Honors Day

May 19[2005] will be the 50th anniversary of the first Honors Day at Babson. In its earliest years Babson Institute had few honors or awards. (The Royal Order of the Goat will be discussed another time.) Babson's earliest academic program, the Certificate in Business Administration, was expected to be completed in one year by a student who had had some college experience. By the early 30s the program was available in a two-year course for men right out of high school. By design the Institute didn't offer many of the usual collegiate activities. This was certainly not your typical college.

After WWII the new three-year Bachelor of Science in Business Administration combined with Babson Institute being selected as a school where veterans could apply their GI Bill benefits caused the size and diversity of the school to change dramatically. Varsity sports and student press were among the earliest post-war developments at Babson Institute. In 1948 Babson began giving the Roger W. Babson Achievement Award. By the early 1950s there were many other awards. From 1955 through 1973 a separate ceremony was developed to recognize these award winners. It allowed the campus community to recognize its own on a day that was for the Institute. The Honors Day was usually about a month before Commencement.

Rip
[Originally posted elsewhere April 2005]