More than 1,000 students became new alumni on Saturday, receiving their degrees from college deans at two different commencement ceremonies in the Auburn Arena. Some students celebrated their new degrees with fists in the air and one student even did the splits.
The Raymond J. Harbert College of Business presented approximately 601 bachelor degrees, the University College presented 24, the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering awarded 493 degrees, and the School of Foresty and Wildlife Studies awarded 42.
President Jay Gouge opened the ceremony, welcoming faculty, friends and family and distinguished guests.
"To our graduates, we are very proud of you," Gouge said. "We value your determination, your sacrifice, your discipline. You have earned a valuable degree that will help you both personally and professionally. Today you join a special family of Auburn graduates."
Since Auburn's beginnings in 1856, the University has awarded 314,000 degrees, Gouge said. He congratulated those being honored and closed with a "War Eagle."
Leah Rawls Atkins, three-time graduate of Auburn and founding director of the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities, spoke to the graduates on Saturday.
She has instructed at three institutions including The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Samford University and Auburn University.
Atkins was the first woman inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Aside from athletics, she has authored many books and articles, including "Alabama: The History of a Deep South State" and "A Century of Women at Auburn, 1892-1992: Blossoms Amid the Deep Verdure."
Her commencement speech centered around the arrival of football and women at Auburn University, changes supported by George Petrie. Atkins expressed her gratitude to Petrie, as at times there were challenges in getting the degrees she desired.
She said a professor encouraged her to apply for a graduate assistantship in the history department while working toward her master's degree. But there was one question that stood in the way.
"What do you want to do with a master's in history?" Atkins was told she must not express an interest in later receiving a doctorate.
"There were men in the history department who did not believe women should teach history on a college level," Atkins said.
She said she remembered not being shaken by this as she thought back to all of the classes she had taken taught by men. Female teachers outside of athletics were rare and Atkins remembered never having been taught by a woman.
She answered the question truthfully, saying she aspired to be the best high school history teacher possible. Today, Atkins holds three degrees from Auburn, and shortly after filling out that form, she was given the opportunity to teach a freshman history course at Auburn.
"It is a new world for all of us and Auburn led the way in the state of Alabama in encouraging women to receive their degrees sometimes more than once," Atkins said.
She closed with saying no matter where the graduates are, they will always be a member of the Auburn Family.
"War Eagle and #gogetem," Atkins said.
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