MenuInventory of the Commencement Exercises Reference Collection, 1850-2011
Abstract
The Commencement Exercises Reference Collection contains commencement programs; addresses, speeches, and sermons; and associated material.
Descriptive Summary
- Repository
- University Archives, Duke University
- Creator
- Duke University. University Archives
- Title
- Commencement Exercises Reference Collection, 1850-2011
- Language of Material
- English
- Extent
- 6.75 Linear Feet, 7500 Items
- Location
- For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Collection Overview
The collection contains programs, transcripts or copies of commencement and baccalaureate addresses, invitations, announcements, honorary degree citations, instructions to participants, news clippings, lists of speakers, Bibles, sample diplomas, and other materials pertaining to commencement ceremonies. From 1850 through 1927, one folder typically holds materials from several years' ceremonies, whereas in more recent years, one's year's ceremony may take more than one folder.
Administrative Information
Collections are on the move for the renovation of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Contact Rubenstein Library staff before visiting. Read More »
Access Restrictions
Patrons must sign the Acknowledgement of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.
Collection is open for research.
Use Restrictions
Copyright for Official University records is held by Duke University; all other copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Contents of the Collection
Browse List of Series
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(2 boxes)
Bibles
(2)
Box 1
Clippings, 1983-
Box 2
Memoranda and Notes, 1972-
Box 2
Speakers: Commencement, 1893-; Baccalaureate, 1892-
Box 2
Diplomas and diploma cases (samples), 1937 and 1980
Box 2
1850-1909
(18 folders)
Programs, clippings, letters and other
Box 3
1910-1930
(8 folders)
Programs
Box 4
Programs
Box 4
Address: Pres. William Preston Few, The Unity of Architecture at Duke University and the Ideas that Underlie it
Box 4
Programs
Box 4
Address: Pres. William Preston Few, The Discipline of Suffering
Box 4
Programs
Box 4
Programs
Box 4
Address: Sir Wilfred Greenfell, The Way to Wisdom
Box 4
1935-1937
(3 folders)
Programs
Box 4
Programs
Box 4
Sermon: Norman Vincent Peale, The Fate of Our Society
Box 4
Programs
Box 4
Addresses: Pres. William Preston Few and James R. Awgell
Box 4
Sermon: Bishop Garfield Bronley Oxnam
Box 4
Programs
Box 4
Address: William Allan Neilson
Box 4
1941-1945
(10 folders)
Programs
Box 5
Programs and Programs for School of Nursing
Box 5
1947-1948
(2 folders)
Programs
Box 5
Programs
Box 5
Sermon: James T. Cleland
Box 5
Address: Walter H. Judd, Which Direction Toward Peace
Box 5
Programs
Box 5
Address: Charles Dollard
Box 5
Sermon: Ralph W. Sockman, Make Up Your Mind
Box 5
Honorary Degree Citations
Box 5
Programs
Box 5
Address: Robert Calkins, In Quest of the Great Age"
Box 5
Address: Pres. A. Hollis Edens
Box 5
Sermon: Paul E. Scherer, What Do You Make of Life?
Box 5
Programs
Box 5
Address: Grayson Kirk
Box 5
Sermon: Paul Hardin, A Plea for Vital Virtues
Box 5
Programs
Box 5
Address: Harold Urey, The Intellectual Revolution
Box 5
Honorary Degree Citations
Box 5
Programs
Box 5
Address: Reuben Gilbert Gustarson
Box 5
Honorary Degree Citations
Box 5
Programs
Box 5
Address: Hodding Carter
Box 5
Programs
Box 5
Sermon: Russell J. Humbert, Freedom-Some New Dimensions
Box 5
Programs
Box 6
Honorary Degree Citations
Box 6
Programs
Box 6
Address: Charles S. Rhyne, Law as a Plan for Peace
Box 6
Honorary Degree Citations
Box 6
Programs
Box 6
Address: Ralph McGill
Box 6
Programs
Box 6
Address: David D. Henry, Concern for Consensus
Box 6
Sermon: Goodrich White, The Ordered Life
Box 6
Honorary Degree Citations
Box 6
Programs
Box 6
Remarks: Pres. Deryl Hart
Box 6
Sermon: Julian N. Hartt, The End in View
Box 6
Address: William S. Middleton, Man's Fulfillment
Box 6
Honorary Degree Citations
Box 6
Programs
Box 6
Address: Dr. Gaylord P. Harnwell
Box 6
Programs
Box 6
Address: Merrimon Cununggim
Box 6
Honorary Degree Citations
Box 6
Programs
Box 6
Address: Calvin Bryce Hoover
Box 6
Sermon: Pres. Douglas M. Knight
Box 6
Honorary Degree Citations
Box 6
Programs
Box 6
Address: Gordon Norton Ray
Box 6
Sermon: Pres. Douglas M. Knight
Box 6
Honorary Degree Citations
Box 6
Programs
Box 6
Address: Charles Hard Townes
Box 6
Sermon: Pres. Douglas M. Knight
Box 6
Honorary Degree Citations
Box 6
Programs
Box 6
Address: Robert Stanley Rankin
Box 6
Sermon: Pres. Douglas M. Knight
Box 6
Programs
Box 7
Address: Dr. Barnes Woodhall, I Dissent
Box 7
Honorary Degree Citations
Box 7
Programs
Box 7
Address: Angier Biddle Duke, Observations on Military Power and Foreign Policy
Box 7
Sermon: Pres. Douglas M. Knight
Box 7
Programs
Box 7
Address: Harold T. Parker
Box 7
Student Address: Kenneth Vickery
Box 7
Programs
Box 7
Address: Nancy Hanks
Box 7
Sermon: Robert E. Cushman
Box 7
Student Address: Byron R. Trauger
Box 7
Honorary Degree Citations
Box 7
Programs
Box 7
Address: Walter Cronkite
Box 7
Sermon: James T. Cleland
Box 7
Student Address: Clarence G. Newsome
Box 7
Programs
Box 7
Address: Vernon E. Jordan, The New South?
