Class Day
From at least 1863 until 1968, with some lapses, each senior class gathered a day or two before Commencement to celebrate Class Day. The observance was probably first introduced by the Class of 1863, in imitation of the custom which had begun much earlier at Harvard and had spread to other colleges. ’63 wanted to provide "an occasion on which the graduating class could meet to say their last words of good-will and goodbyes to college days and each other." Although the student magazine spoke of "reviving the old custom" which had "not been observed at Union for many years," there is no evidence of its earlier observance, and Jonathan Pearson, who had been at Union since 1832, described the 1863 Class Day in his diary as "a new performance for our College."
The program for the first Class Day was ambitious. Morning exercises at a church were followed by afternoon exercises on campus. Elected Class Day officers included "President, Poet, Orator, Historian, Prophet, Address," and "Marshall." Afternoon exercises included "History of Class," "Prophecy," "Dedication of the Class Tree," "Smoking Pipe of Peace," "Contest for the Roses," and songs. The "Pipe of Peace," "a beautiful piece of carving gotten up for the occasion," was smoked by all, then formally handed over to the president of the next class. Vice President Hickok addressed the first Class Day, apparently the only time anyone other than students played a role in the event.
The new custom immediately ran afoul of student politics; unable to agree on "the legality of the appointments for that day," the Classes of 1864 and 1865 apparently held only a reception, downtown, setting the stage in 1866 for the first of several revivals of Class Day. The Class of 1867 had one, but by 1871 the custom had died out and had again to be revived. In the next three years ceremonies were rained out (1872), canceled because fraternity rivalries prevented agreement on speakers (1873), and omitted in favor of a ball (1874). From 1875 until 1966, however, Class Day was held regularly with the exception of 1890 and the years of the Second World War.
Although the campus segment of the first Class Day was held in Taylor Lewis’s garden, it was scheduled for "the grove" in 1872 (but rained out), and from 1875 onwards the entire program took place under the Nott Elm in Jackson’s Gardent. The program changed over the years; originally the class planted a tree, but sometime after 1876 ivy was substituted.
Later, Class Day exercises and Ivy Exercises were separated and often held on separate days; Class Day was held in a church, and featured the class orator, class poet, class historian, and class prophecy, while Ivy Exercises were held in the Garden and featured: Ivy oration, Ivy Poem, Smoking Pipe of Peace, pipe oration, planting of ivy. In 1909 the two were again combined and held in the garden, with a procession to the place chosen for the planting of the ivy.
The original "Pipe of Peace" was replaced by 1910 with one, still extant, fashioned from a model of the Nott Memorial. The "Keeper of the Jug" was first mentioned among the officials in accounts of the 1913 Class Day; the "passing of the jug" was thereafter a part of the ceremonies. Many spectators attended.
By the 1960s, part of the event's function had been taken over by a senior party, and Class Day had degenerated into what the Concordiensis called "a drinking and swearing contest." Omitted in 1966 and 1967, and revived for the last time in 1968, Class Day, at Union as at many other colleges, then fell victim to a general indifference to tradition.
Condensed from Wayne Somers, compiler and editor, Encyclopedia of Union College History (Schenectady: Union College Press, 2003), page 166.
Image courtesy of Union College, Schaffer Library Special Collections and Archives, Photograph Collection