In the Howard Hawks, Billy Wilder, Gary Cooper romantic comedy, "Ball of Fire," after soothing Professor Oddly by singing "Genevieve," the group spontaneously sang "Gaudeamus Igitur." Despite my taking more than one degree at the private Jesuit St. Louis University, until noticing the song in the movie, I never heard of "Gaudeamus Igitur". Research informed me that it was a traditional graduation song of generations before me, sung usually in Latin, but now sung in several native languages - English, Russian, German, and others.

As I mentioned, I'd never heard of the song before vewing my DVD of this 1942 motion picture. Is "Gaudeamus Igitur" currently sung during any university's graduation? If you sang it or know someone who sang it as part of a graduation ceremony, please let me know. And describe the event if you can.

Naphtali, I guess you never saw the movie "The Student Prince" starring Mario Lanza. This song was sung in that movie. Very moving too.
It has not been sung at any graduation that I attended! I suspect that it was sung primarily in European universities at a time when only the wealthy attended university. Now that the peons attend, they don't know latin anyway! Latin used to be required!
Peter.

Right, Peter, it was required. It was considered part of a well-rounded education, as well it should be as it is the heart of the language of Western civilization.