Memories of the Quad                          [ Back to the Quad Project Homepage ]

I remember seeing the Quad and the columns the first my family and I came to visit campus. It was still a beautiful imposing site every spring thereafter. I miss Columbia. A part of my heart will always belong to Mizzou ... that beautiful campus ...the Quad.

Diane Swofford, AB '92 


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Does anyone remember the purpose of the quonset hut attached to the east end of Jesse Hall in mid-1960s, and probably long before? I remember going in once; it was one of those things we all walked around several times a day. The reward was seeing Dean Henry Bent's stately 1948 Cadillac sedan in the parking lot just south of Jesse.

Jim Swinford, BJ '68
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It is tough to pick out just one memory, but I think the one that comes full circle for me is when I was able to take my daughter to the Quad and let her explore just like I did as a freshman.

Dawn M.

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I have so many great memories around the Quad from my time at Mizzou. I don't know if I could pick one that is my favorite. I walked past the Quad everyday either going to class or heading back to my dorm. I remember Freshman year going though the columns at Tiger Walk and spending time with my new friends. Then several times over the next semester I remember walking over from Mark Twain and spending evenings and nights out on the Quad playing Wiffleball on Wednesday and Capture the Flag.

I also remember taking Tigergen II with some other members of the Mizzou Hydrogen Car Team and test-driving the car in loops around the Quad as we were preparing for our upcoming race. Getting to drive the car that day was a blast getting to see everybody's reaction as the car drove past.

Another favorite memory was one that occurred my Sophomore, Junior, and Senior year. I loved going to the Dome Lighting ceremony for E-Week. It meant getting to spend time with my best friends and celebrating something I loved. Watching the dome turn green, and every other night those weeks or any time the dome was lit gold, always brought pride for good ol' Mizzou.

Jennifer Claybrooks, BS '11

One of my favorite times of the year is Tap Day on the Quad. Through my time at Mizzou I have seen countless friends and peers get tapped by one of the six secret societies and was honored to be tapped into ODK as an undergrad and by QEBH in 2005 as an honor tap. There is nothing more special at Mizzou than the pageantry of the Tap Day ceremony and to see each year which students, faculty, staff and alumni will be honored for their leadership, academic achievement and service to the community and the university. Go Tigers!

David Roloff, BES ’78, MA ‘85

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Having chosen Columbia as our home after having met at Mizzou and married at the Student Union more than 20 years before, we were again living in Columbia within walking distance of the campus in the late 1980s. Since Gary was working for University Hospital, he had become quite familiar with the money-saving (we assume) practice of filling open positions on an "interim" basis throughout the university system, sometimes even for years. As we walked through the snow-covered quadrangle one winter, we were amused by the sight of a well constructed snowman with a sign hanging around his "neck." It read "INTERIM SNOWMAN." So sorry we didn't have a camera to record the masterpiece; just a pleasant memory.

Sue and Gary Cummins

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I'm proud of my Mizzou J-school education and Mizzou in general. I still know the Tiger fight song, and of course, the "Cheer for Ole' Mizzou." I'll never forget my first day as a freshman, the orientation at Jesse Hall and the cheerleaders teaching that cheer. Mizzou-Rah!

Susan P. Holmberg, BJ
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In the time between stepping through the Columns at Tiger Walk and dashing back through them the other way at Tiger Prowl, I developed many fond memories on the Quad. I'll never forget dressing head to toe in black to play an epic game of capture the flag around Jesse Hall on my third day in the dorms freshman year. I have no idea who won the game, but I think it was that day that I realized we had all won because we chose to come to MU. Later that year I even camped out between the Columns with a group of friends from my Freshman Interest Group (FIG) and simply talked about our lives before Mizzou and where we'd go after graduation. Over the next four years I spent hours on the Quad's grass studying and soaking up the sun while earning my degree from the School of Journalism. Most important to me, though, was meeting the best friends I could ever ask for during my time on campus and getting to spend one last day with all of them on the Quad during Senior Sendoff. I even wore the Mizzou Mafia shirt I got on my first day of college. I love the Quad because I love Mizzou. Go Tigers!

Ry Colman, BJ '11

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Veritas kicked off the school year with capture the flag at the columns. It brought so many great memories back from playing it around the neighborhood in childhood years. We played at night and dressed in all black to make it all the more challenging. I guess when you are older, it is harder to capture the flag on behalf that everyone is quicker because after 45 minutes of playing, we had to start a new game because no one had been able to capture the flag. It was a lot of fun meshing childhood memories with college memories, and it was a great way to kick off my senior year here!

Kelsey McCann, student (HES)

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My most vivid memmory of the Quad is the day I was tapped for Mortar Board. It was a great honor to be among that small group of women students.

Carol Miller, BS BA '48