A Place Called Homecoming: Memories of Celebration and Tradition by Successful African-American Graduates of Lincoln University in Missouri from 1935 to 1945

Oct 15, 2026

A Place Called Homecoming reconstructs the October 1935–1945 Lincoln University Homecoming tradition through the voices and experiences of successful African-American graduates. Professors Shirley Marie McCarther, Donna M. Davis, and Loyce Caruthers frame the event as both academic and social pilgrimage, using prologue and flashback to trace institutional history. The narrative depicts travel, campus gatherings, alumni roles, and motivations to honor memory, while outlining Lincoln University’s founding and development from Lincoln Institute to a land-grant institution.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages26

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Purpose, Method, and Conceptual Framework

Prologue and Flashback as Literary Devices

Homecoming Pilgrimage and Alumni Participation

Institutional Origins and Mission

A Place Called Homecoming: Memories of Celebration and Tradition by Successful African-American Graduates of Lincoln University in Missouri from 1935 to 1945 By Shirley Marie McCarther, Donna M. Davis, & Loyce Caruthers Shirley Marie McCarther, Donna M. Davis, and Loyce Caruthers are professors in the School of Education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri. It was the second week in October, 2010 . This year was like many in the past, where for decades, everyone convenes to continue traditions and preparations that have centered on a single, special event. This special event or celebration contextualizes the academic and social experiences of successful graduates ofone HBCU located in Jefferson City, Missouri. In the subsequent paragraphs, we utilize the literary devices of prologue and flashback to contextualize the rich history behind the Lincoln University Homecoming tradition. Airline reservations are in hand. Cars are filled with gas. All suitcases and carry-on bags are ready tobe transported. Passengers on Amtrak and Greyhound buses are about to board. From the north, south, east, and west—they come. They come year after year after year, since the mid-1930s. They come to converge up on 􀀷 the old Hill at the Quad. All the hustle and bustle signals the annual pilgrimage back to a place called Homecoming. They are young and old and all ages inbetween. They come with former sweethearts, now wives. They come as once gridiron teammates and Tiger cheerleaders. They come as previous members of the Student Council orthe Clarion Staff; as officers ofthe R. Nathaniel Dett Choral Society; or the “L” Club (athletes who earned letters in one or more major sports); or the History Club. They come as past participants in Orchesis (national dance society), or the Cartesian Oval Club (mathematics majors). They come as ex-Carver Chemistry Club members; or as longtime Tau Sigma Rho enthusiasts (debating society). They come with younger siblings, children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and neighborhood kids. Some are beginning their professional journeys while others have retired from successful careers. They are doctors,lawyers,nurses, philanthropists,teachers,judges, principals, college professors, journalists, businessmen and women, entrepreneurs, pilots,membersofthe armedforces, artists,musicians, scientists,authors,TV anchors, actors, inventors, preachers and bishops, astronauts, farmers, and the like. They come because they must. They come in good economic times and bad. They come wearing the blue and white—to meet up with old friends, assemble in familiar places, recall days gone by, hug, eat, laugh, dance—and most ofall, to honor the memories of the way they were as they became who they are. They come because that is what Lincoln University alumni—or Lincolnites—do. They come to celebrate, to pass the torch to those next in line. They come to give back to future generations. Lincoln, O Lincoln! We Thy Proud Children Are The Senior Edition of the Lincoln University newspaper, the Lincoln Clarion, has as its tagline,“…and someday my chance will come”(Madison, 1937, p. 1) . This quote from President Abraham Lincoln illustrates quite effectively the overall philosophy of the institution, established in 1866 as the Lincoln Institute and initially funded by Civil War soldiers in the 62nd and 65th colored infantry units (see Appendix A) . Together, these two units contributed a total of $6,400 to establish an educational institution in Jefferson City, Missouri, for the express purpose of being “a special benefit to the freed African Americans,” and with an emphasis on combining labor and study (Lincoln University, 2009,p.1). The institution expanded this emphasis to include a number of new courses of study: In 1869, Lincoln Institute moved to the present campus, and in 1870 it began to receive aid from the state of Missouri for teacher training. College-level work was added to the curriculum

FAQs

What does the book focus on regarding Lincoln University Homecoming?

It examines why successful African-American graduates continue to return to the Hill each year, connecting the celebration to academic, social, and historical meaning.

How do the authors structure the narrative?

The text uses prologue and flashback to contextualize the rich history behind the Lincoln University Homecoming tradition.

What research method did the authors use for their investigation?

The authors conducted oral histories of African-American women graduates from the late 1930s and 1940s to understand what made Lincoln special and how its graduates became successful.

Oct 15, 2026

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