Creating the Future for 70 Years: Graduate Education Platinum Jubilee

On April 9, 2026, JMU’s The Graduate School held an event celebrating the 70th anniversary of the first graduate commencement at JMU in 1956. The event was held in Memorial Hall and featured speeches by the Dean of the Graduate School, Dr. Linda M. Thomas, the Dean of the College of Education, Dr. Mark L’Esperance. These speeches were followed by the newly inaugurated President James C. Schmidt, who spoke about continuing the legacy and expansion of graduate school studies.  
 
The jubilee honored the first students to graduate from JMU with a master’s degree and the foundations for expanding education. The beginning of graduate education at JMU dates to 1949, when former JMU President G. Tyler Miller immediately began establishing the graduate school at Madison College. Five years later, in 1954, JMU was awarded its first Master's programs: MA and MS in Education. The first graduates of these programs were Everett Erskine Wilfong and Vivian Berry Fauver, marking the beginning of further development of The Graduate School and its programs.  
 
Since its beginning, The Graduate School at JMU has embraced innovation through online programs, interdisciplinary research opportunities, and advanced, cutting-edge facilities. As graduate enrollment grew over the years, The Graduate School has developed programs spanning the fields of education, the arts, the sciences, and business. After careful reflection and reminders of the foundation of JMU’s graduate studies, The Graduate School and President Schmidt dedicate themselves to providing up-to-date programming for the futures of its students.