First Degree Granted

For years I have walked by a framed diploma in one of our archives offices and never knew its significance. Today, however, I was looking through some old Tartan newspapers (December 10, 1987) and saw a brief article titled “Diploma donated for RU collections”, which caught my eye.

The article briefly talked about the first bachelor’s degree granted by The State Normal School for Women- now known as Radford University. I immediately thought of the framed diploma and went to check and sure enough, it was Sallie Lorena Caldwell’s, and I was then curious to learn more so went right to my favorite book of our school’s history- History of the State Teachers College

For the first several years of our school’s existence, the graduating classes were quite small, and so Dr. McConnell could give each graduate a bit of special attention. According to M’Ledge Moffett’s History of the State Teachers College (p.324-5):

Until the classes became too large in number Doctor McConnell introduced a unique feature into the delivery of diplomas. As each girl was presented for graduation it was his custom to relate some anecdote of her own or ancestral history: to trace her relationship or to give some analysis of her vollege achievements. The witticism and humanness of these remarks were looked forward to from one commencement to another. Many a girl as her college life would develop would punctuate it by saying, she hoped that Doctor McConell would not tell that about her when she graduated.

Miss Lorena Caldwell was the first student to receive a degree from the college. From 1921 to 1928 a kneeling service was used as a feature of the graduation exercises at the time the degree was conferred by the President of the College. A pillow, made of grey satin with a band of purple satin, was brought in and placed in front of the Dean. As each student was presented for graduation she knelt on the cusion facing the President of the College, as he conferred the degree the hood was put over the student’s head bythe Dean of Women and the tassel was turned.