Greensboro's African American Community Newspaper since 1967
A century after North Carolina A&T’s homecoming began as a gathering for students and alumni, the university opened its 100th celebration this week with a tribute to the people, traditions and history that have made it known as the Greatest Homecoming on Earth (GHOE).
The centennial week began Monday with a drone show at Truist Stadium. Three hundred synchronized drones illuminated the night sky with images of the university’s interlocking A&T logo, its Aggie Bulldog mascot, the A&T Four and the words “Aggie Pride.”
“Homecoming is special at every college and university, but A&T’s homecoming is in a league of its own,” said Chancellor James R. Martin II. “This year’s homecoming parade, football game and the homecoming hip-hop concert will all take place on Saturday, Oct. 31 – Halloween – taking the excitement to a whole new level.”
Saturday’s parade is one of the week’s signature events. It begins at 8 a.m. at Lindsay Street and Murrow Boulevard, travels toward campus along Lindsay Street and turns right onto Laurel Street, where it will end. The parade will also be livestreamed on YouTube.
Ten Aggie centenarians will serve as honorary grand marshals, connecting the university’s past and present. Their lives span more than a century of history, including world wars, segregation, educational advancement and social change.
The honorees are Dorethea M. Branch ’60; Virginia Horton Coverson ’48; Dona Olivia Hendley Coward ’48; Blanche Smith Earley ’50; Beatrice Bailey Hill ’48, ’73; Gilbert David Howell ’50; William A. Lawson Sr. ’46; George Manning ’51; Joseph W. Sharpe ’70; and Willie Williams ’46. Academy Award-winning producer and actor Terrence Jenkins ’04, known as Terrence J, will serve as grand marshal.
“Honoring the centenarians during the Centennial Greatest Homecoming on Earth Parade creates a living connection between A&T’s past, present, and future as the university celebrates 100 years of hosting one of the most treasured traditions,” said Crystal W. Boyce, associate vice chancellor for Alumni Relations. “It has been my honor and privilege to speak with the families and several of our Aggie centenarians throughout this process. I have been humbled by their stories, their enduring love for North Carolina A&T, and the remarkable legacies they represent.”
The university’s homecoming began in 1926 as a chance for students and alumni to gather and network. Football games and campus activities followed. A&T’s first documented parade was held in 1934 and promoted as an “Alumni Parade.” A 1936 parade photo published in the Chicago Defender described a celebration with cars, floats, the Marching Band and a crowd of more than 5,000 as among the most elaborate homecoming events at any HBCU, according to the university’s Bluford Library archives.
The parade grew over the decades. By 1949, it included at least 40 floats and the college band. In 1960, seven high school bands and 1,000 ROTC cadets joined the procession.
Football has also been central to the tradition. By 1929, A&T was holding major homecoming games under Lonnie P. Byarm ’11, the university’s first CIAA championship coach. This year’s game also celebrates 125 seasons of Aggie football, which began in 1901.
The celebration’s now-famous name came later: In 2000, the university officially adopted “The Greatest Homecoming on Earth,” or GHOE.
This year, A&T is hosting 97 official events, including the step show, gym jam and pep rally, leading up to Saturday’s parade, football game, an alumni concert and hip-hop concert. The university has 80,000 alumni and 15,700 students. University and city officials estimate that about 200,000 additional visitors will come to Greensboro this week, generating an estimated $80 million in economic impact.
