Convocation & Founder’s Day

Students and faculty attend Convocation ceremony

The Convocation ceremony at Simmons University has traditionally served as the official welcoming of students and faculty into the new academic year and is one of the first events that students would attend that year.

Simmons Convocation began as a dedication to Simmons founder, John Simmons, but over the years the ceremony has shifted its focus towards honoring academic achievement and remains to this day known as Honors Convocation.

Traditionally taking place in the fall around Simmons' birthday (October 30th), Convocation remains to be one of the largest gatherings of the Simmons community.

Students walking at Convocation ceremony

Founder's Day Convocation

The first Simmons Convocation occurred in the fall of 1912 and was referred to as “Founder's Day Convocation” in honor of the birthday of Simmons founder, John Simmons. The main purpose of Convocation was to educate incoming first year students on the history of the college while also reminding freshmen of the importance of making academic work their priority while at school. Convocation featured lectures, the conferring of degrees, and the handing out of academic excellence awards and certificates.

The earliest convocations were held at Harvard Church in Brookline, and involved a trip to the Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, where a wreath was laid on John Simmons' grave. Traditionally, faculty arrived in the regalia of their alma mater, while seniors, who arrived on procession, donned their caps and gowns.

Students attend Honors Convocation

Honors Convocation

In 1958, the decision was made to restructure the tradition of Convocation by refocusing the goal of the ceremony solely on academic and professional achievement. In 1961 the title of the ceremony was officially changed to “Honors Convocation” and emphasized academic achievement by bringing in guest lecturers. The induction of new members of the Academy and Dean’s list would also become more of the focus of the ceremony.

In recent years, Honors Convocation has been held outdoors on the residence campus as well as in the Holmes Sports Center, where it takes place today.

As the shift to Honors Convocation occurred, the tradition of Founder’s Day arose as a separate and sporadically maintained tradition. Every October 30th, Simmons students celebrate the birthday of John Simmons with an essay contest, sparkling apple cider, and cake.