After claiming the crown in 1977, Don Downing served on the UM System Board of Curators
Don Downing’s relationship with MU spans decades.
In 1977, Downing was crowned the first Homecoming King in MU history in front of a crowd of tens of thousands of onlookers at that year’s Homecoming football game. In 2009, he returned to MU as a member of the Board of Curators.
Courtesy of MU Savitar 1978.
Although MU Homecoming queens had been crowned in the annual celebration since 1937, Downing was the first of MU’s male Homecoming royalty.
Downing was an economics major from Kennett, Missouri. He recounts that he was completely unaware the university had made the decision to elect a Homecoming king until he learned he was nominated. The selection process included interviews with faculty, staff and alumni.
“After I understood the selection process and the role of the king, I was honored to be crowned as the king,” Downing said in an email to The Maneater.
As a student, Downing was involved in a multitude of organizations including the Missouri Students Association, Alumni Association Student Board, Beta Theta Pi and several honors societies.
Downing later went on to attend the MU School of Law and is currently a practicing attorney in St. Louis. However, his time at MU — especially as Homecoming King — has had a lasting impact on his life and has been a way for him to promote and honor the university.
“[Being crowned Homecoming King] provides very fond memories of my days at Mizzou and students and faculty members who were part of my life at that time,” Downing said. “Some remained a part of my life for many years thereafter and some remain part of my life today. It also has made me the subject of trivia questions.”
Downing also reflects on his influence on MU — including his position as a member of the UM Board of Curators from March 2009 to January 2015
“I hope I made some positive impact as a student, but I believe I had a much greater impact during the six years I served on the University of Missouri Board of Curators, including one year as Chair,” Downing said.
During Downing’s time in this position, he remembers prioritizing keeping tuition increases low, increasing faculty salaries and improving campus facilities. MU also left the Big 12 Conference to join the SEC during Downing’s tenure.
“It was a very fulfilling six years,” he said.
Although MU Homecoming is constantly evolving, Downing believes that the spirit of the celebrations have remained constant.
“Homecoming celebrations have always varied to some degree over time, but at [their] core they still celebrate our wonderful institution,” Downing said.
Copy Edited by Sterling Sewell | ssewell@themaneater.com