Look back at Commencement through the years
As Carolina prepares to celebrate the Class of 2026, see scenes from past graduation days.
UNC-Chapel Hill will celebrate the newest group of Tar Heel graduates at Spring Commencement on Saturday at Kenan Stadium.
Commencement has a long history at Carolina. UNC-Chapel Hill was the only public institution to confer degrees in the 18th century, and the first group of graduates in 1798 went seven deep (a little smaller than this year’s 7,183).
Here’s a look at graduations past.
1832: Invited to the ball
(North Carolina Collection)
Commencement balls were common throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Here’s a look at the invitation the Class of 1832 received in March of that year for a June ball.
1914: Class marshals lead the way
(Carolina Alumni Review)
Class marshals, seen wearing sashes, lead the way to the original Memorial Hall.
1917: A wartime Commencement
(North Carolina Collection)
University President Edward Kidder Graham leads the 1917 Commencement procession through a student body uniformed for World War I.
Early 1920s: Commencement at Memorial Hall
(North Carolina Collection)
Memorial Hall hosted many Commencements.
1937: Seniors have a ball
(The Carolina Story: a Virtual Museum of University History)
After a hiatus in the late 1800s, Commencement balls returned in the 1900s. Students are seen here at the 1937 ball in the Tin Can.
1955: Gather at the Old Well
(North Carolina Collection)
As is the case today, you can find plenty of Tar Heels by the Old Well on graduation day.
1960: Senior pics
(North Carolina Collection)
The Old Well also has a long history as the go-to spot for individual graduate photos.
1962: A grand stage
(North Carolina Collection)
The overarching interlocking N.C. and the U.S., state and University flags were Commencement stage fixtures for years.
1975: Carmichael ceremony
(Yackety Yack yearbook)
The then-named Carmichael Auditorium has hosted Commencements, including the 1975 ceremony. Decades ago, it was common for leaders from other universities to deliver the keynote address. NC State Chancellor John Caldwell spoke in 1975, and Duke’s president, Douglas M. Knight, spoke a decade prior at the 1965 ceremony.
1980: Coming back 50 years later
(North Carolina Collection)
Old-school ride included, the Class of 1930 returned to campus in 1980. The 50-year class reunions continue today.
1990: Rameses dresses for the occasion
(Yackety Yack yearbook)
Carolina’s beloved mascot donned the graduation cap and gown to celebrate his fellow Tar Heels.
1998: Descending from the first Tar Heel
(Dan Sears/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Ted Steger, the great-great-great-great-grandson of Hinton James, Carolina’s first student, was the center of attention from classmates as he was recognized during the 1998 ceremony.
2001: Vince Carter’s busy day
(Dan Sears/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Vince Carter left Carolina following his junior season in 1998 to begin a 21-season NBA career that included eight all-star selections. But the Basketball Hall of Fame member continued his coursework and graduated in 2001, attending Commencement and playing in a playoff game for the Toronto Raptors at the Philadelphia 76ers on the same day.
2003: Find your grad
(Dan Sears/UNC-Chapel Hill)
With a sign like that, the family and friends of Ranardo Pearsall ’03 likely had no problem finding him at Commencement.
2008: Raining on their parade
(Dan Sears/UNC-Chapel Hill)
The show goes on rain or shine. The Class of 2008 came prepared, though, with many graduates staying dry under umbrellas, some with a Carolina flair.
2012: Love is in the air
(Dan Sears/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Michael Wengenroth and Maura Mayorga embrace after a marriage proposal during the 2012 ceremony.
2015: Point to the passer
(Dan Sears/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Months after Dean Smith’s death in 2015, the legendary men’s basketball coach was commemorated on one graduate’s sign that embraced his point-to-the-passer philosophy.
2018: National champions graduate
(Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Theo Pinson and Joel Berry reminded everyone that UNC also stands for University of National Champions.
2021: At long last, ’20 graduates have their day
(Sarah Woods/UNC-Chapel Hill)
The pandemic spoiled the ending to the Class of 2020’s time in Chapel Hill. But these graduates were finally celebrated in October 2021 with a ceremony that doubled as a class reunion.
2024: A blast under the lights
(Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Carolina moved Commencement to a Saturday and celebrated under the lights for the first time in 2024. Rebecca Rand and the rest of the graduates were treated to a fireworks show.
2025: Kicking it with a sporting legend
(Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Mia Hamm ’94 — a four-time NCAA champion, two-time World Cup winner, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and twice the FIFA World Player of the Year — returned to Chapel Hill for last year’s Commencement, telling the graduates, “You’ll be a part of this team. Our team. Graduates of the University of North Carolina.”
2026: Eric Church headlines a ‘Carolina’ Commencement
(Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Wrapping up with the most recent ceremony, Carolina put on a show for the Class of 2026. Country superstar Eric Church addressed and performed for the 7,100-plus Tar Heel graduates, who heard the keynote speaker use guitar strings as a metaphor for life before he actually strummed his “Carolina” tune.
