Commencement and Convocation

Collection

Identifier: PI-011

Staff Only

Pratt Institute Archives Records and Manuscripts

Scope and Contents

Items included in the collection relate to commencement ceremonies and, after 1991, convocation. The collection primarily consists of bulletins/programs for these events, but many years contain planning documents, photographs, scripts, speech transcripts, newspaper clippings, and other ephemera related to the events.

Also included in the collection are bound volumes of materials. The first two bound resources are entirely enclosed in mylar and cover annual graduating exercises from 1902 to 1919 and 1920 to 1932. The next three bound resources are the same, but not enclosed in mylar, and cover the years 1932 to 1942, 1943 to 1953, and 1939 to 1953. The final set of bound resources is bound in black and date from 1954 to 1999 (see inventory for more detailed list).

Dates

1895 - 2018

Creator

Pratt Institute (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open to the public.

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish, contact the Archivist, Pratt Institute Library.

Biographical / Historical

According to the anniversary count, graduation exercises have been a tradition at Pratt Institute since 1889. The first commencement for which there are records is 1895. Commencements have been held in a multitude of locations, including the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Activities Resource Center, Library, Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, and more.

Convocation was first introduced in 1991 as a way to recognize graduates who have received honors.

Extent

4.15 Linear Feet (9 boxes, 16 bound volumes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Commencement and Convocation collection consists of the programs, planning materials, and other records related to the graduation ceremonies at Pratt Institute since 1895 to the present.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged chronologically by the year that the commencement ceremony occurred. It is not divided into series.

Harmful Language Statement

If you encounter any pejorative language (i.e. racist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic) or content in the finding aids or within the content of the collection, please send an email to archives.library@pratt.edu with the relevant details. For more information about how the Pratt Institute Libraries are addressing offensive language and content across its catalogs and databases, please see the Libraries' Harmful Language Statement: https://library.pratt.edu/statement/2022/05/27/harmful-language.html.