Commencement is quickly approaching and our soon-to-be graduates are preparing to walk across the stage Sunday, May 19. To mark the occasion, throughout May, we will give insight into key milestones in commencement celebrations throughout the years.
From 1891 to 1931, Western Reserve University celebrated its spring commencement across several days—anywhere from two to five.
But then, Western Reserve University switched to a consolidated approach, in which all of the institution’s schools shared a single date for 10 years from 1932 to 1941.
Starting in 1942, opting to again break the celebrations up, Western Reserve University held individual ceremonies after each semester, for a total of three celebrations each year.
In September 1967, Case Western Reserve University held the first commencement as a federated institution, ushering in a new era of ceremonies.
And in 1970, Case Western Reserve University switched back to a once-a-year commencement, dropping the summer and fall events.
Check back next week to see when commencement ceremonies began to closely resemble the present-day celebrations.