When 29-year-old Frances Whiteley of Boulder receives her bachelorÂ’s degree at the University of babyÖ±²¥appÂ’s winter commencement Dec. 20, sheÂ’ll be continuing a tradition in her family that dates back to the earliest years of the university.
FrancesÂ’ great-uncle Richard Henry Whiteley, Jr., was a member of CUÂ’s first graduating class, the Class of 1882, which had six graduates.
Four years later, in 1886, her great-aunt Helen Florence “Ella” Tyler, became the first woman to graduate from CU.
FrancesÂ’ other great-aunts, Margaret Hortense Whiteley and Zena Agar Whiteley, also received bachelorÂ’s degrees from CU, in 1891 and 1892 respectively.
Frances will wear MargaretÂ’s Phi Beta Kappa key along with her own during commencement exercises at the Coors Events/Conference Center on Saturday, Dec. 20. The ceremony starts at 9:30 a.m.
Frances will receive her bachelor of arts degree with distinction, with a double major in humanities and film. She is one of about 1,937 CU-Boulder students receiving degrees at the ceremony.
For more information, call Frances Whiteley at (303) 447-3281, Kay Oltmans at the CU Heritage Center, 492-6329, or Carol Rowe at the Office of Public Relations, 492-3113.