Fast facts...

University Chancellor Herman B Wells, who served as IU's president from 1938-62, saw to it that he shook the hand of every graduate during commencement ceremonies. But the post-World War II graduate boom ended the tradition. The 1949 IUB commencement, in which a record 2,995 graduated, was lengthy and portended the final years of the tradition.
There was a time when all IU graduates were required to deliver a polished oration lasting an hour. Parents and friends brought picnic lunches to keep up their strength while listening to a full day (or sometimes a day and a half) of speeches. Rebellion on the part of the student body was inevitable. In 1890, the Indiana Student suggested that a representative from each of the university's eight departments do the honors, reasoning that "each member could air his thoughts and soar on the wings of oratory, without compelling the class to encroach on the time, patience and good nature of a commencement audience."