initiative to create a simple predecessor to today's Homecoming weekend. From its beginnings, the event was a rowdy one that "disturbed the slumbers of a peaceful town, destroyed some property, made the boys feel that they were being men, and in fact did no one any good," according to an 1888 editorial in The Dartmouth.
The bonfire remains the defining aspect of Homecoming, and is the reason that it has been so memorable over the years, according to several alumni interviewed by The Dartmouth.
"What makes it unique over every other school is the bonfire used to be built with the number of tiers of the year of the freshman class," Juliet Aires Giglio '84 said. "The football game is fun but really the bonfire is so special."
The height of the bonfire made it "surreal and magical," according to Phillip Yazbak '85.
"Homecoming was the weekend that showed me what Dartmouth was all about," Yazbak said. "With the 85 tiers for my class, the fire was bigger and warmer. There were the usual speeches and all that nice stuff but the bonfire was a blast."
The bonfire grew taller every year until the College administration chose to cap the height for the the Class of 1990.
The bonfire's popularity steadily increased with time, and in 1895 Tucker officially sanctioned the event as "Dartmouth Night." The bonfire was built in front of Dartmouth Hall and was designed to celebrate the accomplishments of the College's many alumni.
In 1904, the Earl of Dartmouth and his companion Winston Churchill famously witnessed the merriment first-hand. In an effort to impress their renowned visitors, Dartmouth students paraded around the bonfire in their pajamas, and the current tradition of running around the bonfire was born.
A speech from the College president has endured since the origins of the Homecoming tradition, historically preceding the lighting of the bonfire.
From its beginnings, Dartmouth Night gained a reputation for pushing the limits, sometimes beyond the bounds of safety. The bonfire was often built haphazardly, and in 1918 the wood for the bonfire was even pilfered from the front doors and fences of neighborhood homes. Today, the bonfire structures are designed by students at the Thayer School of Engineering and made with specifically cut pieces of wood.
In the 1920s, Dartmouth Night began to be associated with the College's football team, although football rallies and Dartmouth Night festivities remained generally separated. By 1946, celebrations for both were combined into the larger event that was the predecessor to the modern celebration.
American military conflicts during the 20th century brought significant changes to the Homecoming tradition. The weekend was scaled back during World War II and its aftermath, and the festivities were often muted in comparison to previous years. From 1969 to 1973, the administration cancelled the event due to a lack of student interest and the rising national tensions especially amongst college students surrounding the Vietnam War.
Dartmouth Night and specifically the bonfire has been the target of students' mischievous attentions throughout the years. In 1968, several members of the Dartmouth Outing Club switched the kerosene intended to light the bonfire with water, leaving other students confused and concerned until the prank was discovered.
Dartmouth Night was officially renamed Homecoming Night in 1988, solidifying it as the most anticipated weekend of Fall term and and a defining memory for all Dartmouth freshmen.
While Homecoming has evolved over the years, it remains at its core an annual event that brings together students, faculty and alumni. Tucker promoted this focus of the weekend when he instituted Homecoming, describing it as a way "to promote class spirit" and "capitalize on the history of Dartmouth," The Dartmouth previously reported.
Though Dartmouth is "a different place" than it was during his time as a student, Yazbak said he enjoys coming back to celebrate Homecoming. Last year he returned to the College to celebrate the weekend with his daughter, a member of the Class of 2014.
"Homecoming is awesome because it gives me an excuse to get back here, and its great to get to share it with my family," he said. "The same sorts of things are going on, with a different feel and attitude but the thing that really blows me away is the tradition. It reminds me that there have been minor tweaks and changes but this celebration has been going on for a long time."
In addition to the increase of alumni visiting Hanover, Homecoming is a celebration which brings together all four current classes at the College , according to Giglio.
"Winter Carnival brought [students in] the dorms together, but Homecoming really brought all of the classes together," Giglio said.
Over the years, reckless activities have also come to define Homecoming, including attempts to touch the bonfire and rush the field at halftime of the Homecoming football game, though both practices have been officially discouraged by the College administration and by Hanover Police. The "crazy" atmosphere of the current Dartmouth Homecoming does mark a departure from years past, Yazbak said.
"When I was here last year, a kid standing next to me at the bonfire was arrested," he said. "That sort of thing wasn't happening when I was an undergraduate."
