"The punishment of degradation," says President Woolsey, in his Historical Discourse before the Graduates of Yale College, "laid aside not very long before the beginning of the Revolutionary war, was still more characteristic of the times. It was a method of acting upon the aristocratic feelings of family; and we at this day can hardly conceive to what extent the social distinctions were then acknowledged and cherished. In the manuscript laws of the infant College, we find the following regulation, which was borrowed from an early ordinance of Harvard under President Dunster. 'Every student shall be called by his surname, except he be the son of a nobleman, or a knight's eldest son.' I know not whether such a 'rara avis in terris' ever received the honors of the College; but a kind of colonial, untitled aristocracy grew up, composed of the families of chief magistrates, and of other civilians and ministers. In the second year of college life, precedency according to the aristocratic scale was determined, and the arrangement of names on the class roll was in accordance. This appears on our Triennial Catalogue until 1768, when the minds of men began to be imbued with the notion of equality. Thus, for instance, Gurdon Saltonstall, son of the Governor of that name, and descendant of Sir Richard, the first emigrant of the family, heads the class of 1725, and names of the same stock begin the lists of 1752 and 1756. It must have been a pretty delicate matter to decide precedence in a multitude of cases, as in that of the sons of members of the Council or of ministers, to which class many of the scholars belonged. The story used to circulate, as I dare say many of the older graduates remember, that a shoemaker's son, being questioned as to the quality of his father, replied, that _he was upon the bench_, which gave him, of course, a high place."--pp. 48, 49. See under PLACE. DEGRADE. At the English universities to go back a year. "'_Degrading_,' or going back a year," says Bristed, "is not allowed except in case of illness (proved by a doctor's certificate). A man _degrading_ for any other reason cannot go out afterwards in honors."--_Five Years in an Eng. Univ._, Ed. 2d, p. 98. I could choose the year below without formally _degrading_.--_Ibid._, p. 157. DEGREE. A mark of distinction conferred on students, as a testimony of their proficiency in arts and sciences; giving them a kind of rank, and entitling them to certain privileges. This is usually evidenced by a diploma. Degrees are conferred _pro meritis_ on the alumni of a college; or they are honorary tokens of respect, conferred on strangers of distinguished reputation. The _first degree_ is that of _Bachelor of Arts_; the _second_, that _of Master of Arts_. Honorary degrees are those of _Doctor of Divinity_, _Doctor of Laws_, &c. Physicians, also, receive the degree of _Doctor of Medicine_.--_Webster_.