The first graduate was M. D. Warren from San Augustine

The first commencements did not really include graduates from the college. The first year-end ceremonies in 1924, described last week, were followed in August of 1924 with another commencement at the end of SFA's first summer term. Birdwell presented teaching certificates and diplomas to 115 students in the sub-college . Eugene Blount delivered the commencement address. The report in the Daily Sentinel commented: "Of those receiving certificates Friday evening, many will teach next year in the East Texas country, many will return for the second session, which begins on September 23d."

In the spring of 1925, the Nacogdoches High School graduates asked to have a joint ceremony with the college in the new Aikman Gym. They did this ostensibly because President Birdwell, a prominant Baptist layman, had invited the noted president of Baylor University, Dr. S. P. Brooks, to speak; since Brooks was considered to be a celebrity and came this way only occasionally, the public was invited to the speech, too. The Baylor Alumni in the area held a meeting to put together a Baylor Club in the region to mark the occasion.

The joint graduation ceremonies were requested for another reason, also, according to some of the graduates. This class had gone to school with the college students on the Washington Square campus in 1923-24. The students in both schools had gotten to know each other, had scrimmaged in football, had engaged in scholastic and social activities together. Many of these same high school students were to attend SFA for their undergraduate degrees. The Daily Sentinel reported on May 28, 1925, that it would be the largest class in the history of Nacogdoches high school- 70 students. Members of the class included such familiar names as: Charlotte Baker, Thomas Baker, Elizabeth Blount, Charles Bright, Beulah Hill (valedictorian) Holt Davis, Margaret Gaston, Dora Grant, Ashford Jones, George Meisenheimer, Sugene Spears, Carolyn Sturdevant, Mary South Summers, and Fred Thompson (salutatorian).

The commencement on May 31,1925, is significant for an important SFA reason. The ceremony included the first SFA graduate, a student by the name of M. D. Warren. While almost nothing is known about this student, his records in the Registrar's office confirm that he was a history major, took a BS degree, lived in San Augustine, and took what amounts to an overload to accomplish the degree at this time. He took history courses from Lois Foster and A. W. Birdwell, education courses from E. E. Davis and others, and physical education from Coach Shelton. His picture is in the 1925 Stone Fort along with the other students, but he did not return in August to have his picture made with the first "class." His name has the following caption:

"Mr. Warren is a student calm

And learned as can be;

In History he lifts up his voice

And tells it off to we."

We know much more about the other members of the class of 1925, the ones whose picture was made at the foot of the "steps of opportunity" with President Birdwell and Dean Ferguson. The first "class" graduated on August 19, 1925. Ten candidates had their degrees conferred at that time:

Blackwell, Virginia BA in English (Nacogdoches)

Fouts, Ruth Virginia BA in English (Nacogdoches)

Gaines, Elisha Price BS in History (Garrison)

Garner, Luther J. BS in History (Gallatin)

Hall, Hollis H. BS in History (Unknown)

Hornbuckle, Grace Mae BA in English (Nacogdoches)

Johnson, Gladys B. BA in Business Administration (Nacogdoches)

Miller, Pearl BS in English (Nacogdoches)

Oxsheer, Lela BS in Math (Timpson)

Wedgeworth, C. BS in History (Tenaha)

There were eleven graduates the first year, five men (including Warren) and six women. Seven received BS degrees, 4 received BA degrees. Five graduates were history majors, four were English majors, with one each in Business Administration (a woman) and Math (also a woman.)

In the following year, 1926, there was a total of twenty-eight graduates: seven men and twenty-one women. In the second year, the number of history majors stayed the same at five, but English jumped to fourteen and three students graduated in Business Administration. Five Home Economics majors and one Spanish major joined the list in the second graduation year. In 1927, the total went up to forty-four; in 1928, sixty-two; in 1929, seventy-eight graduates.

SFA's rate of graduation was growing steadily. There continued to be more women than men and this gap would increase even more during the Depression of the 1930s.