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Mayor at Homecoming Rally
Unpublished Tribune photo from October, 1950

The 1950 Ames High School homecoming parade paused in front of the City Hall where Mayor W.L. Allen addressed the crowd, a portion of which are seen in this image.  Principal Herb Adams is watching from behind the crowd in the center.   Also visible are cheerleaders, members of the band and Pep Squad, and students of a variety of ages as well as teachers and townspeople.

Although there were several articles about the 1950 Ames High School homecoming activities before the event, there was scarcely any report afterwards.  In fact, although two photos survive, no images were ever published because local activities took second place to world events.  Newspapers were filled with the news from the expanding Korean Conflict.  Headlines and photo captions from the days immediately following homecoming: CHINESE COMMUNIST TROOPS INVADE TIBET - REDS CLAIM TIBET INVASION IS CHINESE DOMESTIC AFFAIR - ALLIES NEARING VITAL COMMUNIST POWER PLANT - PRESIDENT WILL GIVE RADIO TALK - TRUMAN AND EISENHOWER DISCUSS JOB OF COMMANDING ALLIED TROOPS - ALLIED FORCES ROLL TOWARD MANCHURIA - TIBET INVASION MAY BAR REDS FROM UN SEAT  - ALLIES PUSH TO BORDER.


 
 
 
 

October 18, 1950 issue of the Ames Daily Tribune

Pictured above are the ten candidates for Homecoming queen selected by student vote.  One of them will reign at the Homecoming game and dance Oct. 27.  Left to right in the front row, are Patty Harper, Mary Jane Arnold, Mary Harper; middle row, Louise Pierre, Mary Jo Highbarger, Phyllis Malander, Jody Hall; top row, Connie Moore, Nancy Getz, Norma Hedrick.
October 18, 1950 issue of the Ames Daily Tribune

HIGH SCHOOL TO CELEBRATE HOMECOMING ON OCTOBER 27 - A football game, a queen with attendants and a dance will feature the second Homecoming for Ames High since the mid-thirties, when the program was discontinued.  The observance is scheduled for October 27.

Al Rockwell, Des Moines radio station disc jockey, will choose the Homecoming queen and her two attendants from pictures of the ten finalists, which will be mailed to him.  The ten girls, chosen by student vote as queen candidates are Mary Jane Arnold, Nancy Getz, Jody Hall, Mary Harper, Patty Harper, Norma Hedrick, Mary Jo Highbarger, Phyllis Malander, Connie Moore and Louise Pierre.

The Little Cyclones will meet the Fort Dodge Dodgers for the Homecoming game.  Preceding the game the queen and her attendants will be presented to students and faculty, at which time the queen will be crowned.  The dance will be held after the game in the study hall in the high school.  The Ames High school band will provide dance music and entertainment.  Admission will be 25 cents per person.

Ames High alumni are especially invited to attend this after the game party.  Students are also extending a dance invitation to Fort Dodge students who attend the game.
October 25, 1950 issue of the Ames Daily Tribune

HOMECOMING FEATURES PEP RALLY, PARADE, GAME, DANCE - Highlight of Ames High’s 1951 Homecoming will be the presentation of the queen and her two attendants.  The queen, chosen by Al Rockwell, Des Moines radio disc jockey, is to be revealed to the student body and faculty for the first time during the pep assembly Friday, according to Don Rouze, program chairman.  Keith Brown, captain for the Ft. Dodge game, will present her with a corsage from the football team.  Corsages also will be given to the two attendants.

Before the game the queen and her attendants will be presented to the crowd as she rides around the field in a convertible.  She will be honored by the Ames High marching band with their half-time entertainment.  The queen will reign over the Homecoming dance to be held in the Ames High study hall after the game.
MEGAPHONES
Orange and black megaphones will be sold by Pep club girls starting Thursday noon.  A booth is to be set up in the main hall where students may buy megaphones before school on Thursday noon, Friday, or immediately following the Pep assembly Friday afternoon in west hall.  The megaphones, received from a local firm, are to be sold for a nominal price.  Students having megaphones, pompoms, or pennants are asked to bring them both to the pep assembly and to the game.

