RAILSPLITTER HOMECOMING CELEBRATION SET FOR NEXT WEEK

October 3, 2008 - Harrogate, Tennessee — Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) will host its annual Homecoming celebration October 9-11, 2007. The exciting annual tradition includes reunion activities, athletic events, halls of fame inductions, building dedications and is highlighted by the Alumni Banquet and Awards Ceremony set for Saturday evening.

The weekend of celebration will begin on Thursday, October 9, with the Homecoming Parade. Sponsored by LMU Student Government Association the parade will feature floats from student organizations. The Parade is followed by the Coronation Ceremony in Duke Hall to crown this year’s Homecoming King and Queen. The coronation begins at 8:00 p.m. A new event this year is the LMU Student Government Association Homecoming Formal at 8:30 p.m.

Another new event will take place at 1 p.m. on Friday, October 10 with the Alumni Golf Outing at Woodlake Golf Course in Tazewell, Tenn. The cost is $28 per golfer and participants should call 423.626.6010 to reserve a tee time. At 2:30 p.m. the University will hold a memorial service for former president Martin Peters, who passed away earlier this year. The service will take place at the Arnold Auditorium of the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum. Alumni, faculty, staff, students and the community are encouraged to attend.

The LMU-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) will host an Anatomical Donation Program Awareness Presentation at 4 p.m. on Friday in LMU-DCOM 101. The presentation will cover answer questions for people considering donating their bodies to science. The community is also encouraged to support the Lady Railsplitter Volleyball team as it takes on Mars Hill College at 6:30 p.m. on Friday in Mary Mars Gym.

On Saturday, October 11, runners from the surrounding area will compete in the 2008 Railsplitter 5K, held in partnership with the Cumberland Trails United Way. Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m., and the race will begin at 9:00 a.m., on the rear, lower level of the Tex Turner Arena.

The Brooks Reading Room will be rededicated within the Carnegie-Vincent Library at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday. The Brooks Reading Room honors a remarkable family who has had a tremendous impact on LMU for decades. The room serves as a haven for students who are seeking a quiet place to study and reflect.

Two new residence halls will be dedicated at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. The new apartment-style student housing is a result of generous support from two LMU alumni. Langley Hall will be dedicated in memory of William P. and Laura B. Langley, 1st Lt. Linwood D. Langley USAF/KIA and Patricia T. Langley. The Langleys are being honored by Cmdr. L. Robert Langley, a member of the Class of 1950. Shelton Hall will be dedicated in honor of philanthropists R.C. "Snook" and Martina Shelton of Pennington Gap, Va. Snook Shelton, a member of the Class of 1954, served in the Air Force and had a career in the coal mining industry prior to his education at LMU. Upon graduation from LMU he founded Shelton Insurance and served as president of the company until his retirement in 2004.

The Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum will celebrate Homecoming with the grand opening of a new exhibit titled “Lincoln In Memory: The 16th President as National Icon.” Opening at 1:30 p.m., the exhibit examines how the image, words and character of Abraham Lincoln have become an integral part of mass marketing, propaganda and entertainment. The wide variety of Lincolniana includes silverware, medals, pins, bookends, candy boxes and glassware—all attempts to either honor Lincoln or make a dollar from his memory. The exhibit will also feature movie stills, movie posters and television scripts that feature Lincoln as a central character.

Special honors will be awarded to several alumni throughout the weekend. On Saturday at 10:00 a.m. in the Tex Turner Arena, Jennifer Baker Dagley ’98, Rachel Peach Denton ’85, Chris Kline ’97, Jimmy Miller ’01, Shelley Robinson ’98 and Dave Swaney ’99 will be inducted into the Athletes Hall of Fame. Talmadge England ’56 and Bruce Adkins, ’54 will be inducted into the Professional Hall of Fame. Sherrie Claiborne ’69 and Shelby Middleton Jr., ’52 will enter the Educators’ Hall of Fame. Kenny Fields, ’62 will be inducted into the Literary Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday at the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum. Additional award winners will be recognized at Homecoming’s Alumni Banquet on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Awards will be given to the Alumnus of the Year, the Volunteer Alumnus of the Year and the Young Alumnus of the Year.

These events are in addition to the traditional class reunions that allow alumni to reconnect with old friends. A full schedule of LMU’s Homecoming 2008 is available online at www.lmunet.edu or by contacting the Alumni Services Office at 423-869-7072.

Lincoln Memorial University is a values-based learning community dedicated to providing educational experiences in the liberal arts and professional studies. The main campus is located in Harrogate, Tennessee. For more information about the undergraduate and graduate programs available at LMU, contact the Office of Admissions at 423-869-6280 or e-mail at admissions@lmunet.edu.

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