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Contact: Tom Uribes

May  20, 2004

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New Era of Commencement Ceremonies Begins at Save Mart Center on May 22

Copy prepared and researched by Ravneet Padda, University Relations Student Intern for News

      A ceremony that signifies completions will be marked by new beginnings on Saturday, May 22, as the Save Mart Center welcomes for the first time 3,421 undergraduates and 700 graduates to the 93^rd commencement of California State University, Fresno.

The commencements at Fresno State are a testament to the university's long journey since its inception as Fresno State Normal School on September 11, 1911, at Stanislaus and O streets in downtown Fresno.

On June 7, 1912, more than two months before its first birthday, the fledging school witnessed 31 women and two men walk with pride at the High School Auditorium as the first graduating class of Fresno Normal

The number went up to 109 the next year at the Second Annual Commencement Ceremony held on June 13, 1913.

The numbers further increased in June 1914 but there were other differences also. The school had moved to the University and Van Ness avenues, which are presently home to the Fresno City College, and the graduation ceremony held at the Normal Court, spanned a period of five days, which became a tradition thereafter.

The year 1916 saw more changes. A mid-year commencement exercise was held for the February class in the New Gymnasium at 8 p.m. The system of holding two commencements a year lasted for a couple of years.

From 1917 to 1921 the commencements were held in the evenings at the Normal School Auditorium or the East Court.

On Sept. 19, 1921, Fresno Normal was renamed Fresno State Teachers College and received authorization from the state Director of Education to grant Bachelor in Arts degrees in Elementary and Junior High teaching courses.

During the 1923 commencement ceremony in the College Auditorium at 10 a.m, six bachelor’s degrees were conferred. The morning ceremonies continued until 1936, except for 1935, when the event was held in the evening at the Library Lawn.

The following year the venue changed to the West Campus Lawn and remained there until 1946, when the ceremony was moved to the East Campus Lawn for the next decade. The trend of holding commencement ceremonies in the evening resumed in 1942.

The year 1955 witnessed the last change in the location of Fresno State College as it moved to its present location at Cedar and Shaw avenues.  But the commencement event stayed at the old venue.

The next two ceremonies, in 1956 and 1957, were held in Ratcliffe Stadium at Blackstone and University avenues, across from the old campus.

Records indicate the ceremonies that followed were held at the outdoor amphitheater, the south lawn of the Science Building and the West Lawn but it is not clear whether the locations were on the new campus or the old one.

On June 5, 1963, 1,223 students graduated with bachelor's degrees and 168 received their master's degrees at the amphitheater, which became the new venue for commencements.

Less than a decade later, when Fresno State College’s name was changed to California State University, Fresno, a trend that would last a decade had started: from the early 1970's to 1981, the commencement ceremony was held at the Selland Arena at the Convention Center in downtown Fresno.

Dr. Lawrence Sutherland, Fresno State music professor who conducted the university's wind ensemble at the ceremonies for almost 20 years through the 1970s and 80s, reminisced about the old times.

"We had more and more students graduating each year," Sutherland said. "And we have had some very good speeches over the years. It was always very special for me to see faculty members march in the procession with their gowns of different colors," he said.

The year 1982 marked the move to a new venue – Bulldog Stadium on the Fresno State campus. Almost 2,900 students were present for the first commencement ceremony there.

Sharon Smith, academic counselor in the office of Advising Services and coordinator of the 1982 commencement, said the main advantages of the move were the on-campus location and greater capacity of the Bulldog Stadium.

In 2003, the last commencement ceremony in Bulldog Stadium involved the granting of 3,286 bachelor’s and 680 masters' degrees.

This year will be witness to a new era in commencement history. The ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, May 22, at the Save Mart Center at Fresno State.

Gary Nelson, commencement coordinator, said even though the switch to the center involved a lot of work, an indoor event should be more comfortable for the attendees.

To new beginnings!

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