Commencement to See Return of Prewar Pomp

Graduation will cover a five-day span of pomp and tradition for the first time since 1941, culminating on June 5 with the awarding of 2,317 degrees, David M. Little '18, Secretary to the University, announced yesterday.

Prepared by the recently-elected 1947 Permanent Class Committee, Class Day exercises alone will extend from June 1 until Harvard's 296th Commencement on June 5. With war-time restrictions gradually reducing the annual festivities to a one-day ceremony, this will be the first full-dress performance in six years.

Because of a Faculty ruling last December, the '47 graduation will also mark the first time in 30 years that the University will confer only A.B. degrees on candidates from the College.

825 from College

A breakdown of Little's approximate degree-candidate figures shows that 825 will graduate from the College. Four hundred A.M. degrees are to be conferred and 115 Ph.D.'s. Among other graduate schools, the Business School will send the most candidates--360--and the Engineering School and the Law School will send 178 and 137, respectively.

Baccalaureate services at Memorial Church on Sunday will lead the procession of traditional events, followed by the Senior Spread on Monday, a last fling at College life featuring a dinner dance at one of the Houses. Tuesday will be a day of recuperation.

Full Class Day

From 11 o'clock Wednesday morning until 1 o'clock Thursday morning, the actual Class Day, planned this year by the Permanent Class Committee because there was no time to elect to Class Day Committee, will bound along with 1) Triangle exercises--Class oration, poem, ode, and speeches; 2) lunch at the Houses; 3) parade to Soldiers Field for the Yale baseball game; 4) buffet supper in Kirkland House; 5) orchestra and glee club concert; and 6) dancing in the Houses.

Commencement itself will follow the traditional pattern, being opened in Tercentenary Theater by the High Sheriff of Middlesex County. After convocation and a musical interlude, the Commencement Parts will be delivered by outstanding graduating scholars, and President Conant will confer the degrees by token to the various class marshals.

Serving as first marshal will be Robert Cowen, 2nd '47, who is directing Class Day preparations. Cowen serves in place of First Marshal Thomas L. P. O'Donnell '47, 1L who led the procession at his own wartime graduation.

Although a rain program is always prepared, Little noted when outlining Commencement plans that there has been no recourse to it for the past 25 years.