Have you ever wondered about the origins of the document that today serves as a physical representation for completing one’s academic studies? While academic institutions and the tradition of granting degrees have existed for centuries, the diploma, as we know it today, had its roots in the beginning of the 19th century.
Graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1935 receiving their diplomas from Senator Park Trammell of Florida, Chairman of the Committee of Naval Affairs, 1935.
Initially, the word "diploma" had a more general definition. Its earliest usage dates to the first half of the 17th century and meant a state-issued or official document. It comes from two Greek words: diploun (to fold over) and diplous (double). In Latin, "diploma" means passport or an official document granting certain privileges. It is easy to see how today’s definition of diploma emerged from these etymological roots. Starting in the late 17th century, the word "diploma" took on a narrower definition. Since then, it has almost exclusively referred to a document conferring a degree or authorization to practice a profession from an educational institution.
U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1939 receive their diplomas from Admiral William Leahy, USN.
The first diploma in the United States was issued by Harvard University (then known as Harvard College) in 1813. However, Harvard’s first commencement ceremony took place 171 years earlier, in 1642. Harvard’s first nine graduates were conferred a "Booke of Arts." Yet once the ceremony concluded, the graduates had to return the books. It wasn’t until 1813 that graduates were given something they could keep. Before 1813, if Harvard graduates (or graduates of any college or university) needed to show proof of their academic degree, they would have to hire a local calligrapher to draw up a diploma for them, which was then signed by the president of the institution for a fee.
President Theodore Roosevelt delivering diplomas to the U.S. Naval Academy graduating class, May 1, 1902.
During the 19th century, diplomas were made out of animal hide (usually sheepskin), which is also known as parchment. Sheepskin is a durable material that can withstand being rolled repeatedly without breaking. This was helpful in that era when traveling scholars would often carry their diploma with them as proof of their credentials. Today, a diploma serves a more symbolic purpose, as transcripts now provide the official record of academic achievement. As diplomas transitioned away from being the official document of record, the need to carry them in person waned. Instead, diplomas were often framed and displayed as proof of one’s academic achievements. While parchment is resilient, it is prone to curling and shrinking, making it difficult to frame. Due to this, and likely the scarcity and higher cost of parchment, issuing paper diplomas became more and more prevalent in the second half of the 20th century. Some institutions today still use paper that has been treated to resemble parchment for their diplomas.
U.S. Naval Academy graduates receiving their diplomas, 1982.
The United States Naval Academy was founded in 1845, with its first class graduating in 1846. The first diploma design, used between 1854 and 1865, was created by Professor Edward Seager of the Drawing Department and awarded upon completion of the four-year course of study.
The below diploma belonged to John Schouler, Class of 1865. The diploma is dated November 22, 1864, because the Class of 1865 was graduated early to meet the demand for naval officers during the Civil War.
U.S. Naval Academy diploma awarded to John Schouler, Class of 1865. This first design for a Naval Academy diploma was created by Professor Edward Seager.
The background designs at the top of the diploma represent, from left to right, the sloop-of-war Preble, Stribling Row, and Fort Severn. Use of this design ceased after 1865 but was revived in 1869 for use in the certificate awarded after the required two years of sea duty. Seager’s design continued to be used for this purpose for the next 42 years.
From 1866 through 1868, a second diploma design was used. Its creator is unknown. The Naval Academy-specific designs of Seager’s diploma were replaced with steam frigates then in use at the time.
Sample diploma from the U.S. Naval Academy used for the Classes of 1866 through 1868.
The third diploma design debuted in 1869 and continued to be used for decades afterward. It was designed by Professor Marshall Oliver Jr. of the Drawing Department. With more visual elements than its two predecessors, the design featured various mythological figures and sea creatures. While figures such as the Roman deity Neptune with his trident or the midshipman holding a sextant are easy to understand, there is no documentation of Oliver’s intent behind the other designs.
Top and bottom close-ups of a diploma awarded to William Armstong Hadden, 1869.
