Brownwood News – Howard Payne University looks forward to hosting a large group of alumni, community members and friends in just under a month for Homecoming 2019: Yesterday, Today and Forever. The event is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, November 1-2 with many activities open to the general public.
Alumni and visitors may register for Homecoming events online. Some require purchased tickets while many are free of charge. For complete details and the latest schedule information, visit www.hputx.edu/homecoming or contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 325-649-8007 or via e-mail at alumni@hputx.edu.
This year’s activities will feature a number of reunions, a 5K run and the Homecoming football game.
The Golden Graduates Luncheon honoring the class of 1969, sponsored by Wendlee Broadcasting, will be held Friday from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Richard and Wanda Jackson Conference Room of the university’s Paul and Jane Meyer Faith and Life Leadership Center. The Alumni and Sports Hall of Fame Banquet will be held Friday from 5:45 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. in the Mabee University Center’s Beadel Dining Hall. During the banquet, Homecoming 2019 honorees will be recognized. Tickets to the banquet are $25 per person.
First-day Homecoming activities will conclude with Cobbler on the Campus sponsored by Underwood’s BBQ on Friday beginning at 7 p.m. at HPU’s Muse Plaza and Mall, featuring music from Jaime Dodson ’19 and Hunter Carrier, as well as a special performance from Ray Hildebrand ’62 of the musical duo Paul and Paula. Friday’s activities will close with the Homecoming Pep Rally at Muse Plaza and Mall at 7:45 p.m. and a performance of the musical “Little Women” at 8:30 p.m. in Mims Auditorium (see below for more information).
The Alumni Association will host a 5K race Saturday afternoon beginning at 1:30 p.m. Most of the 3.1-mile course runs along Brownwood’s Camp Bowie Walking Trail and begins at Festival Park, located at 3206 Milam Drive. Participants are invited to walk or run during the event.
The HPU Yellow Jacket football team will play Sul Ross State University at 4 p.m. on Saturday at Gordon Wood Stadium. A Homecoming tailgate will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Additional Homecoming events are highlighted below.
Upon arriving on campus, alumni and visitors will have an opportunity to immediately reconnect with HPU friends at the Mabee Center during Registration. Attendees may check in at the registration tents to pick up nametags and other materials. Those who pre-registered by October 4 will be able to pick up their t-shirts, sponsored by Willie’s T’s, at the registration tents.
Performances of the Homecoming musical “Little Women” will be held at the university’s Mims Auditorium on Thursday, October 31, at 8 p.m.; Friday at 8:30 p.m.; and Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students and children 13 and younger. Tickets may be purchased through the Homecoming website or at the door on the evenings of the performances. Those who purchase tickets online for Thursday’s performance should make arrangements to pick up their tickets by contacting the Office of Alumni Relations prior to the event at 325-649-8044. Tickets for performances on Friday and Saturday will be held at the Mabee Center’s Homecoming registration area.
HPU’s Walker Memorial Library will open its Archival Display to the public Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Alumni are invited to participate in the HPU Oral Histories Project in Walker Memorial Library’s Treasure Room on Friday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Homecoming Court will be presented during Homecoming Convocation at 2 p.m. on Friday in Mims Auditorium.
Saturday morning will begin with a variety of reunion breakfasts. The Alumni Breakfast begins at 8 a.m., with alumni reuniting with friends in the Mabee Center’s Beadel Dining Hall. Also at 8 a.m. on Saturday will be the Jacket Century Letterman’s Breakfast in Bullion Suite C of the Mabee Center. The Sigma Alpha Sigma Breakfast will be at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday in the Mabee Center Balcony.
The Alumni Association Remembrance and Reflection, a time designated to gather in memory of alumni who have passed away, will take place at 9 a.m. on Saturday at HPU’s Grace Chapel.
The Homecoming Parade, sponsored by Bruner Auto Group, begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The parade will begin at the Brownwood Coliseum, travel down Center Avenue and end near the university’s Doakie Day Art Center. The parade is best viewed from downtown Brownwood and on campus along Center Avenue.
The Little Jackets’ Nest, sponsored by Visit Early Texas, will be held from 10:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Muse Plaza and Mall. This features games and other fun activities for children.
HPU’s School of Music and Fine Arts will present a Choir Concert at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday in the university’s Mims Auditorium.
The Jacket Century Family BBQ Volleyball Fundraiser: Meet the President, with Dr. Cory Hines ’97, will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Muse Plaza and Mall.
A variety of reunions and other events will be held throughout the weekend. A comprehensive schedule of events is available online at www.hputx.edu/homecoming.
In addition to the sponsors mentioned above, HPU thanks the following businesses for their support: Alumni Association; Adidas; the Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce; Dr Pepper; TexasBank; United Supermarkets; Marsh & McLennan Companies; Citizens National Bank; Painter and Johnson Financial; Porter Insurance Agency; Double H Mercantile; and Smith & Sharpe Agencies.
