Celebrate Homecoming -- UW-Stout Style

It’s time to celebrate! Homecoming season is upon us at the University of Wisconsin-Stout and what better way to celebrate UW-Stout Pride than by looking at the history of our Alma Mater school song and the history of the Bowman Hall Clock Tower Bell. The first Homecoming was held March 30-31, 1917, along with the grand opening of the new Domestic Science Building, and many alumni were invited back. Homecoming was not held again until 1922, but has been an annual tradition since.

By 1923, Stout was more than 30 years old, but did not have an official school song. The Stoutonia initiated a school song contest, and a group of four students composed the school’s early fight song.

Oct. 12, 1923, Stoutonia article about school song contest

In 1927, freshmen Lillian Hylland and Jane Hambley created a more solemn and majestic piece appropriate for formal school assemblies. They composed “Alma Mater”, which became the school’s official song for commencements and other events. The brilliant “S” described in the song lyrics stands on the northern face of Bowman Hall’s Clock Tower.

Alma Mater sheet music, Stout Series 96, Music Dept. general files

Alma Mater and school fight song sheet music, Stout Series 96

Feb. 2, 2006, Stoutonia article reflecting on the alma mater song

From 1897 on, a bell rang out from the Bowman Hall Clock Tower, but by 1914, the pneumatic controls had broken. For many decades the bell was rung with hammers by students, but the bell eventually cracked and could not ring. A carillon replaced the bell, and in 1997 the cracked bell was removed and 5 new bells installed, initiated by 1970 alumnus John Meyer. A bell monument was created and dedicated during Homecoming 2005, near Micheels Hall, to memorialize the first bell. Learn more from the bell monument plaque down below.

Bell monument plaque

2005 Bell Dedication

2005  Bell Dedication

Check out the events happening during #Bluetober2021 and Homecoming here: https://www.uwstout.edu/bluetober ; https://www.uwstout.edu/homecoming

Learn more about Stout’s Homecoming and other traditions in An Idea Comes of Age: UW-Stout, 1891-2016, by Jerry Poling. We have them available to sell in the Archives!: https://secure.touchnet.com/C21720_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=2128&SINGLESTORE=true