On Friday, Weber State University will conduct its 137th commencement ceremony. In 1896, the first year WSU conferred degrees, there were three graduates. By 1921 this number had grown to slightly more than 100. In 2011, WSU will confer more than 4,000 degrees.
In the 19th century and for the better part of the 20th century, virtually all of the degrees awarded by WSU were conferred to residents of Utah. In fact, most degrees were awarded to residents of Weber County. On Friday, the majority of the degrees will still be conferred to Utah residents, but there will also be a significant number of degrees awarded to students from Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, and other countries.