History of Graduations

Below you will find background information on the History of Graduations, History and Origin of Colleges and Univerities, Academic Degrees, Academic Regalia and Academic Dress, timelines for both Europe and America. There is also background history on the origins of the various schools, and historical timelines for those university and college histories. You may find some of this information useful for preparing for a commencement ceremony speech or graduation ogranizational meeting.

Some alternative names for these subjects include Academical Dress, Graduation Uniforms, Graduation Costumes and Academic Costumes. Please select the issue you are interested in, and if there are any additional topics you would like to read about, please email us and we will see if we can provide additional historical data.