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Homecoming

October 4-6, 2024

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We are thrilled to welcome alumni and friends back to campus for Graceland’s 2024 Homecoming festivities. Join fellow alumni and friends in Lamoni for a weekend of food, fellowship and fun.

October 4-6, 2024

Online meal registration and athletic tickets will open closer to the event.

 

Purchase Homecoming Athletics Tickets

We are hard at work planning for the fall 2024 event. In the meantime, you can still see still information on last year’s homecoming weekend.

Event Ticket
Indicates a ticketed event.

  • Thursday, September 28, 2023
    TIME EVENT LOCATION
    6 – 7:30 p.m. GU4U Networking Event
    Students and Alumni! Join the GU4U committee in The Corner to enjoy some sweet treats and to help build those vital networking connections. GU4U is an outreach of the Graceland University alumni board that seeks to link current students with alumni across the world. 
    Newcom Student Union, The Corner
  • Friday, September 29, 2023
    TIME EVENT LOCATION
    8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Alumni Board Meeting Newcom Student Union, CETL
    11:30 a.m. Alumni & Friends Golf Tournament
    Lamoni Municipal Golf Course
    3 – 6 p.m. Softball Home Run Derby North Park
    3:30-4:30 21 Steele Strings
    Enjoy a wonderful concert with Graceland alumni Dean Landsberg, Larry Wheeler, Ray Adams, and Joe Racine. These Graceland superstars are members of the legendary “New Folk Singers” and “North Door Singers.” Join us for an hour of lively music and friendship.
    Carol Hall
    5 – 6:30 p.m.

    Event Ticket

    Alumni and Friends Awards Banquet
    All are welcome to join us for a delicious meal and to celebrate this year’s homecoming award winners! Register for this event using the form at the top of this page. 
    Shaw Center,
    Lobby
    6:30 – 8p.m. Art Show and Reception

    Constructing the Contemporary Landscape featuring three Graceland University Alumni art students; Tressa Cummings ’20, Ryan Schlom ’17, and Evan Sloan ’18.

    Helene Center,
    Constance Art Gallery
    7:30 p.m.
    An Evening with the Arts
    Join Graceland’s wonderful music and theatre departments as they put on a wonderful showcase of acting, song, and so much more!
    Shaw Center,
    Shaw Family Auditorium
    9:30 p.m. Air Band Morden Center
  • Saturday, September 30, 2023
    TIME EVENT LOCATION
    8:30 – 10 a.m. Women’s Intrasquad Volleyball Morden Center
    9:30-10:30 a.m. Resch Open House
    Student demonstrations along with robotics, gaming and more. Former CS, CE, CIS, IT, CSIT, Biology and Chemistry majors are encouraged to stop by.
    Resch Science and Technology Hall,
    Room #130
    9:30-11 a.m. Agape Breakfast
    Students will provide breakfast for alumni as well as hold a silent auction to raise House funds.
    Gunsolley Hall,
    Dan B. Kelley Lounge
    9:30 a.m. Crescent Gathering Green Room, Shaw Center
    10-10:30 a.m. Alumni Endowed Scholarship presentation Shaw Center,
    Lobby
    10 a.m.-1 p.m. International Club Silent Auction Campus Quad
    (In case of rain, location will be moved to Newcom Student Union, Great Room.)
    10 a.m. Nicholas L Hartwig Greenhouse Dedication Greenhouse in Resch Science and Technology
    10 a.m. Future Student Campus Tours Higdon Administration Building,
    Lobby
    10 a.m. Men’s and Women’s Soccer vs. Alumni Training Pitch
    10 a.m. Men’s and Women’s Volleyball v. Alumni  Morden Center
    11 a.m. Pep Rally
    (In case of rain, location will be moved to inside the Morden Center.)
    In front of Morden Center
    11:30 a.m. Tailgate Lunch!
    Join us for a tailgate lunch on the campus quad to join in community and enjoy a delicious meal before the exciting afternoon activities! ($8.75 Credit/Debit Card only)
    Campus Quad
    11:30 a.m. Prospective Student Pep Rally Pizza Party
    High school students are invited to join the Admissions team for food, games, and other activities. They will get to meet their admissions counselor, current Graceland students, and others like them who are deciding if Graceland is their perfect fit.
    Newcom Courtyard
    11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Book Signing with Author Donna Lynn Sheehy

    Upon retirement  from teaching kindergarten Donna has most recently written a book entitled:  Kids Are Worth It: Let The Good Times Grow!  Her experience in the classroom has helped to shape the way she sees our most vulnerable little citizens and it makes sense to her that we should look to teachers for inspiration for raising our children outside the structured school setting. Told in a reader-friendly fashion, Donna’s hope is to encourage anyone who crosses paths with children. Because Kids Are Worth It: Let The Good Times Grow!

