Homecoming ’86 was a yearlong celebration in Tennessee, conceived and promoted by then-governor Lamar Alexander. It was officially launched January 15, 1983, in Governor Alexander’s second inaugural address. Minnie Pearl and Alex Haley were named cochairs. UT was one of five hundred communities invited to become a Homecoming ’86 Community and was officially designated in February 1985. (By late 1986 the official Homecoming ’86 Community total reached 812.) The focus of the yearlong event was to be “part hoedown, part history lesson, and part homecoming celebration.” UT held special history-related events during the year. Also, at the request of the State’s Homecoming Office, a special university logo was developed for the yearlong celebration, and the university developed a Tennessee trivia game.