In 1882, the Omaha Medical College, which would eventually become UNMC, held its first commencement ceremony.
Many aspects of medical school commencement then and now are similar, but a few things are quite different.
On March 8, 1882, the board of trustees of the Omaha Medical College met to plan their first commencement exercises, which they decided would be held just two weeks later on March 22.
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| Graduates of the first graduating class of the Omaha Medical College. |
They deemed the $25 fee to rent Boyd’s Opera House at 15th and Farnam streets too steep and decided commencement would take place in the college building at 11th and Mason streets.
Candidates for degrees were told to immediately send in their credentials for graduation. Their commencement invitation read: “You are cordially invited to attend the commencement exercises of the Omaha Medical College, and likewise the banquet given by the trustees and faculty, at the Withnell House (hotel, southwest corner of 15th and Harney Streets), Wednesday evening, March 22, 1882.”
The exercises were held at 7:30 p.m., with the arrangements committee having put together the following program:
- Conferring of degrees by President of the Board, Dr. Samuel Mercer;
- Valedictory address by graduate Fred Haldeman, class of 1882;
- Conferring of Prizes: Gold medal by Dr. George Ayres of Omaha and the Abbott prize by Dr. Luther Abbott of Fremont; and
- Commencement address by Professor Dr. Robert Livingston of Plattsmouth — the topic of which remains a mystery.
There were eight graduates in the class of 1882 that evening:
- Edward Diedrich;
- George Ellis;
- James Hadley;
- Fred Haldeman;
- Werner Hemstead;
- Robert Monteith;
- Urban Norris; and
- James Search.
In 1906, when the first edition of the American Medical Directory was published by the AMA, only three of the graduates in the class of 1882 were still listed as practicing physicians, one in Minnesota, and two in Nebraska (one in Ord and the other in Cedar Bluffs).