"Commencement: 150 years of Tradition and Ceremony" is currently on display in the Friedlander Lobby of Rush Rhees Library on the University of Rochester's River Campus. Along with the pageantry of academic processions and the pomp of conferring degrees, graduation also has included other colorful customs. Smoking pipes, planting ivy, singing songs, burning the class will, and passing under daisy chain arches have all been part of class day and commencement customs.
Through photographs, programs, and memorabilia, the exhibition recalls these traditions. Also shown are academic robes (including the one worn by the University's third president Rush Rhees) and the hoods (a different color for each discipline) conferred upon doctoral students. Materials related to several of the prominent figures who have received honorary degrees from the University, including Winston Churchill, Thomas E. Dewey, and Desmond Tutu, are also on display.
The exhibition continues through July 15. Call (585) 275-7600 for a recording on summer hours or check the Web at www.lib.rochester.edu/circ/hourcir.htm.