Decoration Weekend – University of Notre Dame Archives

A lot of hoopla surrounded Football Homecoming during the 1920s through the 1960s. Events for the weekend usually included alumni reunions, a dance, a pep rally and bonfire, a parade, and hall decorations. The decorations were often elaborate, constructed solely by students on a very limited budget. A healthy dose of competition with trophies hanging in the balance added to the excitement of the hall decorations.

Some years had a theme, such as “The Spirit of ’76” was used in 1964, celebrating 76 years of Notre Dame football. Often, the themes revolved around the opponent for the Homecoming game, such as “Wreck Tech” when Notre Dame played Georgia Tech in 1953. Below are some examples of Homecoming decorations through the years:

GBBY-45F4958 — Students putting up decorations on Badin Hall for Football Homecoming Weekend, c1930s.
The decorations feature a drawing of coach Elmer Layden and text that reads “Notre Dame Fights.”

PNDP-D1958-p124 — Football Game Week – Students constructing hall decorations for Morrissey and Lyons Halls for Homecoming, 1957

GNDS-23-19-01 — Football Game Day decorations on Sorin Hall with banners that read
“We Got Army’s Ass, Now We’ll Get Navy’s Goat,” 1965.

GPUB-47-62-01 — Students constructing a Leprechaun figure on South Quad for
Homecoming decorations, 1965. Below is the finished product.

GNDS-23-18-01 — Football Game Day decoration of a large Leprechaun on South Quad,
smashing a shillelagh through a Navy battleship, 1965.

Sources:
Scholastic
Dome yearbook
GBBY 45F/4958
GNDS 23/18-19
GPUB 47/62

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