The first homecoming celebration at UMBC was held in February 1976, after several false starts in the years preceding. The 1976 event included the Almost Anything Goes tournament, where student organizations competed against each other for prizes; a…
UMBC's fascination with chess began early in the campus history. A query was sent to The Retriever in October 1967 asking What can be done about organizing a chess club at UMBC?" By 1968, an intramural chess tournament was hosted by the Chess Club…
Nationally-known illustrator Lance Hidy designed the poster commemorating the 20th anniversary of the university. His work is known for its minimal detail and flat, solid colors. The university also commissioned artist and alumna Paulette Raye to…
The first Spring Week (an early version of Quadmania) took place April 22- 29, 1967, and began with a rousing Saturday evening performance by the King of Soul," Otis Redding (1941-1967). The performance was for a semi-formal dance in Gym 1 and was…
The first SGA meeting of the 1971-72 academic year occurred during the first week of classes, and was covered by the Retriever Weekly with photography by William Morganstern. Pictured left to right are David Rowe, newly elected People's Party…
Quadmania in 1998 was almost Quad"-less. The festival was originally scheduled to be held in Parking Lot 16 due to construction in the area of the RAC and Commons; only a few weeks prior were the students informed that Quadmania would be held on the…
In 2001, UMBC held a Sweetheart Swing, a Valentine�s Day celebration and dance to honor UMBC couples who had met and fell in love at UMBC. The dance was hosted by UMBC alumni couples, including Bob and Mimi (Haw) Dietrich who were both part of UMBC…
A woman celebrates graduation with a man and young child. After continuous setbacks since the late 1970s, the Daycare Center at UMBC finally opened in September 1993, making it easier for mothers with children to attend classes.