What were commencement exercises like at the University of Wyoming a century ago? The question might seem rather mundane at first, but when the American Heritage Center recently received a UW diploma from the family of 1926 graduate Carl A. Johnson, the question became much more intriguing.
The diploma itself is stunning. Enclosed in a leather-bound volume with the graduate’s name embossed on the cover, the diploma includes a gold seal with gold and brown ribbons. Even more stunning, the diploma that Carl Johnson and his fellow classmates received was personally signed by President Arthur Crane; Board of Trustees President Joseph Elliott, who was a prominent businessman from Wheatland; and Board Secretary Fay E. Smith, who later became the university’s land coordinator overseeing the university’s land grants.
Though having a president and members of the trustees sign a diploma might not seem completely uncommon, the UW diplomas of the era also were signed by the entire body of faculty. Some names still recognized today include Aven Nelson, June Downey, Grace Raymond Hebard, S. H. Knight, Clara McIntyre, John Corbett, Harriet Orr, Oscar Schwiering (father of Conrad Schwiering, a well-known artist of the Tetons), and Robert Burns.
The faculty spent considerable time and likely developed some hand cramps after having signed the diplomas for Mr. Johnson and 108 of his fellow graduates. The signatures appear on three pages of heavy cardstock.
Whereas today, graduation events have been reduced to one or two days, in 1926, exercises spanned a week. Events for 1926 began on June 4 with stage performances. Additional performances by students continued the next day. On Sunday, June 6, Baccalaureate exercises followed breakfast, and there was an evening reception for students and visitors. On Monday, there was an alumni event, a tea party, sporting activities, and an evening theatrical program. Commencement exercises began at 10am on Tuesday, June 8. The address was given by George Willard Frasier, who was president of Colorado State Teachers College (now Northern Colorado University.)
Carl Johnson graduated with a number of notable classmates, including George Tayloe Ross, whose mother, Nellie Tayloe Ross, was the governor at the time and whose father William also had been governor a few years earlier. Another member of the Class of 1926 was Constance Chatterton whose father, Fenimore, was governor from 1903-1905. Other graduates include Alfred Palmer and Robert Spalding who had successful careers with Shell Oil, Glen Gariepy who became chief geologist for Marathon Oil, and Lawrence Meeboer who did not have to travel far for his job. Upon graduating he stayed on campus to serve as executive assistant to the president until his retirement in 1970.
Carl Johnson was a resident of Cheyenne and received his degree in Commercial Sciences (today a business degree). Upon graduation, he returned to Cheyenne where he opened a successful accounting firm. He was born on August 27, 1903, and passed away on August 14, 1989. The American Heritage Center is grateful to his family for donating his diploma.
Post contributed by AHC Archivist and UW Historian John Waggener.
