Commencement history at Maryville University tells a lot of stories, and one evolving chapter is location.

At one time, commencement was held in a gothic chapel on Maryville’s original campus in South St. Louis City. Today’s Maryville graduation ceremony is a family affair, but it wasn’t always that way. No family members were able to attend the chapel ceremonies; the only visitors allowed to view graduation were local priests.

In the days since, Maryville’s graduates have packed Powell Hall (1980), queued up outdoors on Commencement Lawn and a campus parking lot, and indoors in the Simon Center, sometimes depending on the weather.

Take a look at graduation images spanning the last 50 years.