Commencement programs, 1947-1949

This collection primarily consists of commencement programs for Pacific University and Tualatin Academy. It also includes other events such as convocation, freshman exercises and senior honors. Included with the commencement programs for the earlier dates are commencement announcements.

The programs show how the commencement ceremony for Pacific University has changed over time. Earlier programs highlight the role of religion, as every program had a prayer component to it. The earlier programs includes notices of many orations, dissertations, musical performances and other presentations that were given during the cermonies. In the early years, the class sizes were small -- sometimes as few as 2-3 students per class year -- so each student often had a role in the ceremonies. Later programs show that as enrollment increased, less time was spent on individual student presentations, and the focus shifted towards acknowledging groups of graduates. This collection contains almost every commencement ceremony program from 1866 to the 2000s, with a few gaps in the very early years.