Commemoration Day
Commemoration Day
The foundation of the University of Glasgow in 1451 is celebrated each year on Commemoration Day, which usually takes place on the second Wednesday in June.
The events comprise of a service for the Commemoration of Benefactors in the University Chapel; the conferring of honorary degrees by the Chancellor in the Bute Hall; and the Commemoration Day lunch.
Honorary Graduands 2024
The following Honorary Degrees will be conferred on Commemoration Day 2024:
Doctor of Laws (LLD)
Professor Sir William Blair
Barrister and Former Judge
Doctor of Letters (DLitt)
The Baroness Coussins
The House of Lords
Darren McGarvey
Author and Political Commentator
Doctor of Science (DSc)
Professor Ernest Aryeetey
Secretary-General
African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA)
Professor Katherine Belov
Professor of Comparative Genomics and Pro Vice-Chancellor
University of Sydney
Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith
Arthur Balfour Professor of Genetics and Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and International Partnerships
University of Cambridge
Doctor of the University (DUniv)
Dr Veronica Crosbie
Chair, Places of Sanctuary
Ireland
Ridwan Kamil
Architect
Brian McBride
Businessperson
Events on Commemoration Day
Chapel Service for the Commemoration of Benefactors
Commemoration Day begins with the Service of Thanksgiving in the University Memorial Chapel. The services acknowledges those who have made significant contributions to the University since its foundation in 1451 to the present day, and and gives thanks for these gifts.
The service is attended by the Chancellor, the Principal and other senior officers of the University, along with the Honorary Graduands and invited guests.
Following the call to prayer by the university chaplain, the highlight of the service is the reading of the Roll of Benefactors, which dates back to the 17th century, and the Prayers of Commemoration for the Chancellor, the University, and its community. These are accompanied by choral anthems provided by the Choir.
Meeting of the University in the Bute Hall
The high point of Commemoration Day is the Graduation Cermony which takes place in the Bute Hall at 11.00am.
On Commemoration Day, individuals the University wish to honour with an Honorary Degree are presented to the Chancellor by members of the University community.
The academic procession are led into the hall by the University mace, accompanied by the Organist and Choir with the University anthem, Gaudeamus Igitur. The mace then leaves the hall, to return with the Clerk of Senate followed by the Honorary Graduands and their promoters.
Honorary Graduands are presented individually and invited to sit on the ancient Blackstone before the audience, and are then capped and have their degree conferred by the Chancellor with the traditional Latin words of conferral. Their newly appointed academic hood is placed over their head by the Bedellus.
Choral anthems are performed at intervals by the University Choir, and at the end of the ceremony, the academic procession are played out of the Bute Hall by the organist, before processing around the Quadrangle accompanied by a Piper.
Commemoration Day Lunch
Commemoration Day concludes with lunch hosted by The Chancellor, The Principal and The Clerk of Senate.
Members of the University and invited guests attend lunch.
The History of Commemoration Day
The current form of celebrations has been followed for over a century, but its roots go back to the annual May banquet held first in 1492 at which was born the toast "Resurgat in Gloria Alma Mater".
Commemoration became an official event in the late seventeenth century. the Commissioners of Visitation of 1690 (a quality inspection of its time) appointed "that at all yearlie laureations... there be honourable mention made of the founders and benefactors by publick recitall". This was observed and the act of commemoration took place at the close of the annual graduation ceremony.
In 1903, the General Council urged an annual commemoration day on the day following the annual graduation, "in order to maintain the connection of the graduates with their university". the first was held in April 1904 and the programme of events remained constant, with a few minor alterations, throughout the century. The date of commemoration moved to June and separate from the ordinary graduations in 1924.
Aspects of Commemoration Day
The Blackstone Chair
Commemoration Day is the only occasion in the University calendar when the Blackstone Chair is used for the conferral of degrees in the Bute Hall.
A slab of dolerite, now embedded in an 18th century oak chair, the Blackstone was used to examine students orally from the foundation of the university in 1451 to the mid-19th century. The chair dates from 1775-6.
On the front of the chair are various brass plates, the largest of which show the arms of the University. Above are the names of the founders, Pope Nicholas V, King James II of Scotland and Bishop Turnbull of Glasgow.