    Campus Quad
    12 p.m. – 1 p.m.Event Ticket 60-year Honor Class Lunch
    Connect with friends, skim through yearbooks, and enjoy some delicious dessert. Also join us to celebrate the class of 1965 turn 80 with cake and a delicious lunch! A Graceland photographer will also stop by to take your honor class photo so be sure to attend! This room is also reserved all weekend for you and your former classmates to catchup and enjoy each other’s company!
    Heritage Chapel
    1:35 p.m. Freeman Awards Presentation
    Tom ’55 and Terry Moore ’56 Freeman present medals to the top scholar-athletes in each sport.
    Huntsman Field
    (In case of rain, location will be moved to Morden Center.)
    2 p.m. Ergo and Friends Carol Hall
    2 p.m.
    Event Ticket
    Homecoming Football Game vs. MidAmerica Nazarene
    Half-time: Hall of Fame Inductions.
    Online tickets with a valid ID are required for entrance.
    Huntsman Field
    4 p.m. 50-Year Honor Class Mocktail Hour
    Gather together before your honor class dinner to catch up and reminisce!
    Newcom Student Union,
    Great Room
    5 p.m.

    Event Ticket

    50-year Honor Class Dinner
    Join us for an enchanting evening of nostalgia and reconnection as we celebrate 50 years since we first walked these halls. Register for this event using the form at the top of this page.
    Newcom Student Union,
    Great Room
    5 p.m.
    Event Ticket
    Women’s Soccer vs. Central Methodist University
    Online tickets with a valid ID are required for entrance.
    “The Razz” Soccer Facility
    5-11 p.m.
    Food Trucks
    (Accepting cash and credit/debit card payments)
    Food trucks will be parked in the Zimmerman parking lot on Saturday night and live music will be playing throughout the campus. Gather with your friends for food and fun!
    Campus Quad /
    Zimmermann Parking lot
    6:30 p.m. 10, 20, and 25 Year Honor Class Desserts
    Connect with friends, skim through yearbooks, and enjoy some delicious dessert. A Graceland photographer will also stop by to take your honor class photo so be sure to attend! This room is also reserved all weekend for you and your former classmates to catchup and enjoy each other’s company!
    JR Theatre
    6:30 p.m. 30 and 35 Year Honor Class Desserts
    Connect with friends, skim through yearbooks, and enjoy some delicious dessert. A Graceland photographer will also stop by to take your honor class photo so be sure to attend! This room is also reserved all weekend for you and your former classmates to catchup and enjoy each other’s company!
    Helene 101
    6:30 p.m. 40 Year Honor Class Dessert
    Connect with friends, skim through yearbooks, and enjoy some delicious dessert. A Graceland photographer will also stop by to take your honor class photo so be sure to attend! This room is also reserved all weekend for you and your former classmates to catchup and enjoy each other’s company!
    Newcom Room 24
    7 p.m.  Alumni Softball Game North Park
    7:30 p.m. Men’s Soccer Game vs. Central Methodist University “The Razz” Soccer Facility
    7:30 p.m. An Evening with the Arts
    Join Graceland’s wonderful music and theatre departments as they put on a wonderful showcase of acting, song, and so much more!
    Shaw Center,
    Shaw Family Auditorium
    9-10 p.m.
    Chad Elliott ’96 Live Music Performance
    Midwest singer-songwriter Chad Elliott blends folk roots, swampy blues and soulful writing to deliver an original Americana sound. His live performances have been honed over a decade of being on the road performing more than 200 shows each year. Elliott is lauded as “Iowa’s Renaissance man” by Culture Buzz Magazine. He has penned more than 1,500 songs in his career while also cultivating his skills as a painter, sculptor, illustrator and author (Wilderman’s Treetop Tales; Rumble & Flash).
    Shaw Amphitheatre
    10 p.m. Fireworks!
    Join us for a dazzling display of fireworks that will be sure to light up your night!
    Campus Quad /
    Zimmermann Parking lot
  • Sunday, October 1, 2023

    TIME EVENT LOCATION
    8:30 a.m. Communion Service Cheville Chapel
    10:30 a.m. Homecoming Worship Service Shaw Center,
    Shaw Family Auditorium
    11:30 a.m. The President’s Brunch
    This “invitation only” event salutes Presidential Society members and Heritage Club inductees.
    Newcom Student Union,
    Great Room

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Honor Classes

1963  |  1973  |  1983  |  1988  |  1993  |  1998  |  2003  |  2013

In addition to a special dinner for these honor classes, we will have activities, events and meals planned for all alumni regardless of class year.

