Guide to the San José State University Commencement & Honors Convocations Records MSS-2009-02-03

SJSU Special Collections & Archives
© 2009
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0028
special.collections@sjsu.edu


Language of Material: English
Contributing Institution: SJSU Special Collections & Archives
Title: San José State University Commencement & Honors Convocations Records
Identifier/Call Number: MSS-2009-02-03
Physical Description: 15.0 boxes (12.67 linear feet)
Physical Description: 101 Rolls of microfilm
Date (inclusive): 1889-2018
Date (bulk): 1956-1968
Abstract: The San José State University Commencement & Honors Convocation Records, 1889-2018 consists of programs, event planning paperwork, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks and correspondence for the university's commencement and honors convocation ceremonies, as well as programs for the African American (later renamed to Black Grad) and Chicano Commencement ceremonies. Photographs and negatives are included in the records.

Access

The collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Copyright has been assigned to the San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives. All requests for permission to publish or quote manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Special Collections & Archives as the owner of the collection. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files from or derived from these collections is restricted to research and educational purposes.

Preferred Citation

San José State University Commencement & Honors Convocations Records, MSS-2009-02-03, San José State University Library Special Collections and Archives.

Project Information

This finding aid was created as part of the Survey and Cataloging Project, a two-year San José State University Library grant project funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. The project began in 2008. The Project Director is Danelle Moon. The Project Archivist is Erin Louthen.

Processing Information

Collection processed by Jane Gilvin. Finding aid EAD encoded by Lynn Sheehy. Reviewed by Danelle Moon and Erin Louthen. Series III added by Dana V. Lema in 2017. Finding Aid updated by Christine Thuy Minh Nguyen in Feb 2023, adding Box 15.

Organizational History

In 1857 the San Francisco Board of Education established Minns' Evening Normal School for current and prospective teachers in the city. Named after its principal, George W. Minns, the institution was formally established as the first California State Normal School by the State Legislature in 1862. A decade later, the Legislature voted to move the Normal School to San José, and the school relocated to its new home on Washington Square prior to the fall term of 1872. After a fire destroyed the Normal School building in 1880, the Legislature authorized $200,000 to construct a new building on the same site. Completed in 1881, the building was commonly referred to as the Second State Normal School. After several names and curriculum changes, Minns' Normal school is now San José State University, offering more than 134 bachelor's and master's degrees with 110 concentrations, and is recognized as one of the top public universities granting such degrees in the West.
Minns' Evening Normal School held commencement ceremonies in 1861 and 1862 with two graduating classes. After the institution became the California State Normal School, the first commencement was held on May 14th, 1863. The university's Honors Convocation was inaugurated in 1962 by the Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Xi and Phi Beta Kappa Faculty Club honor societies. The convocation is intended to recognize President's and Dean's scholars--undergraduate students who have earned a 4.0 or 3.65 grade point average or higher in at least two contiguous semesters of the three semesters prior to the Honors Convocation, respectively.

Scope and Content

The San José State University Commencement & Honors Convocation Records 1889-2018 (bulk 1956-1968) consist of programs, event planning paperwork, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks and correspondence for the university's commencement and honors convocation ceremonies. Photographs are also included in the records as well as negatives and negative indexes document the commencement exercises. Letters inviting commencement speakers and copies of university presidents' speeches are also included. The extensive date range of commencement programs shows the growth of the student population and the evolution of the university's academic programs. Also documented is the move from three commencements per academic year to a single commencement ceremony. For many of the years covered in the records, event programs are the only items that exist documenting commencement and convocation ceremonies. Accrual in Feb 2023 added programs from the SJSU Annual African American Commencement (later renamed to Black Grad) and the SJSU Annual Chicano Commencement.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into three series: Series I. Academic Senate Commencement Committee, 1925-1978 (bulk 1956-1968); Series II. Academic Affairs: Commencement & Honors Convocation, 1889-2017 and Series III: Academic Affairs: Commencement & Honors Convocation Negatives, 1990-1999.

University Archives Collection

Record Group: 8.2.1

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Commencement ceremonies -- California -- San Jose
Education, Higher -- California -- San Jose
San José State University -- History
San José State Normal School -- History
San José State Teachers College -- History
California State University, San José -- History
San Jose State College

 

Series I: Academic Senate Commencement Committee Series I: 1925-1978 (bulk 1956-1968) 1956-1968

Physical Description: 5.0 boxes

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series contains correspondence, manuscripts, programs, and scrapbooks from the San José State University Academic Commencement Committee. Letters inviting commencement speakers and copies of university presidents' speeches are also included.
Minns' Evening Normal School held commencement ceremonies in 1861 and 1862 with two graduating classes. After the institution became the California State Normal School, the first commencement was held on May 14th, 1863. The San José State University Commencement & Honors Convocation Records indicate that the school had winter, spring and summer commencement ceremonies each academic year until the 1971-1972 term. Today, commencement at San José State University occurs once in the spring.

Arrangement

This series is arranged chronologically by date.
Box 1

Commencement Program Scrapbooks 1925-1956

Box 2

SJSU Presidents' Commencement Reports 1953-1964

Box 3-5

Commencement Programs, Correspondence & President's Reports 1951-1978

 

Series II: Academic Affairs: Commencement & Honors Convocation Series II: 1889-2018

Physical Description: 9.0 boxes

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series contains correspondence, clippings and programs from the Honors Convocation. Programs, negatives and negative indexes from commencement are also part of the series. The extensive date range of commencement programs shows the growth of the student population and the evolution of the university's academic programs. Accrual in Feb 2023 added programs from the SJSU Annual African American Commencement (later renamed to Black Grad) and the SJSU Annual Chicano Commencement.
The Honors Convocation was inaugurated in 1962 by the Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Xi and Phi Beta Kappa Faculty Club honor societies. According to the Office of the Provost, Honors Convocation is intended to recognize President's and Dean's scholars. President's scholars are undergraduate students who have earned a 4.0 grade point average at San José State University in at least two contiguous semesters of the three semesters prior to the Honors Convocation. Dean's scholars are undergraduate students who have earned a 3.65 or higher grade point average at San José State University in at least two contiguous semesters of the three semesters prior to the Honors Convocation.

Arrangement

This series is arranged chronologically by date.
Box 6

Commencement & Senior Week Programs 1889-1980

Box 7-9

Commencement Programs 1924-1925, 1938-1998

Box 10

Commencement Programs & Photographs 1949, 1965, 1987, 1998, 2003-2008, 2010, 2017, 2018

Box 11

Commencement Photographic Negatives & Graduate List 1991-1999

Box 12

Honors Convocation & Commencement Programs 1980-2009

Box 13-14

Honors Convocation Clippings, Programs & Correspondence 1962-1996

Box 15

African American & Chicano Commencement Programs 2010-2018

 

Series III: Academic Affairs: Commencement & Honor Convocation Negatives 1990-1999

drawer 4, 5 & 6

General Commencement Negatives 1990-1999

drawer 6

College of Social Work Commencement 1996, 1997, 1999

drawer 6

Black Students Ceremony 1999