Thousands of relatives and friends packed McDaniel College May 20 to cheer as the College awarded 208 master’s degrees and 370 bachelor’s degrees at the College’s 136th Commencement. Commencement opened as the graduates marched through Memorial Plaza as Old Main bell rang loud and clear. Since 1991, seniors have passed by the bell, now mounted on a brick pedestal, for the ceremony that signals the closing chapter in their academic lives. As first-year students, they each rang the same bell to symbolize the beginning of their college career. » Full Story

Two graduating seniors were awarded the College’s top academic honors at Commencement. Kathryn Joanne Dunne Smith (left) received the Argonaut Award, given to the senior with the highest grade point average, and Matthew Copeland received the Edith Farr Ridington Phi Beta Kappa Writing Award for the most well-written thesis. » Full Story

Curious what the top five majors were for the Class of 2006? Here is a close-up view of McDaniel's newest alumni, by the numbers. » Full Story

Here’s a look at the accomplishments, plans, hopes, and dreams of members of the Class of 2006. We salute them and wish them success. Special thanks to the staff of The McDaniel Free Press for their contributions to these stories. » Full Story

Six McDaniel graduating seniors were commissioned as Army officers at 9 a.m. May 20 prior to Commencement. Two cadets Eric Freeman and Jesse Ringgold were recognized as Distinguished Military graduates having placed within the top 20 percent of all cadets to graduate and be commissioned in the nation. » Full Story

As the academic year draws to a close, McDaniel College bids farewell to David Herlocker, Samuel Alspach, William Sapora, Jack Clark and Sue Singer. The five professors, with a combined 164 years of service to the college, are retiring. They have been approved for emeriti status by the college’s trustees. » Full Story

Joan Develin Coley, president of McDaniel since 2001, was awarded the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters on May 21 at her alma mater, Albright College. A native of Philadelphia, Pa., Dr. Coley received an A.B. with honors from Albright College in 1966 where she majored in English. She went on to earn both her master’s and doctorate in education from the University of Maryland. » Full Story

William Roberts McDaniel is the subject of the Carroll County Historical Society’s Box Lunch Talk presented by Mathematics Professor Emeritus and College Historian James Lightner at noon on June 13 at Carroll Post, American Legion, on the corner of Green and Sycamore Streets in Westminster. Admission is free to Historical Society members, $3 for non-members. Participants are encouraged to bring a lunch or order lunch by calling 410-857-7953 between 11 and 11:30 a.m. on the day of the event. » Full Story