Set into the top of the chair is an arrangement of bay leaves within which is a time glass, filled with sand.
The Roll of Benefactors
In 1690, the Commissioners of Visitation appointed "that at all yearlie laureations...there be honourable mention made of the founders and benefactors by publick recitall".
Each year on Commemoration Day, the Roll of Benefactors is recited in full by the Principal in the University Memorial Chapel during the Service for the Commemoration of Benefactors. The roll contains over 150 names who have contributed to the University since its foundation in 1451, making it the institution it is today.
We remember these gifts to the University with gratitude.
The Roll of Benefactors
It is our bounden duty to commemorate thankfully before Almighty God all those our benefactors by whose liberality this College and University has maintained the studies of godliness and sound learning.
Before all, we remember our Founder, William Turnbull, Bishop of Glasgow, and James the Second, King of Scots, at whose instance a University was constituted in Glasgow and invested by Pope Nicholas the Fifth with all the liberties, immunities, and privileges appertaining to the University of Bologna.
We remember the benefits conferred upon the University by successive bearers of the rule and government of this realm, and especially by Mary, Queen of Scots; King James VI; King Charles I; Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector; King Charles II; King William III; Queen Anne; King George I; King George III; King William IV; and Queen Victoria.
And we remember also the care bestowed by the Magistrates and Town Council of the City and Royal Burgh of Glasgow upon the preservation of the University in times of civil warfare and commotion.
We render thanks for others our benefactors, such as were James, 1st Lord Hamilton, who gave land for the building of a College, and Thomas Arthurlie, chaplain, who added ground thereto; Robert Blackadder, James Beaton, and Gavin Dunbar, successive Archbishops of Glasgow; David Cadzow, Canon of Glasgow; Archibald Calderwood, Vicar of Maybole; Andrew Melville, Principal of the College; Thomas Crauford of Jordanhill; Michael Wilson of Eastbourne; Thomas Hutcheson of Lambhill, Zachary Boyd, Minister of the Barony of Glasgow; John Howieson, Minister of Cambuslang; William, 1st Earl of Stirling; James, 1st Marquess of Montrose; James, 1st Duke of Hamilton; Elizabeth, Countess of Nithsdale; Patrick Gillespie and Robert Baillie, successive Principals of the College; William, 1st Earl of Dundonald; John Snell; John Orr of Barrowfield; Anne, Duchess of Hamilton; Robina, Countess of Forfar; Robert Leighton, Archbishop of Glasgow; James, 1st Duke of Chandos; Hugh Boulter, Archbishop of Armagh; Alexander Macfarlane, William Hunter, Doctor of Medicine; and Robert Hamilton.
We recall gratefully the many gifts bestowed upon us in later days, remembering John, 3rd Marquess of Bute; Charles Randolph; Andrew Carnegie; William, 1st Viscount Weir of Eastwood; Mary Gibb Dunlop; George MacFeat; John Burrell Talbot-Crosbie; William Stewart; Robert Wylie; Robert Clark; Thomas Menzies Burton and Helen Galbraith Burton; James Stedman Dixon; Isabella Elder; William Jacks; Daniel Macaulay Stevenson; John Traill Cargill; David William Traill Cargill; Frederick Crombie Gardiner; William Guthrie Gardiner; Henry Mechan; David Johnstone Smith; Gavin Paterson Tennent; John Brown Douglas; John Ritchie Richmond; James Crawford and Isadore Aaron Walton, founders of Professorships; Joseph, 1st Baron Maclay; Laurence MacBrayne; John MacKellar Robertson; William Woodhouse Strain and Isaac Wolfson, founders of Halls of Residence; benefactors of the University Library such as were William Euing, David Murray, John Stirling Maxwell and Denis William Brogan; the Merchants’ House of Glasgow; the Trades House of Glasgow; The Trustees of the Bellahouston Bequest; the Archdiocese of Glasgow; The Ian Mactaggart Trust; The Robertson Trust; the General Accident Corporation; Thomas Ferguson; Alec Lawrence Macfie, Sir Alexander Stone; David Barclay and Frederick Barclay;
