Published: Dec. 8, 1997

When 29-year-old Frances Whiteley of Boulder receives her bachelorÂ’s degree at the University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥Â’s winter commencement Dec. 20, sheÂ’ll be continuing a tradition in her family that dates back to the earliest years of the university.

FrancesÂ’ great-uncle Richard Henry Whiteley, Jr., was a member of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥Â’s first graduating class, the Class of 1882, which had six graduates.

Four years later, in 1886, her great-aunt Helen Florence “Ella” Tyler, became the first woman to graduate from ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥.

FrancesÂ’ other great-aunts, Margaret Hortense Whiteley and Zena Agar Whiteley, also received bachelorÂ’s degrees from ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥, in 1891 and 1892 respectively.

Frances will wear MargaretÂ’s Phi Beta Kappa key along with her own during commencement exercises at the Coors Events/Conference Center on Saturday, Dec. 20. The ceremony starts at 9:30 a.m.

Frances will receive her bachelor of arts degree with distinction, with a double major in humanities and film. She is one of about 1,937 ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥-Boulder students receiving degrees at the ceremony.

For more information, call Frances Whiteley at (303) 447-3281, Kay Oltmans at the ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Heritage Center, 492-6329, or Carol Rowe at the Office of Public Relations, 492-3113.