Graduations: Old And New

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31089, 18 June 1966, Page 16

Graduations: Old And New

As president of a faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Professor O. P. Kindleberger had official functions to perform at its “commencement” (graduation) ceremony on Friday last week before coming to New Zealand.

“It is an ancient and archiac ceremony,” he said with a grimace. “We capped about 700 bachelors, about 400 masters, and 162 doctors. The first two groups were called by name and received their diplomas from the president of the university. The doctors had their hoods put over their shoulders by the president and me.” Professor Kindleberger was informed that the University of Canterbury follows a similar practice on graduation except that no hoods are placed and graduates receive the Chancellor’s handshake as well as the diploma. “We dispensed with the handshake—and I wish we

would dispense with a lot more,” said Professor Kindleberger. The university of Pennsylvania, where his son was, did things more quickly, if less warmly. “No names are called. The sonorous announcement is made of say: ‘B.A.’s in dental hygiene* (‘that means denttists); a hundred or two stand

up in the body of the hall; the university president admits them to all the privileges and appurtenances of this degree (‘whatever they are’); and then they sit down. Their names may be in the programme,” said Professor Kindleberger. “However, I must allow that Penn, graduates about 7000 a year,” he added.