Marshall: UC San Diego Commencement 2026

In 1970, Third College was founded in response to a student movement, to provide a broad liberal arts education to students of all majors, while also helping them to develop as Scholars and Citizens, so that they will excel both academically and as engaged members of their community. The college has been central to the establishment of the university’s academic programs in Urban Studies and Planning, Education Studies, Communication, Third World Studies, Ethnic Studies, Public Service, African American Studies and Film Studies.

In 1993, Third College was named Thurgood Marshall College in honor of a man whose life’s work and philosophy embodied the college’s ideals. Thurgood Marshall became a lawyer and, when he became the director of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, masterminded the strategy that ended legalized racial segregation in the United States. Marshall was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals by President Kennedy, then to the Office of U.S. Solicitor General, and finally to the United States Supreme Court by President Johnson. As an associate justice of the Supreme Court, Marshall left a legacy of tireless commitment to the powerless and the voiceless.

Thurgood Marshall College has been committed to the education of people who traditionally have been underrepresented on college campuses. UC San Diego recognizes that diversity in the student population enhances everyone’s intellectual experience. The college logo of three hands interlocking was selected in 1974 to symbolize the unity and diversity of our college population and the wider community. Introduced in 1991, the required freshman course Dimensions of Culture: Diversity, Justice and Imagination has helped students understand the variety of experiences that people have had in the United States. Thurgood Marshall College aims to expand students’ intellectual horizons and to prepare them to be leaders and engaged participants in society — as scholars and as citizens.

Thurgood Marshall said, “None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps.” The Marshall Stole of Gratitude, or MarStole, is a Marshall College tradition that celebrates those individuals who have supported students in their journey and achievement. Students wear the stole as they cross the commencement stage and can give it to their special supporter. MarStoles are red satin sashes embroidered in white with the Marshall College logo of three joined hands, which represents the spirit of community.

THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE CLASS OF 2026

Thurgood Marshall College Commencement Exercises