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If attending the Congregation is a memorable moment in each graduate's life, it should be the most memorable for those who were the first to receive their degrees at CU.

Before the establishment of CU, the 3 founding Colleges conferred their own degrees in their respective graduation ceremonies. Not until October 16, 1964 were graduates conferred with degrees under the name of the University.

The Congregations nowadays is held at the University Mall. However, the University Mall did not even exist back in 1964, so where did the first CU degree holders have their congregation? The answer is: the Concert Hall of the Hong Kong City Hall. Unlike recent Congregations which were mostly held in the daytime in December, the Congregation at that time was held in the late afternoon in October, completed with a military band's performance.

Graduates, whose names were announced by the then Registrar Mr Wu Hei-tak, were awarded by Sir David Trench, the first Chancellor of CU and Governor of Hong Kong. Right after the Congregation was a graduation dinner which Dr Choh-ming Li, the first Vice-Chancellor, attended and at which he congratulated the new degree holders.

The awards the graduates received at the Congregation were based on the results they obtained from the University's first degree examination held in June the same year. Candidates at that time sat for 9 examinations. Those who passed in either 9 papers or at least 7 papers were awarded a Bachelor's Degree and a Diploma respectively. Only 180 out of the 202 candidates who attended the first degree examination graduated. Among them, 135 were awarded Bachelor's Degrees while 45 were awarded Diplomas.

Many graduates who obtained their awards in the 1964 Congregation have since become renowned individuals in their professions, among them are Ms Lo Wai-luen 盧瑋鑾(NA/CHI), a writer; Mr Tso Wung-wai曹宏威(CC/CHM), a famous chemist; Mr Lee Yun-woon 李潤桓(NA/FAA), former Chairman of CUHK's Department of Art and Mr Simon Wong 王玉棠(UC/HIS), former professor of the Department of History.

Some of the graduates are still active in various alumni associations, including Mr Lee Kam-chung 李金鐘(NA/HIS), the first Chairman of the CUHK Convocation; Mr Tong Wai Chuen 湯惠泉(NA/SOC), current President of NA College Alumni Association; Mr Tao Kar Ling 陶嘉齡(NA/BOT), President of the CUHK Alumni Association of Washington Metropolitan Area and Mr Chan Wan Yiu 陳運耀(NA/FAA), former President of the CUHK Alumni Association in New Zealand.