Anticipating that his idle course had “destroyed” any chance of being assigned a part in the commencement exercises, CFA had asked his father on 2 July for permission to leave Cambridge and come to Washington. Reluctantly JQA agreed that, in the circumstances, “it will be most comfortable for you, to be as far distant from Cambridge, on that [commencement] day as you can” (JQA to CFA, 17 July 1825, Adams Papers). President Kirkland granted the leave of absence without prejudicing CFA’s degree. See GWA, Diary, 23 Aug. 1825.