From creative costumes to festive campus gatherings, Halloween has long been an opportunity for University of Rochester students to celebrate, connect, and show off their school spirit. But what did Halloween look like on campus decades ago? I had the opportunity to connect with Melissa Mead, University Archivist and Rochester Collections Librarian, to explore how students celebrated Halloween over the years through photographs preserved in the University Archives. Let’s take a look back at how generations of Yellowjackets have celebrated the spooky season!
According to Mead, Halloween has long brought students together across campus, with residence halls, individual dormitory floors, and Greek Life organizations hosting parties and seasonal festivities. These celebrations gave students opportunities to connect with their communities and embrace the Halloween spirit.
Halloween in 1911
The University Archives captured Halloween dating back more than a century; a scrapbook belonging to Mabel Truesdell, Class of 1915, featured Halloween party invitations and festive pumpkin illustrations. These keepsakes offer a glimpse into how students celebrated the spooky season during the early 20th century.
Halloween in 1977, the 1980s, and 1990s
A page from the 1977 University yearbook highlights a Halloween Dance, offering another glimpse into how generations of Yellowjackets embraced the holiday. Other images from the 80s and 90s further capture the University’s longstanding Halloween spirit.
Scare Fair dates back to 1998
Mead said the University Libraries hosted the inaugural Library Scare Fair in 1998, transforming the library into a Halloween wonderland inspired by that year’s theme, The Wizard of Oz. The event reflected how Halloween celebrations were expanding beyond individual student groups to bring together the broader campus community.
The Scare Fair continues to be a student-favorite Halloween tradition, now featuring activities such as a scavenger hunt through the River Campus Libraries, where students race around Rush Rhees Library in search of clues and a prize! Each year, a new theme is chosen by library staff. Past themes include: Area 51, haunted house, graveyard, and more.
The scavenger hunt concludes with a Tower Tour at the very top of Rush Rhees Library. Once you complete the scavenger hunt through a variety of library spaces, you’ll take an elevator and then some stairs to the deck of the tower. Views are spectacular this time of year with the trees in full autumnal colors.
Other traditions, including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Pumpkin Launch, brings another creative twist to the holiday, reflecting the ingenuity of URochester and enthusiasm of URochester students.
While celebrations and campus traditions have evolved throughout the years, one thing has remained constant: Halloween offers a chance for students to explore the beautiful URochester campus, come together, and get creative while making memories.
Whether through residence hall gatherings or a larger University event, generations of URochester students have found their own ways to celebrate the spooky season. And thanks to the University of Rochester Archives and Special Collections, we can look back at all of those memories today!
Happy Halloween! 👻🎃