Halloween Horrorscope Homecoming 1964

Red and white illustration of a witch holding a ball with a character busting out of it and red text on a white background

On October 30, 1964, the University of Wisconsin had its Homecoming rally celebration with a Halloween Horrorscope theme. The event had thirty-one student-made displays which featured the predicted terrible fate of the Michigan State Spartans, their opponent at the football game the following night. The displays showed the Spartans "boiled in cauldrons, speared with tridents, stung by scorpions, eaten by spiders, stuck with pins by a voodoo, and hexed by witches." The displays were very large and animated, with one of the most memorable including three story tall Bucky Badger mascots. Around three thousand students attended the rally at Langdon Street that afternoon. Cheerleaders started the “Yell like Hell” festivities, with chants of “On, Wisconsin” filling the air. Football coach Milt Bruhn gave a speech, and the student display contest winners were announced. 

The Homecoming football game followed that Saturday on October 31. Unfortunately, the University of Wisconsin Badgers lost to the Michigan State University Spartans 22-6. The football game took place at Camp Randall stadium and sold out of tickets with 65,728 attendees cheering in the crowd. The University of Wisconsin class reunion also took place this weekend, with many alumni returning to watch the game and partake in festivities. The crowd was full of cardinal red in support of the Badgers and green for the Spartans, with Badger fans also bringing long red and blue plastic horns they blew at touchdowns. Fans were also able to watch the game from home on WHA-TV channel 21 in the Madison, Wisconsin area.