18,350 Sheepskins Been Given Out

18,350 SHEEPSKINS BEEN GIVEN OUT

ESTIMATED THAT THERE ARE ABOUT 15,000 LIVING ALUMNI

The Number of Deceased Graduates and Non-Graduates is Thought to be About 4,000

According to the latest statistics from the University of Michigan 18,350 diplomas have been given to date. The first commencement was held Aug. 6, 1845, and 11 students received the degree of bachelor of arts. Since that time 56 commencement days have come and gone and members of as many classes have received degrees.

As regards the number of diplomas granted the law department stands first, the literary second and the medical third. The number of diplomas issued by each department and the number of diplomas granted for honorary degrees, are as follows:

Law department . . . . 6,466

Literary department . . . . 5,353

Medical department . . . . 3,523

Dental department . . . . 1,013

Pharmaceutical department . . . . 615

Homeopathic department . . . . 372

Honorary degrees . . . . 155

Total . . . . 18,350

Of the 6,466 diplomas conferred by the law department all but 130 were for the degree of bachelor of laws--the latter number being for the degree of master of laws. In the literary department 4,388 diplomas have been issued for the bachelor degrees, 482 for the degree of master of arts, taken in course, and 483 for the masters' and doctors' degrees taken on examination.

In the dental department diplomas for eight advance degrees have been conferred; in the pharmaceutical 5, and in the engineering 36.

While 18,350 is the number of degrees conferred (and diplomas given), it is not the figure for the number of alumni of the institution. Not a few persons have taken more than one degree and therefore received two or more diplomas. An estimate as to the number of second and third degrees conferred, given 1,250, which amount deducted from 18,350, gives 17,100.

This latter figure is not far from the correct number of the different persons who have been graduated. In round figures then the alumni of the University number 17,100.

Although over 17,000 persons have been graduated from the school the number of persons who have come under its influence has been much larger. More than 12,000 persons have attended different departments of the institution during the years 1841-97 without taking a degree. The exact figure is 12,643. This number, however, includes a few who entered the University at a later date than September, 1897, but have since become deceased.

The total number of deceased graduates and non-graduates, as reported by Prof. Demmon, is 4,151. The number of deceased graduates is 2,105, distributed through the several departments as shown in the table below, and the number of non-graduates was 2,046. The table is as follows:

Medical department . . . . 672

Law department . . . . 655

Literary department . . . . 529

Pharmaceutical department . . . . 73

Engineering department . . . . 53

Dental department . . . . 49

Honorary graduates . . . . 40

Homeopathic department . . . . 35

Total . . . . 2,105

Non-graduates . . . . 2,046

Total number deceased . . . . 4,151

With the above figures and those which preceded it is possible to approximate the number of graduates and non-graduates of the University now living. Deducting the number of graduates who are deceased (2,105) from the estimate of the total number of persons graduated (17,100), the figure 14,995 is obtained; and subtracting the number of deceased non-graduates (2,046) from the total number of non-graduates (12,643) the figure is 10,597. In round numbers the living graduates number 15,000 and the living non-graduates 10,600.

Of the 57 classes that have gone out from the University the class of 1900 with its 776 members was the largest and the class of 1845 with its 11 members was the smallest. The second largest class was that of 1896 with 771 members and the second smallest was that of 1847, with 12 members. The steady growth of the University can be seen by the increase of the graduating classes from year to year. The following table gives the size of the class every fifth year since 1845:

1845 . . . . 11

1850 . . . . 17

1855 . . . . 40

1860 . . . . 109

1865 . . . . 220

1870 . . . . 343

1875 . . . . 374

1880 . . . . 417

1885 . . . . 368

1890 . . . . 558

1895 . . . . 720

1900 . . . . 776

The class of 1845 has been increased by one since graduation day by the board of regents conferring a degree on a graduate as if he were a member of that class.