AMES, Iowa – In 1912, a rapidly expanding Iowa State College and the town of Ames were staggered when the state school board announced it was moving the Home Economics major (and nearly all of Iowa State's female students) to the State University of Iowa in Iowa City. The ensuing battle to “Keep the Girls in Ames” included the start of a last minute inaugural “Homecoming” football game celebration to rally alumni as part of the college's fight to maintain co-education Iowa State. Iowa State's football team had a great season that fall, winning the Missouri Valley Conference title for the second straight season. The intertwined stories are featured in the first documentary from Cyclones.tv “The First Homecoming and the Girls.”
“I originally started this as a personal project a couple years ago because I was intrigued by the story when doing research on our 1912 championship team,” Cyclones.tv programing director Tom Kroeschell said. “We debuted the program at Alumni Days in May but the inception of the Cyclones.tv's Mediacom channel gave us a chance to re-tool and show it on television and Cyclones.tv for our subscribers. I think the running theme is that it doesn't matter what generation is attending Iowa State, students will be students. Give them a cause and they will work to carry the day.”
Viewers may recognize some University figures who provided voice-overs for the story. Among the voice actors are former ISU President Gregory Geoffroy, Senior Vice-President for Business and Finance Warren Madden, News Service Director Annette Hacker and another current Iowa Stater.
“If you don't recognize our mystery voice, you need to watch more Cyclones.tv,” Kroeschell said.
John Walters, the play-by-play “Voice of the Cyclones,” narrates the program.
The documentary debuts on our Cyclones.tv Mediacom channel (channel info available here) Friday at 7 p.m. CDT. A list of the current showings are available below this article as well as a short video teaser on the documentary. Kroeschell, in concert with Jeff Grummer and Rod Bodholdt of B&G Productions in Ames wrote and produced the project.
“I was also really fortunate to work with the Special Collections staff in the ISU Library,” Kroeschell said. “Becky Arnold and Laura Sullivan in particular were indispensable. They are the gatekeepers of Iowa State's legacy.”
A second documentary about the cancellation of the Iowa State-Drake football game after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy will air later in November to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the tragedy. Additional projects are in the works, including a program on Iowa State's 1959 “Dirty Thirty” football team, set to debut in the summer of 2014.
A Black History month documentary “Jack Trice and Beyond” is slated for February.
Click the video links above to see a short trailer of the new Cyclones.tv documentary, “The First Homecoming and the Girls.”
Air Times of “The First Homecoming and the Girls” on the Cyclones.tv Mediacom channel.
(Program will be available for Cyclones.tv subscribers online on Friday, Oct. 25)
Friday, Oct. 25
7 p.m. CT
Saturday, Oct. 26
1 a.m. CT
7 a.m. CT
1 p.m. CT
Tuesday, Oct. 29
9 p.m. CT
3 a.m. CT
9 a.m. CT
3 p.m. CT
Wednesday, Oct. 30
3 a.m. CT
8 a.m. CT
3 p.m. CT
Saturday, Nov. 2
12:30 a.m. CT
6:30 a.m. CT
12:30 p.m. CT
6:30 p.m. CT
Sunday, Nov. 3
12:30 a.m. CT
6:30 a.m. CT
Monday, Nov. 4
12:30 a.m. CT
6:30 a.m. CT
12:30 p.m. CT
Friday, Nov. 8
8:30 p.m. CT
Saturday, Nov. 9
2:30 a.m. CT
8:30 a.m. CT
2:30 p.m. CT
