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Awards at Commencement

Saint Mary's College celebrates graduating seniors for their exceptional academic and service achievements.

Eligibility for candidacy for all Commencement awards (Valedictorian, Service, School or Departmental Awards) is determined by the cumulative and major grade point averages of all college work completed by March 1, of the year in which the student is scheduled to participate in the Commencement exercises. The student must have filed a candidacy for graduation form with the Registrar’s Office no later than March 1.

For questions pertaining to your student records i.e. GPA, Latin Honors, and Commencement eligibility please visit the Office of the Registrar or contact them via email at registrar@stmarys-ca.edu or via phone call 925.631.4214

Latin Honors 

Summa Cum Laude

A student must have earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.85 or higher for all college work

Magna Cum Laude

A student must have earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.70-3.84 for all college work.

Cum Laude

A student must have earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.50-3.69 for all college work. To qualify for graduation with honors, transfer students must complete at least nine courses at Saint Mary’s with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.50.

College Awards

De La Salle Award

Named in honor of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, the founder of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and patron saint of teachers. Awarded in the memory of J.A. Graves of the class of 1872 to the graduating senior with the highest record for scholarship and general excellence.

James L. Hagerty Award

Named in honor of the illustrious professor of philosophy at Saint Mary’s College for 37 years and alumnus of the class of 1919. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record in the School of Liberal Arts.

Arthur S. Campbell Award

Named in honor of the notable professor of biology who taught at Saint Mary’s College 1926–1961. Awarded to the graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record in the School of Science.

Brother U. Jerome Griffin, FSC Award

Named in honor of the revered professor of economics and dean of the School of Economics and Business Administration at Saint Mary’s College for 14 years. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record in the School of Economics and Business Administration.

Service Awards

George R. McKeon Scholar-Athlete Award

Named in memory of this noted Bay Area developer for whom the College’s McKeon Basketball Pavilion is named. Awarded to one male and one female student distinguished both as outstanding athletes and scholars.

George Robert Milliken Award

Named by William J. Milliken in memory of his brother, George Robert Milliken. Awarded to a graduating senior distinguished for unselfish devotion to student affairs.

Brother Mel Anderson, FSC, Mission and Ministry Award

Named in honor of the 26th and longest serving president of Saint Mary’s College. Awarded to a graduating senior for outstanding commitment to the Lasallian vision of ministry for and with the Saint Mary’s College community.

Departmental Awards

Henry Rand Hatfield Award: Named for the noted humanist, scholar, and accounting educator, who was also the first full-time accounting professor in the United States. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record as an accounting major.

Margaret Mead Award: Named after the noted cultural anthropologist and social activist credited with bringing anthropological insights on issues such as women’s rights, race relations, and world hunger to the American public. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record as an anthropology major.

Earl W. Smith Award: Named in honor of a famous Bay Area contractor, former regent of the College, and founder of the Earl W. Smith Endowed Chair in Business Administration. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record as a business administration major.

Byron Bryant Award: Named in memory of a longstanding professor of English and founder of the Department of Communication who taught at Saint Mary’s College 1955–1984. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record as a communication major.

Adam Smith Award: Named in memory of the 18th-century Scottish philosopher and economist. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record as an economics major.

Brother Leo Meehan, FSC Award: Named in honor of this poet, writer, orator, and professor of English who taught at Saint Mary’s College 1908–1941. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record as an English major.

John Muir Award: Named in honor of the Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of the U.S. wilderness. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record as an environmental sciences and studies major. 

John Dennis Award: Named in honor of a beloved professor, High Potential Program Director, and mentor to many students throughout his 29 years of service at Saint Mary’s College. Awarded to a graduating senior in the High Potential Program for embodying the characteristics of scholarship, service, community, and leadership.

St. Thomas Aquinas Award: Named for the celebrated 13th-century philosopher, theologian, and doctor of the church. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record in the Integral Program.

Dag Hammarskjold Award: Named for the Swedish diplomat who was Secretary-General of the United Nations 1953–1961, and the 1961 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record as an international area studies major.

Mens Sana in Corpore Sano Award: Awarded to the Department of Kinesiology's outstanding undergraduate student on the occasion of their commencement. 

Alfred Fromm Award: Named in honor of the noted Bay Area businessman and former regent of the College. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record as a liberal and civic studies program major.

Brother Alfred Brousseau, FSC Award: Named after the renowned professor of mathematics and physics who taught at Saint Mary’s 1930–1941 and 1959–1978, whose special passions included the study of Fibonacci numbers and California wildflowers. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record as a math major.

Dante Award: Named for the renowned 13th-century Italian statesman and poet, author of the Divine Comedy. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record as a Modern Languages major.

Louis LeFevre Award: Named in honor of this alumnus of the class of 1913, professor, and chairman of the Department of History at Saint Mary’s College for 35 years. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record as a performing arts major. 

St. Albertus Magnus Award: Named for the extraordinary 13th-century scientist, philosopher, theologian, and doctor of the church. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record as a philosophy major.

Professor Ben Frankel Award: Named in honor of this historian who taught at Saint Mary's for 50 years and inspired students to stretch their minds and inhabit the past as they prepare to transform the future. Awarded to a graduating senior with the highest scholastic record in the History major.

Thomas Jefferson Award: Named for the third president of the United States, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and powerful advocate of liberty. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record as a politics major.

John XXIII Award: Named for the beloved 20th-century Pope, most noted for convening the Second Vatican Council—the most historic event in the church in modern times. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record as a Religious Studies major. 

Jane Addams Award: Named for the sociologist and social activist who co-founded Hull House and was the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, in 1931. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding record as a Sociology major. 

Carlos Freitas Award: Named in honor of this alumnus of the class of 1925 who was a former regent of the College and a noted Bay Area jurist. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record as a biology major.

Joseph P. McKenna Award: Named in honor of noted alumnus and benefactor of Saint Mary's College, this award is given to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record as a chemistry major.

Julia A. Pryde Award: Named in honor of this member of the class of 1987 who was most instrumental in establishing the Health Science Program at Saint Mary's College. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record as a Health Sciences major. 

Galileo Galilei Award: Named for the scholar whose research revolutionized the way human beings see their place in the cosmos. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record as a Physics and Astronomy major.

Frederick Whalen Award: Named in memory of the professor and chairman of the Department of Psychology at Saint Mary's College for 14 years. Awarded to a graduating senior with an outstanding scholastic record as a Psychology major.

Sr. Clare Wagstaffe, CHS, PH,D, AFSC Ministry Award: 
Named in honor of the proud affiliated member of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools who provided an unforgettable ministry of welcome, presence, encouragement, and inclusion at Saint Mary’s College for almost 25 years. This award is presented for outstanding commitment to the Lasallian tenet to build an inclusive community “touching the hearts of those you serve” at Saint Mary’s College.