The impact of World War II: 1941 to 1949
The earliest surviving commencement program dates to 1941. It indicates that the ceremonies included an invocation by the Reverend A.P. Boire and a benediction by Reverend Thomas LeRoy Crosby. This is the first record of guest clergy offering prayers during the school’s graduation, though later surviving programs indicate it was a regular part of the programed events. The program also includes the opening of the ceremonies with the Star Spangled Banner and closing with Auld Lang Syne, both of which became traditional portions of the program.
Also in 1941, the School’s first special program was run: a 14 week intensive clerical training program for soldiers stationed at the Manchester Air Base. The men completed the program in November and, according to a November 26th article “…will receive certificates from their squadron commander shortly.” The nature of any ceremonies accompanying the presentation is unknown.
With the advent of World War II ceremonies were moved from July to August to better account for students who were completing courses in the summer and ceremonies were scaled back drastically. The 1943, 1944, and 1945 commencements were held in a classroom in the school, with friends and family invited to participate as “armchair guests,” listening to the proceedings broadcast on the local radio station WFEA. A social hour with refreshments, rather than a banquet or ball, followed the ceremonies.
Commencement addresses took on patriotic themes related to the war and the responsibility of those entering the world of business. In his 1943 address, Senator Styles Bridged said:
“Every home, every farm, and every shop bench in the land is a battle station. It is for the liberties of every citizen that this war is being waged. For those liberties, every citizen must stand his ground… Here before you is the challenge that liberty, freedom, and education will prevail: That the hopes of a growing generation and generations yet unborn shall be safe from over-ambitious dictators.”
The impact of the war was clearly in evidence during the 1944 commencement. Only 1 of the 20 students present at the exercises was male. Harry A. B. Shapiro was presented with a citation for the school’s assistance in the selling of War Bonds by commencement speaker Orville S. Poland of the War Finance Committee.
1945 saw the introduction of a new honor for students: The Gold Key Award. The award went to three students who had completed the Senior Accounting course with “high scholastic averages” and to one student for “outstanding accomplishment in the secretarial course.” The nature of the honor, as well as the design of the award in the form of a keys for winding a pocket watch, was clearly inspired by the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. The creation of the award demonstrated an increased interest in the scholastic as well as the practical nature of the training at the school. The Golden Key would remain the school’s primary academic honor until the late 1960s when Latin honors and other honors societies were introduced. The Golden Key honor was last awarded in 2012.
In the years directly following World War II the commencement exercises tended to again include a banquet or dancing in addition to the ceremony, with activities tending to take place at the City Library. In 1948 the two portions of the exercises were held at separate locations.