Homecoming Highlights

Held in October for the second year in a row, Homecoming 2001 got off to a fine start with the Sports Hall of Fame Luncheon. The popular celebration of McGill athletics saw the induction of five individual athletes from bygone days into the Hall of Fame, as well as the entry of the 1981 Redmen soccer team and the 1936-37 Men's hockey team. The "Lunch et Livres" authors series held at the McGill Bookstore café was as successful as ever, as Judith Adamson, editor of Love Letters: Leonard Woolf, and Trekkie Ritchie Parsons, poet David Solway, BA'62, and Trevor Ferguson (alias thriller writer John Farrow) read from their work and signed books for an enthusiastic audience. In less cerebral pursuits, a good crowd was on hand to watch the McGill Redmen host -- and defeat -- Laval's Rouge et Or at the Homecoming football game.

Over 4,600 graduates from 77 classes returned to McGill this year, and while no official records are kept, the Macdonald Class of '51 is being given the nod for setting a Homecoming attendance record with 91 class members returning to campus. They put on some entertainment for Homecoming revellers as well, reviving their musical stage show, the "Green and Gold Revue," at the Sir William Macdonald Luncheon. To top it off, they raised over $85,000 for the Macdonald Library and scholarships. The class has been reuniting every couple of years for decades, and members are planning for the next gathering to be in Jamaica.

McGill News photo hounds were out snapping candid shots on both campuses, and here are some of the Homecoming 2001 highlights.

Sports Hall of Fame Luncheon

PHOTOS: Claudio Calligaris

Hockey Night in Canada sportscaster and author Dick Irvin, BCom'53, is flanked by sports medicine pioneer Dr. Edward Percy, BSc'49, MDCM'51, MSc'54, DipSurg'57, on the left, and former Students' Society president Dick Balfour, BEng'46.

Dickens St. Vil, MDCM'84, was an All-Canadian soccer star with the Redmen in the mid-'80s and is presented with his commemorative plaque by Principal Bernard Shapiro, BA'56, LLD'88.

The family of Nels Crutchfield, BCom'34, an all-star hockey player for the Redmen in the 1930s, was on hand for his posthumous induction into the Hall of Fame, and even brought along his old McGill sweater.

Hitting the books

The literati were out in force for "Lunch et Livres." Pictured here (clockwise from bottom) are guest authors Trevor Ferguson (aka John Farrow), David Solway, BA'62, and Judith Adamson, and artist Marion Wagschal.

Keep On Truckin'

	PHOTO: Andrew Dobrowolskyj

Ken Walsh, BSc(Agr)'51, goes for a ride on the Macdonald Campus's 1/4 scale tractor while members of the Class of '51 look on.

Green and Gold Triumph

The Macdonald Class of '51 could barely fit in the photo frame for their group shot outside the Centennial Centre at Mac.

50 years ago, they earned raves for their Green and Gold Revue and reprised the show at the Sir William Macdonald Luncheon.

Top: At the microphones are Bill Hall, BA'49, Orchid Reid, BSc(Agr)'52, and Bill Ritchie, BSc(Agr)'51.

Bottom: Harold Blenkhorn, BSc(Agr)'50, was the guitar-slinger for the Revue.

Rooting for the Redmen

Fans got into the spirit at the Homecoming game, watching the Redmen beat Laval's Rouge et Or 29-23 in a dramatic upset with a touchdown in the last seconds of play.

Top right: First-year Engineering students Emma Petch and Meryl Sponder painted their faces with McGill colours.

Left: Before cheering on the Redmen, Hugh Marshall, BEng'51, Edson Warner, BCom'51, William Hall, BA'49, and Dick Balfour, BEng'46, enjoyed some burgers and dogs at the pregame BBQ held in Tomlinson Hall at the Athletics complex.