Media Assistance:
 Susan Killenberg McGinn Exec. Dir. of Danforth Campus Communications smcginn@wustl.edu (314) 935-5254 |
| News Writer, Office of Public Affairs:
Neil Schoenherr (nschoenherr@wustl.edu)
Assistant to Director of Commencement: Linda Poeppelmeier (lpoeppelmeier@wustl.edu) | Home Page: http://commencement.wustl.edu
Location: 276 N. Skinker Blvd. Email: lpoeppelmeier@wustl.edu Telephone: (314) 935-5985 |
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| Photo by Joe Angeles/WUSTL Photo |
| Commencement 2004 features WUSTL's sesquicentennial celebration with a new tradition -- green gowns for all graduates, modeled here by Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton (left) and trustee Chairman John F. McDonnell. The new gowns were designed by a member of WUSTL's faculty. |
Washington University and other American universities, public and private, follow the pattern of degree granting developed at the University of Paris, which was founded about 1100. In the early days of the University of Paris, the discipline of students, and indeed their entire education, fell under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Paris who was responsible for local educational matters. In an attempt to perform his office, the Bishop claimed supervision of curriculum and degree-granting. Here he ran into trouble from the teachers who felt they were the proper judges of the qualifications of their students. They demanded the right to grant the degree.
The modern commencement ceremony represents a compromise between the Bishop and the teaching masters. By 1200 the masters judged the merits of the student and then recommended him to the Bishop who conferred the degree. The Commencement ceremony held at Washington University is the successor to this medieval compromise. The Faculty sits on the platform in its role as teacher and examiner. Its leaders, the Deans, present the qualified candidates to the Chancellor. Acting upon the recommendation of the Faculty, the Chancellor formally confers the appropriate degree.
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| WUSTL Commencement 2008 147th Commencement video highlights (http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/11819.html) May 23, 2008 -- |
| 147th Commencement address Chris Matthews' address to the class of 2008 (http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/11812.html) May 16, 2008 -- Transcript of Chris Matthews' Commencement address to the class of 2008. |
| 'A willingness of the heart' Matthews urges graduates to grab hold of their place in history (http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/11810.html) May 16, 2008 -- Be a person of your times but also of your country, said Chris Matthews to the Class of 2008 during Washington University's 147th Commencement ceremony. The journalist, political commentator and host of MSNBC's "Hardball" wove in a message of self-creation and optimism for America, telling the audience of more than 14,500 that the future of this country lies sketched out in the minds and hearts of the 2,655 graduates sitting before him. A slideshow of Commencement images is included. |
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Showing 4 Clips. |
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| Liberal Intolerance on College Campuses
Fox - The O'Reilly Factor May 21, 2008 -- Laura Ingraham interviews two students on the subject of liberal intolerance on college campuses. WUSTL student Jill Strominger comments. |
| Northwestern Rescinds Wright's Honorary Degree
NPR - Talk of the Nation May 21, 2008 -- Host Neal Conan talks to the Weekly Standard's Joseph Epstein about Northwestern offering and then rescinding an honorary degree to Reverend Jeremiah Wright. One of the callers was a WUSTL alum named Mark who described the protest against Phyllis Schlafly at WUSTL's commencement. |
| Students, faculty protest Schlafly at commencement
Associated Press State & Local Wire and 62 others May 19, 2008 -- Hundreds of WUSTL students and faculty staged a silent protest as conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly received an honorary degree at the 147th Commencement. |
| Protest planned against Schlafly receiving honorary degree
Associated Press State & Local Wire and 3 others May 12, 2008 -- Some faculty and students at WUSTL plan to protest at commencement to show their disapproval for the university's decision to award conservative leader Phyllis Schlafly an honorary degree on Friday. The director of WUSTL's woman and gender studies program, Mary Ann Dzuback, comments. |
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