Anatole Dekaban; William Lindsay; Leonard Gordon Wolfson; the British Heart Foundation; The Dorset Foundation; the Home of Rest for Horses; the Weston Foundation; The Gannochy Trust; Brian Souter; Joyce Gladys Minton; James Spittal; the Walton Foundation; Helen Forrest; the Wellcome Trust; Mary Andrew; Ralph William Pickford; Alexander Black; William Iain MacKechnie; Dr James H McKay; the Foundation for Children with Leukaemia; Eleanor Emery; Ian Sword; The Howat Foundation; Dr William Patterson and Sarah Patterson; Melville George Tuck and Sheila Murdoch Tuck; Harry Ward Gardner and Georgina Dickson Gardner; Douglas Maurice MacDowell; Miriam and Angus Mitchell; The Maurice Wohl Charitable Foundation; Gething Morgan Lewis; Alexander Fairley; Santander Universities, Santander UK plc; James Andrew Robertson (Fund); Lt Commander John Hamilton RN; Garfield Weston Foundation; Bill and Margaret Nicol Charitable Trust; Douglas Allan Robertson; Lilian Martin; Thomas Davidson Veitch Lawrie; Paul Tudor Jones II; Professor Emeritus Ronald WP Drever; John Shaw and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw; Ruth and Iain Jamieson; Joan Snodgrass; Mr Tong F Cheng, Singapore; The Pears Family Charitable Foundation; An Anonymous Donor; John Aitken McCracken; Inger Marianne Simpson and George M Simpson; Elizabeth Rosemary Joyce Ritchie; The MacKay Family; Dr Elizabeth Boyd;
and all others who have endowed the studies of the University and the common life of her members.
Especially we remember with humble and thankful hearts those of two generations whose names are written on these walls who gave the strength of their youth and all the promise of their days to defend our freedom. These have made our inheritance.
For all who of their goodwill in time past have thus enriched the University; for all who by their devotion to true learning have increased her fame and usefulness, and have kept her light shining before all people; for all her sons and daughters who have gone out from this place to fulfil in the world the work for which they were here prepared; for all who love our ancient House and seek her good, let us now bless and praise Almighty God.
Music at Commemoration Day
Music at Commemoration Day is provided by the University Choir and Organist.
On choosing the music for Commemoration, the Director of Chapel Music, Dr Katy Cooper, says:
"When choosing music for Commemoration Day each year, we take inspiration from the university itself – not just it’s foundation and history, but also current research and culture. We also like to include music that directly relates to the honorary graduands receiving degrees (where possible! See below!).
The day begins with a short service in Chapel, which includes hymns, organ music and an anthem sung by the choir. We try to choose something celebratory and joyful for this, and we’ve frequently included music with a direct link to the university, for example, in 2023 we sang a movement from Hadyn’s Creation, with a version of the text translated by Anne Hunter, sister-in-law of William Hunter, founder of the Hunterian Museum. The hymns are always well known – and sometimes relate to the university’s traditional motto ‘Via, Veritas, Vita’, the Way, the Truth, the Life.
We always begin the graduation ceremony with Gaudeamus Igitur, which is a traditional student song - and in recent years, we’ve concluded the ceremony with a setting of the Irish Blessing by James Moore (a particular favourite of former Chancellor Sir Kenneth Calman). Between the graduations, we sing a couple of songs – and as mentioned, when possible, these relate to the graduands. Sometimes this is easy, for example, if a composer or specialist in a particular style of music/literature is being honoured. But sometimes a little more detective work is needed. Sometimes, individuals might have mentioned particular pieces they like in press interviews, and if they’ve ever appeared on Desert Island Discs on BBC R4, it’s is a godsend! We also usually include a Scottish folksong – Let us haste to Kelvingrove, for example, or something by Robert Burns.
The organ music is usually ceremonial (suitable for processing in and out, for example) and upbeat. And again, if there’s a particular piece/composer/style of music that’e relevant to the graduands, Kevin might include that. One of the challenges of the day is keeping an eye out for the entrance of the Academic Procession at the start of the graduation ceremony – I often have to stand on my tiptoes to see over the guests and give Kevin a signal to start playing Gaudeamus – he often has to improvise for quite a while before they come in!"