The Lewis J. Ort Library
congratulates the Class of 2016 on its commencement! In honor of this occasion,
the library offers a glimpse into our institution’s earlier commencement ceremonies.
The library has been digitizing FSU’s historic commencement programs from
Special Collections to put online in our institutional repository,
eScholarship@Frostburg. The
programs have been scanned and provided as OCR-compatible PDFs.
Originally, Frostburg State University
was State Normal School No. 2 and, later, Frostburg State Teachers College. The
commencement programs show varying sizes of graduation classes through the
years. The majority of graduates hailed from Allegany and Garrett Counties. Meanwhile,
changing ceremony formats often reflect the spirit of the historical period. For
decades, Tasker G. Lowndes, President of the State Board of Education, awarded
diplomas while the current school president conferred degrees. Administration
officials were predominately male. However, a few female State Board of
Education members are listed in commencement programs. By 1945, college
president John S. Dunkle had passed the reins to Lillian C. Compton.
Ceremony programs include either an
invocation or a prayer from a clergy member. Growing patriotism leading up to
and during WWII is reflected in the ceremonies. State Teachers College commencements
featured Henry Carey’s patriotic “America” (“My Country ‘Tis of Thee”) in the
1939 to 1941 programs. By 1942, flag salutes and Francis Scott Key’s “Star
Spangled Banner” were integrated into the commencement ceremony and continued
to be a fixture. The commencements also had somber moments that were personal. In
1950, John J. Stapleton of Frostburg was awarded his degree posthumously.
Music plays a large role in the degree-conferring
spectacle. Commencement ceremony participants were treated to whimsical music
selections both vocal and instrumental that included popular selections, folk
songs, classical music, and religious music. Earlier commencements featured
glee clubs singing breezy selections, such as the Men’s Glee Club’s performance
of “In the Garden of Your Heart” in 1926. Later, the light-hearted glee clubs
made way for choral groups, including the Maryland Singers who often sang
operatic selections, such as “Hail to Isis” from Verdi’s Aïda in 1939. Likewise, orchestral selections changed in tone
depending on the year. The 1926 program lists the “Indian Cradle Song.” Whereas,
the 1949 commencement featured three musical selections from Richard Wagner.
While “Pomp and Circumstance” is
considered a classic processional or recessional for graduation these days, it only
shows up occasionally in these historic commencement programs. A college or
university’s unique aspects are often expressed in its school’s song. In early
programs, the “School Song” song, from Pinsuti, was often performed by the
student chorus or student body prior to the recessional. By 1939, the program
replaces the “School Song” with the “State Teachers College Song,” attributed
to alum George W. Walburn (Class of 1937). Presumably, this song underwent revision
as subsequent programs (1940-1954) indicate the performance of the “State
Teachers College Song.” The song is then attributed to “Adapted” with no
mention of Walburn.
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