Claremont Men's College football players from seasons 1953 through 1960 will reunite this month on two occasions at Claremont McKenna College.
The alumni athletes will gather first at Ducey Gymnasium at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 16, the weekend before CMC's Homecoming activities, to take part in the dedication of a new trophy case that will honor 11 years of Pomona-Claremont athletics. Bill Arce, CMS athletics director emeritus, will guide the presentation, along with other key staff from Claremont athletics. The event also will include an unveiling of conceptual plans for future athletic facilities at Claremont McKenna College.
At 1 p.m. that afternoon, alumni are then expected to join former coach Jesse Cone who coached the combined Pomona College-Claremont Men's College football team from 1953 to 1956, then guided the Claremont-Mudd Stags for their first three seasons from 1957 to 1960to watch the great cross-Sixth-Street football game between Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Pomona-Pitzer, at Pomona's Merritt Field.
Alumni athletes represented in this reunion group formed some of the most successful teams in the history of The Claremont Colleges. The teams from 1953 to 1955 won three Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles; the 1954 team is still the only undefeated football squad for any Pomona or Claremont team. As well, the 1958 team represents the conclusion of the Pomona-Claremont concept, and the beginning of CMC's current grouping with Harvey Mudd and, later, Scripps colleges.
"We became a team 50 years ago," says John Devereux '57, alumni coordinator of the weekend events, "and these events will bring us all back together as friends."