PEP PARADE

Immediately following the pep assembly, a parade will form on the east side of the high school.  Led by the cheer squad and the Pep club, the Ames High marching band, queen, and students will follow.  The parade will go over to Main street and down to the Sheldon-Munn hotel where the cheerleaders will lead the group in yells and songs.  The parade will then proceed over to Fifth street and back to the high school.

HOMECOMING HARVEST

Cornstalks, pumpkins, and streamers will decorate the study hall for the Homecoming Harvest sponsored by homeroom 110.  Featured at the dance will be the Highlanders, the high school swing band.  The queen and her attendants will be introduced during the intermission.  A special invitation has been extended Fort Dodge students.  Ames High alumni are especially invited to attend Homecoming activities starting with the pep assembly and ending with the game and the dance.
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October 25, 1950 issue of the Ames Daily Tribune

TO INTRODUCE QUEEN DURING HALF-TIME - The Homecoming queen will be honored during the halftime this week by the formation of a heart pierced by an arrow made by the Ames High band and Pep club.  Moving into the shape of a star, Bob Bourne will be featured on his cornet playing “Stardust.”

The first part of the half-time will be turned over to the visiting Fort Dodge High School and Junior College band who are bringing a 95 piece band.  They will also join the Ames High band in the flag raising ceremony.
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An honor roll has been posted by Richard Day, band director, listing all members who had completely memorized their seven pieces for the last football game.  Those included on the roll are: Dean Safly, trombone; Bud Howell, Virginia Bourne, Terrill Adams, saxophone; Don Paulson, Don Jehlik, horn; Don James, Charles Benson, glock; Bob Bourne, Terry Rust, John Alquist, cornet; Mary Kay Schwarte, piccolo; Carol Wells, Ardis Soma, Joyce Holdredge, Cara Lechner, Marcia Barnard, clarinet; Alan Griffin, Stan Christensen, and George Allen, drums.  Last week the band held a contest to see who would have the fewest tardies at practice.
October 28, 1950 issue of the Ames Daily Tribune

MARY JO HIGHBARGER IS QUEEN - Happy and sparkling Homecoming Queen Mary Jo Highbarger and her equally attractive attendants, Jody Hall and Mary Jane Arnold, reigned over a glorious Homecoming Friday, Oct. 27, at Ames high school.

Presented to the student body at the pep rally in the school auditorium in the afternoon, the queen and her attendants watched the Little Cyclones pound out a resounding 14 to 7 victory over a valiant Fort Dodge team.  More than 4,500 fans - an all-time record crowd - were on hand to vocally support two great teams and see the traditional Homecoming ceremonies.
Al Rockwell, KRNT disc jocky, selected the three lovelies from a group of ten contestants.  Their reign extended over the pep rally yesterday afternoon, the game last night, and the Harvest Homecoming dance at the high school following the game.  The Highlanders, student swing band played for the victory dance to which students from Fort Dodge had been invited as a special courtesy.

Queen Mary Jo is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel C. Highbarger 1219 Harding; Jody is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harold B. Hall, 2046 Cessna, and Mary Jane is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd J. Arnold, 2238 Knapp.
1951 AHS Spirit

AMES 14, FORT DODGE 7 - It was the toughest game of the year, and the Little Cyclones proved their mettle to more than 4,500 Homecoming fans when they roared from behind to defeat the high-flying Dodgers, 14-7.  Ames' first TD came on a 23 yard Milliken-Spangler pass with 15 seconds left in the first half.  Then, after the rugged Dodger line had stopped Ames cold on 3 running plays, inches from paydirt in the 4th quarter, Milliken tossed a one-inch pass to Maney to ice the contest.
Many of these 1950 homecoming photos are from the 1951 AHS Spirit.
back to photos previously featured
in The Tribune's series entitled From the Archives