Guide to the Commencement Collection

Prepared by Josh Juckett and Glen Taul

Accession Number 2008.001   Inclusive Dates: 1843-Present Bulk Dates: (1843-Present)   2 Document Case Boxes

   Provenance

Documents concerning Georgetown College commencements were gathered through donations from alumni and college records. These papers were organized in 2008.

History of Commencements

Most institutions of higher learning hold a commencement ceremony to award degrees.  The term commencement was literally used to describe the transition from being a student to a teacher.  The word is now used to describe the ceremony in which students are awarded degrees for completing coursework at a college or university.  The first commencement took place at Georgetown College in 1842.  Like many other institutions, Georgetown has a variety of unique traditions embedded in their commencement activities.  This collection of commencement documents follow the various changes which have occurred throughout the history of commencement ceremonies at Georgetown College.

Subseries Descriptions

This subseries contains the documents specifically related to the secular commencement ceremony. The conferring of the degrees by the president has always been part of this ceremony, but other roles have differed. In the earliest commencements graduates demonstrated their newly acquired skills with orations, which were interspersed with music. The president would often speak also and then present the students with diplomas. The program typically concluded with a benediction and music. In the early 20^th century the program changed to include an invited commencement speaker and fewer student exhibitions. The modern day format for commencement programs includes addresses from a guest speaker and a senior class member. The President of the college still presides over the ceremony.

The programs in this subseries document the religious ceremony which precedes the secular degree ceremony. Separate Baccalaureate programs can be traced back to 1874, when President Basil Manly separated the worship portion of commencement from the presentation of degrees. These documents display the program activities, which follow a typical church service program of music and a sermon along with prayer throughout the program. The Baccalaureate service was at first held four days prior to commencement, but has since moved up to the night before commencement.

This subseries contains documents about Graduate Commencement ceremonies. Prior to 1990 graduate degrees were awarded in the Spring Commencement ceremony, when undergraduates received their degrees. When the ceremonies became too lengthy, the graduate education program began awarding its degrees at the end of the summer. Documents are complete from 1990-2007. They contain information about graduates, including hometown and field of study.

Summer commencements were for students who completed their degrees during summer school. Bachelor degrees were awarded. Georgetown College offered summer school commencements starting in 1927 and discontinued them after the 1971 exercises. Every year is not represented.

These documents contain schedules of events and activities during the week of commencement. Georgetown College began holding commencement festivities on multiple days as early as 1868 with commencement week, which began on the second Thursday in June. The earliest calendars found in Georgetown College catalogues indicate various addresses which occurred in the week leading up to commencement. Typically more recent documents contain daily schedules of meals, speakers, and events which both students and visitors can attend. Calendars are available from 1890-2005, but large gaps exist. A related event, the Senior Class Banquet, has been held for many years, which features a Charge given by a faculty member selected by the senior class. This subseries includes programs of those events.

 Subseries VI         Box 2                   Addresses 1958-2008

These are records of commencement addresses given by guest speakers and by Class Seniors. Few manuscripts exist.

The invitations relate information concerning the date of commencement and commencement-related events. Some feature daily planners with all of the events prior to commencement included. Others just have the date of the commencement ceremony. Large gaps exist in each folder.

Document Case List

Subseries I

Programs 1843-Present

Subseries II

Baccalaureate Programs 1910-Present

Subseries III

Graduate Programs 1990-Present

Subseries IV

Summer School Programs 1928-1967

Subseries V

Calendars 1899-2005

Subseries VI

Addresses 1958-2008

Subseries VII

Invitations 1887-2008