Homecoming in 1961 occurred during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Many UK students went home for the holiday. For the first time, house decorations were abandoned for floats and decorated cars in the homecoming parade.
A group of Independent male students garnered a lot of attention by nominating Gertrude Sow for homecoming Queen. David C. Short spoke for the Independents stressing that Miss Sow personified the feelings that many Independents and other UK students had regarding the many queen contests held on the campus.
Once Gertrude Sow's nomination became public, Tom Harrington, chair of the 1961 Homecoming Committee, quickly announced that no vote totals for homecoming queen would be released including, any votes for Gertrude Sow! He then stressed that Miss Sow did not come close to winning the Queen contest.
The fire resulted from an issue with Stoll Field. Two high school football games had been played on Stoll Field in the rain the preceding Thursday damaging the field almost beyond repair. Workers poured 16,000 gallons of gasoline on the turf and set it ablaze in a desperate attempt to dry the field enough to make it playable.
The homecoming game with Tennessee was played and unfortunately the game resulted in a Volunteer win, 26-16.
Twenty-nine coeds competed for the title of 1961 Homecoming Queen. The honor went to Inga Riley, a first-year English major from Erlanger, nominated by the Men’s Residence Halls.
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