| President H. Hanly Funderburk congratulated Auburn's 100,000
graduate, Jackie Lee Holley, a sociology major from Montgomery, in the
1980 spring commencement exercises on the Montgomery campus. Holley
earlier had majored in fashion merchandising at the Auburn campus.
Of being the 100,000th, she said, "I cracked up. It reminded me of
Laverne and Shirley on TV when they went to the grocery store and lights
flashed because they were the millionth customers." The Auburn Bulletin
reported she "was awed to learn" that it had taken the institution nearly
125 years to award 100,000 degrees and that she had received the historic
one. Chartered as the East Alabama Male College in 1856, Auburn had
awarded diplomas to its first five graduates in 1860. It reached
the 50,000 mark in 1968, and added another 50,000 graduates in the next
twelve years. -- Photo: Will Dickey |