Box 7
Sermon: Hugh Anderson
Box 7
Student Address: Susan Tifft, A Rebirth of Individualism
Box 7
Programs
Box 7
Address: Pierre Elliott Trudeau (P.M. Canada)
Box 7
Sermon: Albert Outler
Box 7
Student Address: John M. Robinson
Box 7
Programs
Box 7
Remarks: Alexander Heard (Chancellor, Vanderbilt University)
Box 7
Programs
Box 8
Address: Pres. Terry Sanford
Box 8
Sermon: Donald W. Shrine
Box 8
Programs
Box 8
Address: Juanita Kreps
Box 8
Sermon: Arthur James Armstrong
Box 8
Student Address: Ian Abrams
Box 8
Programs
Box 8
Address: Glenn T. Seaborg
Box 8
Sermons: Barney L. Jones and Gilleasbuig MacMillan
Box 8
Student Address: Michelle Miller
Box 8
Honorary Degree Citations
Box 8
Programs
Box 8
Address: Pres. Terry Sanford
Box 8
1980
(2 folders)
Programs
Box 8
Sermon: Kenneth Goodson
Box 8
Student Addresses: Hans Christian Linnartz and Judith Varner
Box 8
Clippings
Box 8
Programs
Box 8
Address: William Styron
Box 8
Sermon: Peter Gomes
Box 8
Student Addresses: Eugene Lavon Banks, Jr. and Harsha Murthy
Box 8
1982
(2 folders)
Programs
Box 8
Sermon: Dr. David H.C. Reed
Box 8
Student Address: Frederick Robinson
Box 8
Clippings and Misc.
Box 8
1983
(2 folders)
Programs
Box 9
Address: Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans
Box 9
Student Address: Daniel S. Voll
Box 9
Remarks: Barney L. Jones and William E. King
Box 9
Clippings and Misc.
Box 9
1984
(2 folders)
Programs
Box 9
Address: Katharine Graham
Box 9
Clippings articles and Misc.
Box 9
1985
(2 folders)
Programs
Box 9
Address: Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh
Box 9
Statement to Students: Pres. Terry Sanford, Doing Something about Apartheid
Box 9
Clippings and Misc.
Box 9
1986
(2 folders)
Programs
Box 9
Address: Lee A. Iacocca
Box 9
Student Address: David M. Allen
Box 9
Remarks: Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans [Distinguished Alumni Award]
Box 9
Clippings and misc.
Box 9
1987
(2 folders)
Programs
Box 10
Address: Ted Koppel
Box 10
Student Address: Frederick W. Gissler, III
Box 10
Clippings and misc.
Box 10
1988
(2 folders)
Programs
Box 10
Address: Garry Trudeau
Box 10
Student Address: David Feitel
Box 10
Clippings and misc.
Box 10
1989
(2 folders)
Programs
Box 10
Address: Stephen Jay Gould
Box 10
Sermon: William H. Willimon
Box 10
Clippings and misc.
Box 10
1990
(2 folders)
Programs
Box 10
Address: Tom Brokaw
Box 10
Student Address: Meechelle Evans
Box 10
Sermon: William H. Williamon
Box 10
1991
(2 folders)
Programs
Box 11
Address: George F. Will
Box 11
Sermon: William H. Willimon
Box 11
Fuqua School Address: Harold A. Poling (Ford Motor Company)
Box 11
1992
(2 folders)
Programs
Box 11
Address: Martin Wright Edelman
Box 11
Sermon: William H. Willimon
Box 11
Clippings and misc.
