The first Hobo Convention was held in the spring of 1902 when most of the University of Missouri's male students dressed as "hobos" to qualify for membership in the Quo Vadis Club.  Initiates had to prove they had traveled 1,000 or more miles as a hobo, slept in at least one box car, and "hit back doors with results."

The Quo Vadis Club annually made arrangements with the Columbia-Centralia branch of the Wabash Railroad for the loan of a locomotive with a couple of box cars to carry Mizzou males masquerading as hobos and tramps from a point well up in the railroad yards to the little station in downtown Columbia.  

Most preferred to ride atop one of the box cars rather than inside.  The ride was preliminary to a descent upon Columbia house wives.  At each back door "hobos" would beg for handouts, making up piteous stories of hardship and want.  Most of the women had prepared themselves for this annual begging spree by Missouri men, baking cakes, cookies, pies and preparing other goodies especially for the hobos.