In 1912, J. Frank Dobie, class of 1910, announced “a great coming together of ALL former students of Old Southwestern for a renewal of our youth and a loving handclasp of old pals…” Today, Southwestern issues the same call and invites all members of the community to celebrate the 175th anniversary of “Old Southwestern.”

Southwestern University’s Homecoming and Reunion Weekend will be held Oct. 16-18, 2015. In addition to annual events like class reunions, parade, picnic, and the Jameson 5K, events new to Homecoming are also included on the schedule.

At 11 a.m. on Saturday, the “We Are Southwestern” event will honor the achievements of students, alumni and faculty, including the 2015 Alumni Association Awards. This year The Association of Southwestern University Alumni will honor F. Fleming Crim ’69, The Rev. Milton Jordan ’62, CAPT. Thomas Herzig ’84, Stephanie Braccini Slade ’02, and Megan M. McCarty ’09. Professor of Classics Hal Haskell has been named Mr. Homecoming.

Homecoming attendees can get a taste of Southwestern academics at the Paideia Connections event on Saturday afternoon. Kim Smith, professor of art history, and Dirk Early, professor of economics, will present “Making Sense of Franz Marc: Abstraction and the Animalization of Art” and “Prices, Housing Assistance and Poverty,” respectively.

Due to scheduling issues, there will not be a home football game during the weekend. However, the Southwestern community will have the perfect opportunity to celebrate Southwestern’s 175th Anniversary at  8 p.m. on Saturday on the Roy H. Cullen Academic Mall and in the Red & Charline McCombs Campus Center. Attendees will enjoy live music by Walker Lukens ’09, food trucks, games and more. This family friendly event welcomes all members of the  Southwestern and local communities.

Additional anniversary events include a screening of the root colleges video, historic campus tours, and a special photo booth. In anticipation of the its re-opening, alumni are also invited to tour the Fondren-Jones Science Center.

Pre-registration for Homecoming & Reunion Weekend is open through Thursday, Oct. 8. The pre-registration fee is $5 per adult and does not apply to children under 18, current students, faculty or staff (including retirees). After Oct. 8, the onsite registration fee will increase to $10. For details about the Homecoming schedule, accommodations and more, visit www.southwestern.edu/homecoming.