Storrs Agricultural School (1881-1893)
Storrs Agricultural College (1893-1899)
Connecticut Agricultural College (1899-1933)
Connecticut State College (1933-1939)
University of Connecticut
The first commencement ceremony was held June 28, 1882 to
close out the first academic year of Storrs Agricultural School. With only one year
of classes, there were no diplomas to award. The ceremony consisted
of a prayer by the Rev. Nathaniel Beach, followed by an address delivered
by Rev. L. T. (Leander Trowbridge) Chamberlain, pastor of Broadway Congregational Church in Norwich, Conn. Remarks were also given by
Theodore S. Gold of Cornwall on behalf of the school trustees. A laboratory demonstration
was then conducted by students "to illustrate the methods of instruction pursued
in the school," and visitors were invited to inspect the school's buildings
and facilities.
The second commencement ceremony was held June 27, 1883,
with the first six boys awarded certificates for completing the two-year curriculum.
During the ceremony, each of the six read a paper on an agricultural research topic:
- Frederick B. Brown of Gilead (Hebron) - "Animal Parasites"
- Charles S. Foster of Bristol - "Seed Testing"
- Henry R. Hoisington of Coventry - "Surveying"
- Burke Hough of Weatogue (Simsbury) - "The Colorado Potato-Beetle"
- Arthur S. Hubbard of Glastonbury - "Fruits of the Farm"
- Andrew K. Thompson of Cornwall - "Fertilizers"
The ceremony was held in the Storrs Congregational Church and
the speaker was J. M. Hubbard of Middletown, a member of
the Board of Trustees from 1881 to 1896. The program listed Hubbard
as presenting an "address on behalf of the trustees".
The third commencement had two speakers: Gov. Thomas M. Waller,
and the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. This ceremony, held on June 19, 1884, was held
outdoors, in an oak grove located on the east side of Gurleyville
Road, which is behind Holcomb Hall (built in 1920).
In its early years, the school/college selected either trustees,
clergymen or agriculturalists as the commencement speaker.
In the years of the administration of Charles Lewis Beach (1908 to
1928) the focus shifted to academicians and college presidents. During
the 27 years of the administration of Albert Jorgensen,
a speaker from outside the University was rare -- and the usual speaker
was Jorgensen. There was a shift to public policy makers and college
presidents during the administration of Homer D. Babbidge,
a trend that continued in the 1970s. In the 1980s and 1990s, television
journalists and entertainers were added to the long list
of speakers.
In 2003, the University began holding a commencement ceremony
in December for undergraduates who complete their degree requirements
in August and December.
The University began holding separate ceremonies for individual schools and colleges in May, 2007. The School of Fine Arts and the Neag School of Education were the first to hold these separate ceremonies in 2007.
In May 2008, separate ceremonies were held for the 14 schools and colleges of the University.
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