Nebraska to confer 1,100-plus degrees in December ceremonies

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln will confer more than 1,100 degrees during commencement exercises Dec. 20 and 21 at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

The arena, 400 Pinnacle Arena Drive, will host a ceremony for students earning graduate and professional degrees at 3 p.m. Dec. 20 and one for those earning bachelor’s degrees at 9 a.m. Dec. 21. Doors open to the public at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 20 and 7:30 a.m. Dec. 21.

Chancellor Rodney D. Bennett will preside over the ceremonies.

Two honorary degrees will be conferred during the graduate and professional degree ceremony: Ken M. Bird, longtime educator and founder of the nonprofit Avenue Scholars, will receive a Doctor of Education; and Marion LaVerne (Patton) Larmon, a 103-year-old Lincoln resident who attended the University of Nebraska from 1939 to 1941 but did not graduate, will receive a Doctor of Fine Arts.

Bird served as president and CEO of Avenue Scholars, a nonprofit focused on youth education in Omaha, from June 2008 to September 2024. He previously served as superintendent of Westside Community Schools in Omaha from 1992 to 2008 and held various administrative positions with Westside since 1981. He was employed by the Nebraska Department of Education from 1974 to 1981 and as a special education teacher at Westside from 1970 to 1974.

Bird is active in local, state and national professional organizations and serves as a director or trustee on numerous civic boards. He has been the recipient of several professional, leadership and community service awards. He and his wife, Annie, are also co-chairs of the College of Education and Human Sciences’ campaign committee.

Larmon graduated from Lincoln High School in 1939 and attended the University of Nebraska, where she was a member of Alpha Phi Sorority. Due to the Great Depression and World War II, she was not able to complete her degree. While at the university, she met Harold Larmon of McCook. They were married on Oct. 10, 1942, in Washington, D.C. While Harold served in the Pacific Theater during World War II, she worked for the FBI as a stenographer in San Diego, California. After the war, the couple settled in McCook, where they lived for more than 60 years. 

In McCook, Larmon was a soprano soloist in the church choir and community chorus; a member of the Matinee Music Club; and served on the school, hospital foundation, United Fund and University of Nebraska Foundation boards. A 76-year member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood, she was the Nebraska president in 1986 and is a member of Chapter DL, Lincoln. In the late 1960s, Larmon took up flying and earned her instrument and glider ratings and commercial pilot license. She was instrumental in organizing an official stop in McCook for the Powder Puff Derby, a cross-country air race for women pilots. For the past 15 years, Larmon has resided at The Landing in Lincoln and has served on the resident advisory council as chair. She also had prominent roles in four annual melodrama productions.

To maintain a secure environment, the arena enforces a clear-bag policy that limits the size and type of bag that may be brought into the venue. Details are available here. To avoid inconveniences, guests and graduates are encouraged to arrive early and travel light.

No tickets are required for the ceremonies, and there is no limit to the number of guests per graduate. The public may sit in any non-reserved seats other than on the main floor, which is set for graduates, faculty and dignitaries. Accessible seating is available on the concourse level in Sections 106, 107, 110, 112, 114, 117 and 118. Beverage stands will be open. Open captioning for people with hearing impairment will be provided through the ribbon screens at the corners of the arena concourse level. Guest services and first aid will be on Level 3 at Gate 112.

Paid parking, including accessible spaces, is available in Haymarket area garages and on the street. For more information, click here.

A drop-off area for mobility-restricted guests will be available on the south side of the U.S. Post Office building, 700 R St., directly east of Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Graduating students are to check in no later than 2:20 p.m. for the graduate and professional degree ceremony and no later than 8:20 a.m. for the undergraduate ceremony. Graduates should enter the south lobby, off R Street. A graduate-only entrance sign will be posted. Participants should bring their NCard, or a photo ID and NU ID number, for check-in. Graduates will be given a name/number card to find their place in the processional lineup. They should bring this card to the stage to receive their diploma. Limited coat room space will be available, so graduates are encouraged to leave personal items with family or friends.

Both ceremonies are expected to last two-and-a-half hours. Graduates and their guests are asked to stay for the entire ceremony.

The ceremonies will be streamed here and broadcast live on Spectrum channel 1303, Allo channel 23 and Kinetic channel 1080.

For more information on December commencement, click here or email commencement@unl.edu.