Commencement for the Class of 2021, scheduled for May 16, will look different from any in the University’s history, with graduates and their guests masked and socially distanced at Princeton Stadium, away from the familiar backdrop of Nassau Hall.
When Commencement outgrew Alexander in 1922, the ceremony moved to the lawn in front of Nassau Hall. But since then, other venues have hosted smaller Commencement gatherings, including the University Chapel and the Nassau Hall faculty room during World War II. More recently, two gymnasiums — Dillon and Jadwin — have been home to ceremonies that were moved indoors because of poor weather.
Looking at the full span of University history, Armstrong notes that “a comfortable majority” of Commencement ceremonies have been held somewhere other than the lawn of Nassau Hall. Even last year’s cancellation of in-person Commencement has historical precedent: In 1793, Commencement was called off because of a yellow fever epidemic.
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