E.C. Victory Cheer for East Car'lina, Cheer for old E.C., We know we're the finest, Onward to victory! GO PIRATES!!! Cheer for East Car'lina, Cheer on for old E.C., Loyal and Bold, we're the purple and gold, WE ARE THE PIRATES OF E.C.U.!

Baseball is established as the first sports team at East Carolina Teachers Training School, as the institution is then named. The first teams for women are established on an intramural level in the sports of basketball, tennis and volleyball.

The Athletic League was formed.

On March 5 of this year the first Founder's Day was celebrated at East Carolina Teachers College, and this occasion was also a Homecoming for alumni of the college. The celebration honored the classes of 1911, 1912, 1913, and 1914.

Original Wright Fountain built Dedicated in 1932, in honor of Robert H. Wright, ECU's first president, the fountain was built as part of ECU's campus beautification project. In 1951, the fountain at Wright Circle was rededicated as Wright Fountain in honor of Martin L. Wright, the chairman of the Campus Beautification Committee.

The ECU Teachers choose the name "Pirates" as the name for the college's sports teams.

The first Homecoming to feature sports was celebrated on November 20 of this year. Morning programs started the day, followed by a barbecue dinner, football game in the afternoon, and a dance later that night.

The College Band (ECU Marching Pirates) was formed this year.

The first Homecoming parade took place on March 18, 1941.

Led by football coach John Christenbury, the football team celebrated its only undefeated season when it beat Bergen College 13-7.

Dr. Leon Meadows, president of the college suspended Homecoming during World War II; therefore, no Homecoming celebration took place between 1941-1946. The first Homecoming since 1941 was celebrated on May 4 of this year. This Homecoming was called the Veterans Homecoming and May Day and honored all of the veterans who fought in the war.

Homecoming moved to fall and the Homecoming Parade became a beloved Homecoming tradition.

Kitty Gerringer Brinson from Draper, NC, was crowned ECU's first Homecoming queen.

Now in its 56th year, the Pirate Club provides athletic scholarships and other support for intercollegiate athletics.

The 50th Anniversary of the school was celebrated during Homecoming on October 12 of this year.

Pi Omega Pi and FLBLA designed a float for the Homecoming parade that looked like an anniversary cake for the university’s 50th anniversary celebration.

The first mascot at ECU, Buc, a Great Dane, was introduced.

The Homecoming game this year appeared on WNCT and it was East Carolina University's first televised athletic event.

During this weekend, for the first time, the queen was crowned during halftime, not the night before.

Also, 21 of the 35 members of the undefeated football team from 1941, the Christenbury team, returned to be honored at halftime.

It is unclear exactly when ECU began shooting off a cannon at home football games, but it dates back to at least 1967 when East Carolina officially gained university status. In 1999, ECU introduced a scale replica of an 18th-century English cannon that is fired by a special group of Army ROTC cadets.

Jeri Barnes, the first black Homecoming Queen, was crowned.

This was the year the Pee Dee the Pirate became the university's official mascot.

Elementary school students chose Pee Dee's name in a contest.

The iconic campus landmark is actually a double-size replica of the domed roof structure that once crowned the top of the orginal Austin Building, one of the first buildings constructed on campus. The Cupola serves as a reminder of ECU's earlier days.

ECU became a member of Conference-USA.

This year, the tradition of raising Jolly Roger and No Quarter flags was created. Now, the Jolly Roger flag is raised before kickoff, and the No Quarter flag is raised at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Also this year, ECU celebrated its 100th anniversary.

For the first time ever, ECU's football team won the CUSA Championship led by coach Skip Holtz.

ECU was the first team to win back-to-back Conference USA titles when it beat the University of Houston this year.

End zone expansion in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium was completed.

Elementary school students chose Pee Dee’s name in a contest.

This year's theme for Homecoming was "Pee Dee Goes to Hollywood."

Each year, the student body provides a theme which will be associated with all Homecoming activities, programs, and events. This year's theme, voted on by the student body will be, The Greatest Place on Earth!

The Greatest Place on Earth! - This circus theme will surely get the Pirates excited as PeeDee the Pirate tames the tigers under the "big top".
List of Homecoming Events