Between 1869 and 1911, there were two diplomas issued to Naval Academy graduates. Upon completing the required four years of academic study, graduates received the diploma with Oliver’s design. Upon completing two years of sea duty and receiving a commission, they received the diploma utilizing Seager’s design. Below are examples of the two diplomas presented to Albert Sidney McLemore in 1891 and 1893, upon completion of his academic studies and sea service, respectively.
Albert Sidney McLemore, Class of 1891, received the diploma on the left after completing his four-year course of study. He received the diploma on the right in 1893 after completing two years of sea service.
Starting in 1912, when the two-year sea duty requirement was eliminated, graduates received only the diploma with Professor Oliver’s design.
Oliver’s design was divisive. Beginning in 1900, there were calls for a new diploma design. These first inquiries did not lead to a change as no agreement could be made on what the replacement design should look like. Common criticisms of the existing diploma included being too large (it was larger than the commission diploma) and too expensive. Its designs were deemed in poor taste and even ugly.
In a 1936 letter to the Superintendent, Head of the English and History Department Carroll S. Alden stated, “the diploma is heavily ornamented by symbolic figures, which are not good art, and many of them mean little or nothing. The various mythological deities and animals create an unbecoming appearance … undesirably large: it is approximately four times as large as the diplomas awarded by the great majority of colleges and universities in the United States.”
It was not until 1957 that major strides were made to change the diploma design. Although it took two years for bureaucratic discussions between the Academic Board, Superintendent’s Office, Chief of Naval Personnel, and Chief of Naval Operations to conclude, a new diploma design debuted in 1959. The new design was much simpler than Oliver’s, featuring drawings from left to right of the Mahan Hall clock tower, Bancroft Hall, and the Academy Chapel. The seal of the Naval Academy appears in the background behind the main text of the diploma.
Blank diploma, 1959.
Another significant change to the diploma was its size. It was now the same size as the naval officer’s commission, which was presented with the diploma in a leather folder for easy display.
The size and style of the 1959 diploma has continued to the present day, albeit with some minor changes. The below diploma was awarded to Kevin Joseph Brown in 1986. The Naval Academy seal is now embossed in gold and is centered between the academic dean’s and superintendent’s signatures. The building designs at the top of the 1959 diploma have been removed, with Bancroft Hall now serving as the background image behind the diploma text.
Diploma of Kevin Joseph Brown, 1986.
Works Cited:
Daugherty, Greg. The History Behind ‘Pomp & Circumstance’ and 8 Other Graduation Traditions. HISTORY.com, May 8, 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2024 from https://www.history.com/news/graduation-traditions-pomp-and-circumstance-cap-and-gown.
Diploma. Merriam-Webster.com, July 13, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diploma
Etymology of diploma (noun). Online Etymology Dictionary, August 23, 2018. Retrieved 19 June from https://www.etymonline.com/word/diploma
First Women’s College Diploma (Podcast). University of Washington Information School, July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2024, from https://ischool.uw.edu/podcasts/dtctw/first-womans-college-diploma
Graduation Diploma History. GraduationSource, n.d. Retrieved July 26, 2024, from https://www.graduationsource.com/blog/graduation-diploma-history#:~:text=Original%20diplomas%20used%20thin%20sheepskin%20because%20paper-making%20was,the%201800s%20were%20all%20different%20shapes%20and%20sizes
"Graduation Diplomas." Naval Academy Archives Reference Files, 1845-2014. Special Collections & Archives Department. Nimitz Library. United States Naval Academy.
Ireland, Corydon. History by degrees. The Harvard Gazette, May 22, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2024, from https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2014/05/history-by-degrees/
Benjamin, Park. The United States Naval Academy Being the Yarn of the American Midshipman (Naval Cadet). New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1900.
Sawyer, Kathy. That Old Sheepskin Nowadays Probably Isn’t-Baa. The Washington Post, June 16, 1979. Retrieved July 26, 2024, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1979/06/16/that-old-sheepskin-nowadays-probably-isnt-baa/292864eb-0b9a-4b16-90c5-3954d2c8009a/
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