By Monty Siekerman
They came from near and far to see their relatives or friends graduate from Ohio Northern on Sunday.

The university awarded 148 doctor of pharmacy degrees at commencement in the morning and another 388 students were recognized in the afternoon during a ceremony for students receiving undergraduate and master of science in accounting degrees. Receptions were held on campus following the two commencements in the Field House.

But the ceremonies aren’t over. Eighty-seven law students will receive their juris doctor degrees at commencement at 2 p.m. next Sunday May 20, in the Field House.

Of special Interest to Ada residents was the awarding honorary degrees to long-time ONU faculty members Alfred Cohoe and Terry Keiser, who are retiring. Cohoe received the doctor of psychology degree. He joined the faculty in 1963. Keiser received the doctor of science degree. A 1964 ONU graduate, he joined the ONU biological sciences faculty in 1967.

The Field House, which seats 5,000 people, was nearly full for the Sunday afternoon commencement. In recent years, the university has held three ceremonies so that all family and friends of graduating students want to attend may do so.

Photos below:

• Not everyone wore a mortar board to ONU’s undergraduate commencement on Sunday. Jason Tyler Hundley, of Saint Cloud, Fla., dons a construction hat because he received the bachelor of science degree in construction management.
• A full house at Ohio Northern undergraduate commencement Sunday afternoon at the Sports Center Fieldhouse.
• Taking time to stop and smell the roses are cousins Karsen, 6, and Abel, 2, who were in Ada on Sunday afternoon for the undergraduate commencement. They were here to see Cyler Caldwell, of Wadsworth, graduate summa cum laude in mechanical engineering. The Alumni Office had a stand outside the Field House selling roses (it was Mother’s Day, after all), and ONU mementoes.