Queens College Commencement Records

The Department of Special Events and Alumni Affairs maintains copies of commencement programs for the office’s use and records. Joseph R. Brostek, the director of the department, gathered the programs from 1941-2005 into binders and donated them to the Queens College Department of Special Collections. In 2005 he authored an analysis of the Queens College commencement activities. The report is held with the collection. Since 2005, the Special Events and Alumni Affairs office has sent over an official copy of the year’s commencement program for addition to the collection.

Commencement ceremonies have been held each year since the first graduating year at Queens College. Until 1959 the ceremony was held in February for fall graduates as well as in the spring. Separate baccalaureate ceremonies were held from 1962-1975, then integrated with the larger commencement ceremonies from 1976-78 and 1990. They are still held today.

Awards and honorary degrees are also given out at commencement ceremonies. A list of the recipients of awards from 1946-1991 is held in the collection. Recipients of honorary degrees and the merits upon which the degrees were determined are also present.