Box 11
1993
(2 folders)
Programs
Box 11
Address: Bill Bradley
Box 11
Clippings and misc.
Box 11
1994
(3 folders)
Programs
Box 11
Address: Judy Woodruff
Box 11
Clippings and misc.
Box 11
1995
(3 folders)
Programs
Box 12
Address: David Gergen
Box 12
Baccalaureate Address: Nannerl O. Keohane
Box 12
Clippings and misc.
Box 12
1996
(2 folders)
Programs
Box 12
Address: Jane Alexander
Box 12
Sermon: William H. Willimon
Box 12
Charge to Class of '96: Pres. Nannerl O. Keohane
Box 12
Divinity School Sermon: Richard Lischer
Box 12
Clippings and misc.
Box 12
1997
(5 folders)
Programs
Box 12
Clippings
Box 12
Honorary Degrees
Box 12
Charge to Class of '97: Pres. Nannerl O. Keohane
Box 12
Divinity School Sermon: David Steinmetz
Box 12
Notes and Correspondence
Box 12
1998
(6 folders)
Clippings
Box 13
Baccalaureate Programs
Box 13
Other programs
Box 13
Charge to Class of '98: Pres. Nannerl O. Keohane
Box 13
Baccalaureate Programs and Sermon: William H. Willimon
Box 13
Student Address: Cristina Cardoze
Box 13
Address: George W. Bush
Box 13
1999
(6 folders)
Clippings
Box 13
Baccalaureate Programs
Box 13
Other programs
Box 13
Address: Cokie Roberts
Box 13
Charge to Class of '99: Pres. Nannerl O. Keohane
Box 13
Student Address: Samantha Wood
Box 13
2000
(6 folders)
Clippings
Box 13
Baccalaureate Programs
Box 13
Other programs
Box 13
Address: Elizabeth Dole
Box 13
Charge to Class of '00: Pres. Nannerl O. Keohane
Box 13
Student Address, clippings
Box 13
2001
(5 folders)
Clippings
Box 14
Baccalaureate programs
Box 14
Other programs
Box 14
Commencement programs
Box 14
Charge to Class of '01: Pres. Nannerl O. Keohane
Box 14
2002
(7 folders)
Baccalaureate programs
Box 14
Commencement programs
Box 14
Address: Tom Wolfe
Box 14
Clippings
Box 14
Other graduation programs
Box 14
Honorary Degrees
Box 14
Other events
Box 14
2003
(3 folders)
Commencement programs
Box 14
Divinity School programs
Box 14
Other graduation programs
Box 14
2004
(2 folders)
Commencement programs
Box 14
Other graduation programs
Box 14
2005
(2 folders)
Commencement programs
Box 14
Other graduation programs
Box 14
2005
(3 folders)
Baccalaureate service, organ recital
Box 15
Other graduation programs
Box 15
Commencement exercises
Box 15
2006
(4 folders)
Address: John Hope Franklin
Box 15
Commencement exercises
Box 15
Baccalaureate service
Box 15
Commencement program, Fuqua School of Business
Box 15
2007
(3 folders)
Baccalaureate service
Box 15
Commencement exercises
Box 15
Commencement program, Fuqua School of Business
Box 15
2008
(5 folders)
Baccalaureate service
Box 15
Address: Barbara Kingsolver
Box 15
Calendar of events
Box 15
Commencement exercises
Box 15
2009
(2 folders)
Commencement exercises
Box 16
Commencement exercises, Fuqua School of Business
Box 16
2010
(2 folders)
Commencement exercises
Box 16
Commencement exercises, Fuqua School of Business
Box 16
2011
(2 folders)
Commencement exercises
Box 16
Commencement exercises, Fuqua School of Business
Box 16
Duplicates, 1900-1939
Box 17
Historical Note
On November 21, 1852 the State of North Carolina authorized Normal College, Duke's predecessor institution, "to grant such degrees and marks of honor as are given by colleges and universities generally." The institution first awarded A.B. degrees the following year, and thus 1853 is our "degree date." Two brothers, D. C. and Lemuel Johnson, were the recipients, and made up the first graduating class. The 2009 commencement was the one hundred and fifty seventh. The University began printing commencement numbers on the programs in 1932, when that year's was marked as the eightieth commencement. The count therefore was started with the 1853 ceremony. Union Institute and Normal College did celebrate commencement before 1853; however no degrees were awarded at those ceremonies.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Commencement Exercises Reference Collection, University Archives, Duke University.
Provenance
This collection was compiled from a variety of sources by the University Archives for use in reference and research.
Processing Information
Processed by Tom Harkins, March 2010
Encoded by Josh Larkin Rowley, November 2010
Updated by Molly Bragg, July 2011
Accessions were merged into one collection, described in this finding aid.