The Class of 1968, assembled for the last time as students on the field of Alumni Stadium. Where were you in this crowd? Sub Turri photo.

It finally came. For good or ill, our undergraduate days at BC were coming to an end.

According to the account in the Boston Globe the following day, “Boston College Graduates 2440” (BGlobe_BCgrad_060468). In the earlier Commencement 2018 post, we had noted that BC gave out 4,287 degrees this May 21st.

The following are somewhat estimates. (Actually, I tried to count the names in the 1968 commencement program, which I still have, so that explains any errors.)

Of the 2,440 degree recipients announced by the Globe, approximately 1,462 were undergraduates. Of those, 568 were A&S, 437 CBA, 279 Education, 127 Nursing, and 51 Evening.

Among the approximately 830 graduate and professional degree recipients, there were 17 PhDs awarded: 9 in education, 3 biology, 2 economics, and 1 each in chemistry, history, and philosophy. The remaining totals for graduate and professional degrees were: Master of Arts, 209; Master of Science, 64; Master of Arts in Teaching, 19; Master of Science in Teaching, 8; Master of Education, 198; Master of Social Work, 59; and LL.B. (law degree) 256.

Kingman Brewster, president of Yale University and 1968 Commencement speaker, leads this portion of the procession. Following (r-l) are Charles Donovan, SJ, Academic Vice President; Richard Cardinal Cushing; and Michael Walsh, SJ, President. Sub Turri photo.

Kingman Brewster, president of Yale University, was an honorary degree recipient and commencement speaker. The Globe said he spoke about making more loans available to college students. (Well, that seems to have happened, perhaps to an unfortunate degree.) I don’t remember anything he said. But I do remember that he was our commencement speaker, because not that long after this day, he became somewhat immortalized in Doonesbury, the iconic comic strip by Yale graduate Gary Trudeau. Many believe the Doonesbury character, President King, is the comic personalization of president _King_man Brewster.

Other honorary degree recipients were theologian Henri deLubac, SJ; Solicitor General of the US Erwin Griswold; Rita Kelleher, retiring dean of Nursing; John McEleney, SJ, archbishop of Jamaica; Cornelius Owens of NY Telephone Co.; James Shea, Jr., chairman of Milton Bradley; and California Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Traynor.

In this post are two of the only three pictures of graduation in Sub Turri (the other photo somewhat inexplicably being of John Wissler ’57, executive director of the alumni assocation.) You must have more. Didn’t your folks take tons? Won’t you please share? :)

This photo of classmate Tom Sugrue is in classic mode.

Share if you have something like this, or, even better, candids.

Now, this is a a movie of commencement. It is very short (53 secs) and of poor quality. My younger sister took it and, as you can tell, it was at the proverbial end of a reel. But it shows a bit of the A&S procession and some of the stadium. Please let us know you have better movies.

The real world awaited. And that world showed itself in an ugly way less than 48 hours after we graduated.