Whitman College celebrates our graduates through variety of events leading up to commencement. The following events are confirmed for 2025:
Schedule of Events
Wednesday, September 4, 2024
4:30–6 p.m.
Baker Center (outdoors)
Sunday, May 4, 2025
Noon
Third Space Center
Congratulations to all First Generation/Working Class (FGWC) graduates on your accomplishments! We want to honor you and all the hard work you've done.
Graduating FGWC students will receive a graduation pin celebrating their resilience and cultural wealth! This event is for all students who identify as either First Generation and/or Working Class to come and celebrate their graduating peers’ accomplishments and successes!
First Generation: Students who are the first person in their immediate family to attend and graduate from a 4-year college or university.
Working Class: Students who are eligible to receive Pell-grant funds.
Monday, May 12, 2025
5:30 p.m.
Reid Campus Center Young Ballroom
Thursday, May 15, 2025
5–7 p.m.
Reid Campus Center, Young Ballroom
Hosted by the Glover Alston Intercultural Center, the Intercultural Excellence S
Alumni Relations will host a Blues Brunch, open to all graduates, on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 from 10 a.m. to Noon at the Reid Campus Center.
Hosted by the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, Baccalaureate is an hour-long celebration featuring music from graduating music majors and brief readings, prayers and reflections from a wide range of religious traditions including humanist/non-religious perspectives. It is an opportunity to gather in community around whatever each of us finds meaningful or sacred—for those of all faith traditions, for those of no faith tradition and for everyone in between.
The keynote address at Baccalaureate will be delivered by Elizabeth Knapp, Ph.D, Professor of Earth and Environmental Geoscience at Washington and Lee University where she also serves as Director of the Johnson Program in Leadership and Integrity. She is the mother of Jenner Smith ’22 and graduating senior, Charlie Smith ’25, both Geology-Environmental Studies majors.
The 2025 Baccalaureate will take place on Saturday, May 24 at 2:30 p.m. in Cordiner Hall. A livestream video viewing option will also be available.
The 139th Commencement for the Class of 2025 will take place on Sunday, May 25, 2025 at 11 a.m. on the lawn in front of Memorial Building. Visitor seating opens on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning at 8:30 a.m. The processional and livestream will begin at 10:50 a.m.
Please note that tickets are not required to attend the commencement ceremony.
A livestream video viewing option will also be available.
Commencement