Celebrate 175 years with Rhodes as we reflect on the defining moments of our history and embark on a bright future that continues to inspire students, transform lives, graduate trailblazers, and advance our national and international stature. As we observe this significant milestone and inaugurate our 21st president, we hope you will mark your calendar to attend as many events as possible. Please check back often for updates as there's more to come!
Family Weekend
September 8-10, 2023
Visit Family Weekend for a full schedule of events.
Conversation: David Brooks on America
September 21, 2023
McNeill Concert Hall, 6:00 p.m.
A conversation with New York Times columnist and author David Brooks on the state of America. This event is open to the public and free, but an admission ticket is required. Please Register Here
Contact: Prof. Daniel Cullen
Homecoming/Reunion Weekend
September 29 - October 1, 2023
Be sure to check out the full schedule of events.
Family Night in the Rat: Halloween
October 13, 2023
Celebrate Halloween at Rhodes with fellow alumni, faculty, and staff on Friday the 13th. The refectory will be transfigured. You might even catch a golden snitch! Costumes encouraged.
What is Shakespeare’s First Folio—and Why Should I Care?
October 19, 2023
Blount Auditorium, Buckman Hall, 5 p.m.
Pearce Shakespeare Endowment Lecture by Emma Smith, Professor at the University of Oxford and best-selling author of “This is Shakespeare” and “Portable Magic: A History of Books and Their Readers.” Smith has been short-listed for the 2023 Wolfson History Prize, the UK's most prestigious writing prize.
2023 marks 400 years since the publication of the first collected edition of Shakespeare’s plays, the book now revered as the First Folio. This talk introduces what’s significant about this book, and what copies can tell us about the way it was put together, and the uses to which it has been put over the last four centuries. From printers’ errors to cat pawprints, and from children’s drawings to commonplacing, First Folios give us a ringside seat to view the changing status of Shakespeare, and the ways in which its cultural, literary, and economic value have become intertwined.
Contact: Prof. Scott Newstok
Presidential Inauguration
Inauguration of the 21st President of Rhodes College, Jennifer M. Collins
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2023
CAMPUS-WIDE CELEBRATORY LUNCH
Featuring Memphis-Inspired Dishes
11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Catherine Burrow Refectory
INAUGURAL TALKS
Featuring Rhodes Faculty
2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Reception immediately following
Blount Auditorium, Buckman Hall
- Lit Matters
Marshall Boswell, Professor of English - Study Abroad: It’s Not Just for Students
Cara Djonko-Moore, Associate Professor of Educational Studies - Collaborating with Plants, AI, and Machines to Make Art
Karl Erickson, Assistant Professor of Art - Breaking Barriers: A Journey into Novel Antibiotic Development
Elaine Frawley, Associate Professor of Biology and
Larryn Peterson, Associate Professor of Chemistry - Research, Action, and Rhodes:
Liberal Arts on the Streets of Memphis
Peter Hossler, Associate Professor of Urban Studies - The Impact of Emotional Labor on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Professionals, and What Organizations Can Do About It
Kelly Pledger Weeks ’92, P’27, Associate Professor of Business
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2023
INAUGURATION CEREMONY
9:30 a.m.
Bryan Campus Life Center
Check-in for delegates and program participants begins at 8:30 a.m.
INAUGURATION BRUNCH RECEPTION
Immediately Following the Ceremony
Crain Reception Hall and McCallum Ballroom
Second Floor, Bryan Campus Life Center
STUDENT INAUGURAL BALL
McCallum Ballroom
Bryan Campus Life Center
7:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
SPECIAL LIGHTING OF THE HERNANDO DE SOTO BRIDGE
In recognition of Rhodes 175th anniversary and to welcome President Collins, the Hernando de Soto Bridge will be lit Red for Rhodes!
Rhodes Reads
October 26, 2023
McNeill Auditorium, 6:00 p.m.
Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa will discuss their Pulitzer Prize-winning book, His Name is George Floyd, this year’s Rhodes Reads selection, to be read by all incoming students.
Contacts: Prof. Charles McKinney and Prof. Charles Hughes
CajunFest
October 28, 2023
Celebrate the final home-game of the season at our annual Cajun-style feast--full schedule coming soon!
Meeman Center for Lifelong Learning Presents Rhodes at 175: A History of the College
Full course descriptions are available at the Meeman Center for Lifelong Learning.
November 6, 2023
"Building the Memphis Campus/Master Plans"
Bill Short, Associate Director of Barret Library
November 13, 2023
"Presbyterian Heritage/Service/Social Justice
Stephen Haynes, Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Liberal Arts in Prison Program
November 20, 2023
"SEARCH Course and Curriculum"
Kenny Morrell, Associate Professor of Ancient Mediterranean Studies
November 27, 2023
"Fine Arts on Campus"
Carole Blankenship, Professor and Chair, Department of Music
St. Jude Marathon Hydration Station
Saturday, December 2, 2023
8:00 a.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Hydration Station #83
389 East Parkway at Overton Park Pavilion
(between Miles 17 - 18 on the marathon route)
Celebrate the 175th Anniversary of Rhodes with a community service project during the 2023 St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. In addition to providing life-saving care to many members of the Rhodes community over the years, St. Jude annually provides intensive research experiences to Rhodes students through the St. Jude Summer Plus Fellowship.
Volunteers are needed to do the following:
• Unloading supplies
• Table set-up
• Port-a-let stocking
• Preparing water and nutrition tubs
• Filling hundreds of cups
• Organizing the station tables
• Setting up trash boxes
• Cheering on the runners!
All volunteers will be provided a long-sleeve St. Jude Volunteer t-shirt to wear during the event. We must be in place by 8:15 a.m.
To serve on the Rhodes Hydration Station Team, you must register by November 10. Registration link and directions are below:
• Click this registration link: HYDRATION STATION REGISTRATION
• Be sure you are registering for Hydration Station #83
• Use this password (all caps): RHODESALUM
• Follow the registration prompts.
• Registration is open through November 10.
For more information, please e-mail alumni@rhodes.edu.