Guide to the Westminster College commencement publications

Since about 2004, commencement information has been posted on the Westminster College Commencement webpage informing graduating students and their families, as well as the Westminster College community in general, about commencement activities, schedules, and procedures.

This collection consists of the commencement publications of Westminster College, Salt Lake City, Utah. The materials date from 1903 forward and include commencement and baccalaureate programs, as well as invitations to commencement activities, and menus from luncheons/dinners.

As of 2013, the collection contains 56 commencement and baccalaureate programs. The last baccalaureate service program is dated 1985. There are invitations and menus for the honoree degree luncheons/dinners. The invitations included in this series are for the following years: 1977, 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2006.

The content of the commencement programs has changed substantially from 1903. In the early 1900s, the commencement programs included a detailed listing of the music performed including the title and composer of the music, and the performers' names, but no commencement address. There was also the listing of orations presented and names of student speakers. One example of an oratorical debate is the one presented in 1905. Its topic was: "Does Washington deserve greater honor than Lincoln?" The affirmative speaker was Edward L. Troxel and the negative speaker was Orlando E. Oven.

In 1916, a commencement address was first listed. It was presented by the Reverend Peter A. Simpkin. In 1923, the commencement program's cover design changed. For the only time, the program listed the year in Roman numerals and for the first time contained a listing of the week's events including the commencement address and the awarding of diplomas and prizes at the end.

From 1927 to 1931, Bible prizes were listed on the program's inside cover. The lists were in a different format from the rest of the program. They included the winners' names and the amount of the monetary award.

In 1946, the baccalaureate program included for the first time a cover photograph and a brief description of events. The names of the honorary degree recipients were first included in the 1947 commencement program. A description of the honorary degree recipients was first included in the 1981 commencement exercises program. All programs since (except 1983) have included such descriptions. In 1983, the honorary degree recipients were just mentioned with no description.

Program notes were included in the commencement program during the late 1980s. These notes describe the origin of the academic dress, square cap, academic hoods, the marks of distinction for students who graduate with special honors, ceremonial symbols, awards and participants. Various stylistic changes were made to the program covers during the late 1990s and the early 21st century including color of typeface (1996), the addition of colored lines (1998). The addition of the school's logo (Converse Hall) first appearing in 2004.

Gaps in the collection: commencement and baccalaureate programs are wanting for 1904-1905, 1917-1920, 1922, 1924-1926, 1930, 1932-1945, 1951-1970, 1974-1976, and 1979.

Restrictions on Access:

Open to public research.

Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Twenty-four hours advance notice is encouraged.

Restrictions on Use:

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material must be obtained from the director of the Giovale Library.

Preferred Citation:

Westminster College commencement publications, 1903-2013, ACC-100, Giovale Library Archives, Westminster College, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically by commencement year.

Processing Note:

Processed March 2007 by Arlinda Shtylla and updated May 2008 by Rebekah Sappington. This collection was created from various small groups of unorganized programs and duplicates removed from another collection, the Westminster College President's Office commencement records, 1898-2001 (ACC-069). Two copies of programs are retained in the folders after 2000.

Creator:

Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah : 1902-1983)

Westminster College of Salt Lake City

Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah : 1998- )

Language:

Collection materials are in English.

Quantity:

0.6 linear feet

Language of the Finding Aid:

English.

Author of the Finding Aid:

Finding aid written March 2007 by Arlinda Shtylla; updated May 2008 by Rebekah Sappington; expanded March 2014 by Sarah Shaw.

EAD Creation Date:

2014 March 11 by Sarah Shaw

Standard:

Describing Archives : A Content Standard (DACS)

Subarea:

Related Material:

Related collection and photographs in Giovale Library Archives:

• Westminster College President's Office commencement records, 1898-2001 (ACC-069)
• Westminster College President's Office honorary degree citations, 1945-1989 (ACC-075)
• Westminster College convocation records, 1950-2012 (ACC-099)
• Westminster College President's Office commencement speeches, 1945-2007 (ACC-131)
• Photograph of Westminster Commencement play production of "As you like it", May 1922
• Photograph of 1975 graduation : students and faculty
• Photograph of 1980 graduation bagpipes
• Photograph of President Pete Petersen (presumably at Commencement), 1982

Corporate Names:

Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah : 1902-1983)--Archives
Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah : 1902-1983)--History--Sources
Westminster College of Salt Lake City--Archives
Westminster College of Salt Lake City--History--Sources
Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah : 1998- )--Archives
Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah : 1998- )--History--Sources

Subject Terms:

Academic rites and ceremonies--Utah--Salt Lake City
Baccalaureate addresses--Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah : 1902-1983)
Baccalaureate addresses--Westminster College of Salt Lake City
Baccalaureate addresses--Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah : 1998- )
Commencement ceremonies--Utah--Salt Lake City

Form or Genre Terms:

Invitations
Menus
Programs (documents)

Personal Names:

Oven, Orlando E.
Simpkin, Peter A.
Troxel, Edward L.

Geographical Names:

Salt Lake City (Utah)--History--Sources