Marietta College welcomes alumni and friends to campus Oct. 15 - 18 for the 2026 Homecoming festivities. This year will feature a Pioneer Eras theme highlighting the decades of significance and impact Marietta College has had on its graduates, while providing opportunities for alumni to experience the nostalgia of Marietta’s campus.
The event provides opportunities to see how the College has changed and progressed and will “reinforce that while decades and environments change, Marietta College remains constant and firmly committed to providing more opportunities and the best education for every student,” said Gi Smith, director of alumni engagement and communications.
Attendees on Friday afternoon will be among the first to hear an exciting announcement about the College’s future during President Kathleen Poorman Dougherty’s State of the College Address: More History to Make. Scheduled for 4 p.m. in Fenton Court, the program will include a groundbreaking and significant development for the College.
Several activities throughout the weekend will help alumni re-experience their Pioneer Era, including campus-themed tours, fraternity and sorority receptions, meet-and-greets with current students, athletic competitions, an artist exhibition of drone photography and theater productions. The Michael Weber Show and Friends concert will round out Friday night’s festivities, featuring a fusion of musical genres from the 50s to the 90s.
Class year celebrations will take place throughout homecoming weekend, including a special distinction for the Golden Pioneers class of ’76, who will celebrate their 50th reunion.
On Saturday afternoon, a special recognition celebrating the perseverance and successes of Charles Sumner Harrison, the first African American graduate, and Barbara Diggs Lyles, the first African American woman graduate, will be held at the Dr. Barbara Diggs Lyles house. The social climates that shaped these graduates and their continuing influence on Marietta College’s next generation of students will be discussed.
The Marietta College Alumni Association (MCAA) awards ceremony will honor several distinguished alumni for their decades of service and achievements. David M. Rickey ’78 and Jo Ellen Diehl Yeary ’76 will be inducted into the prestigious Hall of Honors. Derek Hennen ’12 and Meredith Storey ’12 will be recognized as outstanding alumni, while Jim Buckwell ’61 and Brittany Metcalf ’13 will receive the Liz Tribett Service Award.
The McDonough Leadership program will celebrate 40 years of service on Saturday evening, sharing the program’s four decades of impact on the campus community.
Those cheering on the Pioneers as they take on the Baldwin-Wallace Yellowjackets, catching up with old friends, or learning about the College’s rich past and dynamic future will find something of interest at the Pioneer Eras 2026 homecoming celebration.
Visit the full schedule of events: https://www.marietta.edu/alumni/homecoming. Alumni and friends planning to attend may pre-register online or visit the registration table in the Hermann Fine Arts Center lobby during Homecoming. For questions or more information, contact the Office of Alumni Engagement at alumni@marietta.edu.