1738 September 13 (Wednesday). Being the Day of their Commencement I attended at College and at the Meeting House. Mr. Gay[1] of Hingham, Mr. Storer[2] of Waterton, Mr. Pemberton[3] of New York, Mr. Smith[4] of Weymouth, and Mr. John Hunt[5] preacher, were there. N.B. Mr. Dickerson[6] of Elizabeth Town — divers Clergymen of the Church of England, especially Mr. Johnson[7] and Wetmore.[8] N.B. Mr. Elmer[9] of Cohanzy. N.B. Mr. John Barrett and Mr. Benjamin Gerrish, Merchants of Boston, there. I din’d in the Hall. The Exercises and Entertainments handsome and agreeable, and especially the Valedictory Oration. The Company was not very numerous. The Custom of giving Diploma at the time of giving the Degree is most fit and proper in my Eye and what I could wish our College would come into.
[1]Reverend Ebenezer Gay (Harvard 1714), minister of Hingham, Mass., 1717-1787. Sibley, VI, 59-66.
[2]Reverend Seth Storer (Harvard 1720), minister of Watertown, Mass., 1724-1774. Sibley, VI, 412-414.
[3]Reverend Ebenezer Pemberton (Harvard 1721), minister of the Presbyterian Church, New York City, 1727-1753. Sibley, VI, 535-546.
[4]Reverend William Smith (Harvard 1725), minister of the First Congregational Church of Weymouth, Mass., 1734-1783. Reverend Smith’s daughter, Abigail, became the wife of President John Adams. Sibley, VII, 588-591.
[5](Harvard 1734), of Watertown, Mass. He preached at Dedham and at Bellington, but in 1740 became a merchant at Watertown. Sibley, IX, 414-418.
[6]Reverend Jonathan Dickinson (Yale 1706), minister of Elizabethtown (Union), New Jersey,1709-1747, and later President of Princeton College. Dexter, 45-52.
[7]Reverend Samuel Johnson (Yale 1714), minister of Christ Church, Episcopal, Stratford, Conn.,1723-1754 and 1764-1772. He was the first President of King’s (now Columbia) College, 1754-1763. Dexter, 123-128.
[8]Reverend James Wetmore (Yale 1714), minister of Christ Church, Rye, New York, 1726-1760. Dexter, pp. 133-138.
[9]Daniel Elmer (Yale 1713). Formerly of Westborough, Mass., and at this time minister of the church of Christ of Cohansey, Fairfield, New Jersey, 1727-1755. Dexter, pp. 110-111.