Building a New Tradition
What began as a Homecoming idea became a family project, and a lasting gift that celebrates Bradley pride, connection, and tradition.
For Allison Krone ’18, Bradley has always felt like home.
Long before she enrolled as a student, she was cheering on the Braves from the stands. Her father has been a Bradley Men’s Basketball season ticket holder for more than 30 years—longer than Allison has been alive—and attending games together became a family tradition. They talked with players, celebrated victories, and built countless memories along the way.
“I have my dad to thank for my love of Bradley,” Krone said.
That lifelong connection came full circle last year when Krone returned to campus as Associate Director of Alumni Relations. As plans for Homecoming were taking shape, the alumni planning team tossed around an idea: a giant version of Bradley’s iconic red Adirondack chairs, where students, alumni, and visitors could gather and snap photos.
The chairs they found online were expensive and lacked the quality they wanted. Krone immediately thought of someone else.
“My dad is a fantastic woodworker,” she said. “He builds projects for our family, friends, and my parents’ church, so I thought this would be something really special for him to create.”
Her father, John Krone, a retired Caterpillar mechanical engineer, built the oversized chair in just a few days. Allison spent evenings sanding and painting it Bradley red, while her brother, Bradley (who, funnily enough, wasn’t named after the University), engraved the Bradley logo on the lower panel using his CNC machine before helping install it near the Student Center.
Although the chair wasn’t originally intended for Homecoming, the timing proved perfect. It made its debut during the University’s inaugural Yard Party, quickly becoming a favorite gathering spot.
“It’s been so fun seeing students, alumni, families, and even our Alumni Board sharing photos on social media,” Krone said. “It creates conversation, brings people together, and builds school pride.”
Allison Krone in the chair she and her dad built.
Where Memories Begin
The chair was a fitting addition to a Homecoming celebration designed to create new traditions while celebrating old ones. As a student, Krone cherished events like Lighting of the B, when students, faculty, staff, and alumni came together for music, fireworks, and community. “Eight years later, it’s still one of my favorite Bradley traditions,” she said.
The new Yard Party carried that same spirit. Held in Alumni Quad, it welcomed hundreds of students, alumni, and community members while showcasing the newly opened Zaleski Recreation Complex and Ken and Doris Kolb Pavilion with live music, games, and opportunities to reconnect.
“The intention of the Yard Party was for us to brag a little bit,” Krone said with a laugh. “We wanted alumni to see all the exciting things happening on campus, connect with faculty and students, take tours, and feel like a Brave again.”
For Krone and her family, the chair became more than a Homecoming attraction—it became their way of giving back.
“We donated the chair to Bradley because this University has shaped so much of who I am,” she said. “It shaped me as a student, as an alum, as a fan, and now as a professional. I hope current and future students have something on campus that makes them feel the Bradley spirit and reminds them what it means to be part of the Bradley community.”
—Emily Potts