A Step into the Unknown Commencement at Tufts University

1920 - 1929

The aftermath of World War I continued to affect Tufts commencement in the early part of the decade. War certificates were awarded through 1922.

The passing by Congress of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1919 and its ratification 1920 represented a major shift in the status of women, reflected in the choice of material for commencement speeches. Anita Elizabeth Balzer, Cand. B.S delivered “The Widening Horizon for College Women” in 1920, followed in 1921 by Alice Dowd Danver, Cand. A.B's “The New Demand Upon the Educated Woman.” Eunice Ruth LeMay Cand. D.M.D spoke on "Women in Dentistry" in 1928. In 1921, future Tufts president and graduating student Leonard Carmichael delivered "The Light on the Hill."

Commencement Season