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Alumni Awards Banquet - 2023

Every Homecoming, Graceland honors distinguished alumni and friends at its annual alumni awards banquet. It recognizes three awards: the Graceland Award of Recognition, the Honorary Alumni Award, and the Distinguished Service Award and new this year, we are happy to recognize our Wall of Fame and Hall of Fame inductees.

This year’s award winners included:

  • Hall of Fame: Clayton Braddock ’06
  • Hall of Fame: Dante Johnson ’04
  • Hall of Fame: Cris Welch (2003-2009)
  • Wall of Fame: The 2005 Graceland University Football Team
  • Graceland Award of Recognition: The Graceland Employees of the Class of 1965
  • Distinguished Service Award: Jay Newcom ’64 & Cherry Newcom ’65
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Hall of Fame and Wall of Fame

Each year, Graceland inducts distinguished alumni into its athletic program’s hall of fame and wall of fame. Since they were established, Graceland has honored those alumni each Homecoming with a presentation at halftime of the Homecoming football game. This year, we are also honoring these alumni at the Friday night Alumni and Friends Awards Banquet to be held in the Shaw Center Lobby.

The Hall of Fame recognizes exceptional individuals for their athletic accomplishments during their tenure at Graceland, while the Wall of Fame commemorates teams for their athletic achievements while at Graceland.

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Lodging Information

Looking for a place to stay near Lamoni? We’ve got you covered.

BUSINESSDISTANCEPHONEWEBSITE
Cobblestone Inn & Suites
Lamoni, IA
2.4 miles641.784.4000
Rodeway Inn
Lamoni, IA
2.1 miles319.315.0080
Eagles Landing
Eagleville, MO
14 miles660.867.5228
Little River Inn Motel
Leon, IA
16.1 miles641.446.4884
Lesanville Inn at Ramsey Farms
Mt. Ayr, IA
17.8 miles641.414.8550
Charlie-Jane's B&B
Mt. Ayr, IA
22.8 miles641.464.2564
Mount Ayr Inn
Mt. Ayr, IA
21.5 miles641.464.3500
Armstrong Guest house
Mt. Ayr, IA
24 miles641.344.5553
Quality Inn & Suites
Bethany, MO
25.8 miles660.425.8006
Family Budget Motel
Bethany, MO
25.8 miles660.425.7915
Super 8
Bethany, MO
25.9 miles660.240.0597
Relax Inn
Osceola, IA
32.2 miles641.342.2123
AmericInn of Osceola
Osceola, IA
32.5 miles641.342.9400
Quality Inn
Osceola, IA
32.2 miles641.342.6666
Super 8
Osceola, IA
32.2 miles641.638.6475
Evergreen Inn
Osceola, IA
33.2 miles641.342.3162
Blue Haven Motel
Osceola, IA
33.4 miles641.342.2115
Lakeside Hotel & Casino
Osceola, IA
34 miles641.342.9511
Hotel Rea
Corydon, IA
39.3 miles641.895.6074
Nodyroc Motel
Corydon, IA
39.4 miles641.872.2533
Inn of the Six-Toed Cat
Allerton, IA
40.2 miles641.873.4900
NL Holdings Hidden Acres Cabins
Bethany, MO
27 miles660.373.9927
The Villas
Bethany, MO
27 miles660.373.9927

Airbnb

The Lamoni area has a few Airbnb options, though Graceland cannot verify their quality. Search for locations here.

RV Camping on Campus

Graceland has several RV camping spots on campus, located in the parking lot southwest of Resch Science and Technology Hall. No reservations are accepted – all camping spots are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Suggested rate: $15 per camper, per night. Please deposit RV fees in the drop box located at the northwest corner of the west events parking lot.

Facilities include

  • Eight full hookup spots (the larger spaces located on the west side of the lot) are equipped with dedicated water, sewer and an electrical pedestal that provides both a 50 amp and a 20 amp receptacle.
  • Four single pedestal connections provide a 30 amp and a 20 amp electrical connection.
  • Two double pedestal connections contain two 30 amp and two 20 amp electrical connections.
  • Six non-dedicated water spigots are not meant for dedicated RV connection. These are in addition to the dedicated water spigots in the full hookup spaces.
  • One sanitary sewer disposal station

Nine Eagles State Park

There are three campgrounds with 68 campsites (28 with electrical hookups), modern showers, restrooms and a trailer dump station just 12 miles from Graceland at Iowa’s Nine Eagles State Park. Find out more information and make reservations.

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Contact Alumni Programs

Email our alumni programs team at alumni@graceland.edu or call us toll-free at 866.GU4.EVER tel:866.484.3837