Several Mayville State University alumni and friends will be honored during Mayville State University’s 2013 homecoming festivities scheduled for October 11 through October 13 in Mayville, N.D. A highlight of this year’s homecoming festivities will be the induction of the inaugural class for Mayville State’s newly-established Performing Arts Hall of Fame, as well as “sneak peek” tours at the Edson and Margaret Larson Alumni and Leadership Center.

Rodney Anderson, Lisbon, N.D.; Allan Larson, Crookston, Minn.; Ron Ness, Moorhead, Minn.; and Cedric Weatherspoon, Minneapolis, Minn.; will be inducted into the Mayville State University Athletic Hall of Fame at the annual Hall of Fame Dinner. Michael Sly will be honored posthumously. The MSU Athletic Hall of Fame recognizes people who excelled as athletes or coaches at Mayville State or who have gone above and beyond in support of Mayville State athletics. The dinner begins at 6:00 p.m. Friday, October 11, in the Luckasen Room of the Mayville State Campus Center. A social for all Mayville State alumni and friends will follow at the Top Hat in downtown Mayville. 

Jim Bisenius, Roseville, Calif.; Dan Carr, Linton, N.D.; David Hanson, St. Thomas, N.D.; John Hutchison, Northwood, N.D.; and Bob Zimney, Grand Forks, N.D.; will each be inducted into Mayville State Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame. The purpose of this division of Mayville State’s Hall of Fame is to recognize Mayville State alumni who have excelled in their careers as coaches. The Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame awards will be presented at a luncheon scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Saturday, October 12, in the MSU Campus Center Luckasen Room.

Homecoming activities planned especially for alumni and friends will begin with an open house at the Northern Lights Art Gallery, located on the upper level of the Mayville State University Campus Center, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, October 12. The 2013 homecoming exhibit is “Sundogs and Sunflowers: Folklore and Folk Art of the Northern Great Plains,” based on the book by the same name published by the North Dakota Council on the Arts. There is no admission fee, and refreshments will be served. The gallery will also be open for viewing from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 12.

The traditional homecoming parade will leave from the Mayville State campus at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, and make its way through downtown Mayville. Student, community, and alumni groups will be represented in the parade. The parade is organized by the Mayville State Student Activities Council. To register an entry in the parade, please call 701-788-4822.

The renovation work at Mayville State’s Edson and Margaret Larson Alumni and Leadership Center is nearing completion. The public is cordially invited to stop by for “Sneak Peek” previews from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on October 12.

Alumni and friends are encouraged to stop by the Alumni Association tent that will be located outside of Jerome Berg Field from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. There will be games, and the first 100 alumni who stop by will receive a complimentary thermal tumbler that commemorates Mayville State’s 125th anniversary, which will be celebrated over the next year.

The Mayville State Comets football team will face the Valley City State Vikings, beginning at 2:00 p.m. at MSU’s Jerome Berg Field. The MSU Athletic Hall of Fame and Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame inductees will be introduced at halftime.

Homecoming day will culminate with an all-alumni homecoming reunion social from 5:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. at the Mayville Golf Club. A picnic-style supper will be served from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The social will continue from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome. A special invitation is extended to all Mayville State emeritus faculty and staff. .

The grand finale for Mayville State’s Homecoming 2013 activities will be the induction of the first members of Mayville State’s newly established Performing Arts Hall of Fame. Inductees are Francis Colby, Fargo, N.D.; Dennis Connelly, Bismarck, N.D.; the Joann and Clark Ewen family, Mayville, N.D.; Eugene Gaffney, Detroit Lakes, Minn; Christopher Jones, Pinson, Ala.; and Olaf Ringerud, Carrington, N.D.; Vern Gerig, Jr. and Merwyn Green will be recognized posthumously.

The induction ceremony will be held in conjunction with homecoming concert of the MSU Concert Band and Choir Sunday, October 13. It will be held in the MSU Classroom Building Auditorium, beginning at 2:00 p.m. the concert is free and open to the public. The public is invited to attend a reception to honor the Performing Arts Hall of Fame inductees following the concert. Hosted by the MSU Alumni Association board, the reception will be held in the MSU Campus Center Luckasen Room.

For additional information regarding Mayville State’s homecoming festivities, phone the MSU Foundation at 701-788-4750, send an e-mail to alumni.mail@mayvillestate.edu, or go to www.mayvillestate.edu/homecoming.