Plan welcome for victorious Illini 'bowlers'
By: The News-Gazette
Friday, January 04, 1952
This community was preparing Thursday to roll out the welcome mat Friday evening for the Rose Bowl triumphant Illini football team.
A brief but rousing welcome ceremony is in the making — to be staged in The News-Gazette's parking lot on Chestnut street opposite the Illinois Central station.
The welcome to Coach Ray Eliot and the Illini Rose Bowl and Big 10 champions is slated to get under way at 6:55 p.m. Friday or immediately after the arrival of the Panama Limited from Chicago.
City officials, Radio Station WDWS and The News-Gazette, the Chamber of Commerce and university officials are cooperating in setting up plans for the special "homecoming."
Mayors Virgil F. Lafferty of Champaign and Glen E. Chapman of Urbana have indicated they will be on hand to extend "official" welcome to the victorious Illini.
The university may be represented by Dr. George D. Stoddard or Provost Coleman R. Griffith, or both.
UI Athletic Director Doug Mills is expected to be on hand; he is arriving home from Pasadena Thursday afternoon.
Invite Stevenson
The governor is an avid football fan and follower of the Illini. He witnessed several of their victories in the Big 10 competition las fall, but it was not known definitely whether he would be able to attend the Friday evening greeting party.
Tentative plans as set up Thursday noon were:
Station WDWS is arranging for a sound truck to be parked in The News-Gazette lot, to furnish amplification.
Mark Howard, WDWS manager, and Larry Stewart will be at the microphone to introduce UI coaches and player as they are brought across the street from the station for the informal celebration.
The mayors will be asked to say a few words, as will representatives of the University of Illinois.
The Champaign Chamber of Commerce is arranging to have some spotlights set up and the Champaign Elks band will play if the weather permits. James W. O'Neil, C. of C. president said.
Everyone invited
Everyone is invited to participate in this community-wide greeting and "thank you" to the championship 1951, and undefeated, Illinois football team.
UI students will have their own celebration on campus later, honoring the Rose Bowl champs, but they're also invited to join in with the townsfolk for this preliminary welcome.
The team (some of its personnel may remain in Chicago over the weekend, but the majority are expected back) will arrive via the Panama Limited.
Scheduled to arrive 20 minutes earlier Friday evening — on the Seminole at 6:35 p.m. — are about 175 Illini students just back from Pasadena.
Also arriving Friday night, on either the Seminole or Panama, are members of a Champaign Elks party and other townsfolk who saw the west coast New Year's day game.
Also due Friday
Personnel of the UI football marching band is slated to arrive back in Champaign-Urbana on a special train about 2:30 p.m. Friday, via the Illinois Central. (The band's scheduled arrival was erroneously reported in one story in Wednesday's News-Gazette as slated for Saturday afternoon.)
Prior to the increased home-from-the-Rose-Bowl-passenger traffic, Illinois Central officials were busy Thursday morning handling student "back to school" travelers.
Two special trains came in from Chicago Thursday morning, filled with Illini returning from Christmas-New Year's holiday vacations. Two other special trains arrived Wednesday night.
Students returned to find Champaign-Urbana City LInes buses still where they were when they left before Christmas — in the transit firm's garage. The buses have been idle since December 11.