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A Brief History of the Coker Alma Mater

Coker's current version of the Alma Mater can be traced to 1960, when it was written and presented by the Senior Class at the traditional song contest. That version included the words "Loyal daughters we will be" in the first stanza because Coker was then, officially, a woman's college (though men had been attending class since the end of WWII). In 1973, the Alma Mater was slightly revised to reflect Coker's new co-educational status and the word "Echoes" in the second line of the third stanza replaced "Footsteps". The College's first Alma Mater was written in 1913 by then president Dr. Arthur Jackon Hall and music professor Carl Jean Tolman.

Coker College, hail to thee
Home of honor, truth, and right.
Loyal always we will be
To our hallowed shrine of light.

Chorus:
In the heart of Carolina
Proudly stands our Alma Mater
'Neath the blue of southern skies,
'Neath the blue of southern skies.

Through the halls of learning sound
Echoes of her spirit true
Guiding us with love profound
To our separate goals in view.

Tho' we go our separate ways
In our hearts there'll always be
Memories of these youthful days;
Coker College, hail to thee.