​Looking Back: Graduation Spoons

by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society
 
Last Wednesday, I was visited by a “friend of the Historical Society.” Due to her generosity, the Historical Society has been on the receiving end of many gifts from Karen Carmack. Last week was certainly no exception as Karen arrived with two priceless books and her Grandmother Carmack’s graduation spoon.

Karen is the daughter of Peggy (Williams) and Layton Carmack and the granddaughter of Laura (McQuerry) and Otis Williams and Lulamae (Shrout) and Eugene Roy Carmack, all residents of Grain Valley.

When she arrived with the spoon, I must admit I was delighted, but also very curious. I had never heard of a graduation spoon, let alone seen one. While I photographed the spoon for this week’s paper, you really need to visit the Historical Society Museum for a good look at the lovely little spoon. The bowl of the spoon is engraved with “G.V.H.S. 1920”” and at the end of the handle is her grandmother’s first name, “Lulamae”. 

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Graduation Spoon belonging to Lulamae Shrout Carmack, GVHS, 1920
 
Perhaps you know about graduation spoons. I did not.  Thanks to the internet, I can share with you that students in the early 20th century were often given souvenir spoons featuring their alma mater. Many of these graduation spoons had a male or female figure in graduation garb on their handles. Others had handles decorated with pens, books, and globes.

At the turn of the last century (1900 era), a high school education was not all that common. Only a small fraction of the population had an opportunity to attend high school and an even smaller percentage to graduate. A spoon to celebrate the graduation was usually limited to the wealthier part of the population, because a typical sterling silver hand engraved spoon often would represent an entire day’s labor for a skilled employee.

The souvenir spoon craze moved west with the settlers. Young girls often did not attend college so the spoon may have represented their future as wives and mothers. After all, college was fine, but the real work came after they were awarded their “Mrs.” degree.

I also learned, to my surprise, that graduation spoons are still given as gifts today. Who knew? And antique spoons, though rare, are quite pricey on e-bay!
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Visit the Historical on Wednesday from 10 AM to 3 PM and see the GVHS graduation spoon!
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