What is M.E.C.C.A.?

The M.E.C.C.A. celebration was established on March 17, 1910, as a festival of the patron saint of engineers, St. Patrick.  The celebration was originally called, “St. Patrick’s Day Celebration.”  The name was later changed to “Meccasacius Day,” named from the reverse letters of State University of Iowa, College of Applied Science, followed by the five branches of engineering: Architectural, Chemical, Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical.  The shortened version, M.E.C.C.A., was later adopted and the celebration was expanded, hence M.E.C.C.A. Week.

What M.E.C.C.A. activities have been celebrated in the past?

• Activities have changed over the years—some have been dropped; some have been added; some have been changed
• Rally, parade, talent show, Blarney Stone hunt, Smoker, awards, M.E.C.C.A. Queen, M.E.C.C.A. Ball, beard contests, and a variety of pranks (engineers played pranks on lawyers and vice versa, since the lawyers also claimed St. Patrick as their patron saint)
• Engineering students wore white straw hats with green hat bands