The celebration lasted only two days -- Tuesday and Wednesday, June 29 and 3 -- but the committee on arrangements managed to pack into that brief period a remarkable volume of oratory. There were three sessions on Tuesday and two on Wednesday. All but the last were held in the First Presbyterian Church, filled, the committee in its enthusiasm reported, ``with an audience which for beauty, intellect, and respectability could scarcely be surpassed.''
At the first session on Tuesday, Chief Justice Henry W. Green 1820 (later the Chancellor Green for whom the present student center is named) gave an address formally opening the new law school, which proved short-lived, ceasing operations only a few years later.
At the second session James W. Alexander 1820, the Centennial historian, spoke over two hours, ``with such eloquence,'' the committee unhesitatingly reported, ``that the audience sat in rapt attention, missing not a single word.''
On Tuesday evening eight representatives of the junior class delivered orations, a student from Ireland on ``The Faded Shamrock,'' one from Mississippi on the question, ``Why Has America No National Literature?''
At the graduation exercises Wednesday morning, twenty-three of the sixty-two seniors receiving bachelor degrees delivered orations.
In the afternoon a dinner was served to 700 persons in a large tent in back of Nassau Hall. The toastmaster, trustee James S. Green, son of ex-president Ashbel Green. offered thirteen formal toasts -- without wine! ``Our hearts are full to overflowing,'' he said, ``we need no additional excitements.'' To six of his toasts there were responses, by Vice-President Dallas, ex-Governor William Pennington 1813, and others. The program concluded with nine impromptu toasts, some with responses, honoring President Carnahan, physicist Joseph Henry, the oldest living graduate Samuel Baldwin 1770, and others. At the end Robert McKnight 1839 of Pittsburgh, who was later a congressman, offered a toast to ``Nassau Hall and her Sons -- The tie which binds her absent sons increases as the square of the distance'' -- a sentiment, the committee noted in its official report, ``received with a most agreeable sensation by all present.''