The Commencement Tradition

A tradition that reaches back nearly a thousand years, commencement symbolizes not so much the culmination of the years of effort on the part of both students and teachers, but rather the beginning—the commencement— of a productive social and professional life, and a life of continued learning. The pageantry and symbolism of commencement are typified by the academic regalia of the participants in the ceremony. Academic regalia is a visible reminder that the process of intellectual pursuits has historic and honorable antecedents. The dignity of scholarship in the past remains vital in the present. Originally academic gowns were priestly robes. In part, they were worn for warmth and protection and their style and colors were rigidly prescribed by the church. Gowns were an adaptation of the priestly toga and were fur-lined. The hood was worn to protect the tonsured head of the priest.

In the early American universities, no gowns were worn. It was not until the late nineteenth century that this medieval tradition was revived to lend color to academic functions. At about the same time, an effort was made to establish a code so that academic regalia would be somewhat standard. All gowns of masters and doctors are generally ankle length and closed in front. The master’s gown has pointed sleeves that are slit at the elbows. The doctor’s gown has wide lapels of velvet, either black or the color of the scholar’s specialization. The sleeves are full and bell-shaped; there are three velvet chevrons, either black or colored like the lapels. In the past, gowns have been black silk, but increasingly, gowns are the color of the school granting the degree.

The master’s hood is pointed; the doctor’s hood is bell shaped. The border of the hood indicates the scholar’s department; the lining emblazons his or her school’s colors. The shape and size of the American Hood marks the degree of the wearer. The lining of the hood is indicative of the institution granting the degree and is usually the official color or colors of the school. If two colors are used, one is generally arranged as a chevron upon the other. The velvet trim of the hood indicates the major field of knowledge.

Caps are traditionally black with a long tassel fastened to the mid-point. A doctor’s cap may have a tassel of gold thread. The tassel is worn on the right side until the baccalaureate degree has been conferred; it is then worn on the left. Medieval universities were more concerned with rank and privilege; academic robes made visible the social and academic distinctions of the wearers. Certain colors and certain furs were restricted to nobles. In the leveling process that has characterized the American university, these distinctions have largely disappeared. Robes now indicate specialization with colors; arts and letters are white; economics is copper; fine arts is brown; humanities is crimson; law is purple; medicine is green; music is pink; education is light blue; philosophy is dark blue; physical education is sage green; science is golden yellow; theology is scarlet. Academic regalia, then, is a recollection of the continuum of intellectual pursuits and a reminder that the process in which we all are engaged has historic and honorable antecedents connecting us with dignity and traditions of the past which are alive and sacred in the present.

Traditionally, commencement begins and ends with the academic procession, led by the chief marshal carrying the mace, which traces its origins to the Roman fasces. The ceremony officially begins with the placing of the mace before the graduates and ends when the chief marshal retrieves it and leads the recession. The color guard follows the marshal, with the candidates for degrees marching behind in reverse order of seniority—bachelor’s first, master’s next and doctoral third. The faculty follows, also proceeding in reverse order, from assistant professor to full professor. The final division of the procession is the platform party composed of academic deans, administrative officers, trustees, honorary degree recipients, and the president. Several years ago, the order was reversed so that students enter commencement last. This was done to focus attention on our graduating students and to reflect the College’s pride in their achievements.

Throughout their long and proud history, universities have retained and cherished strong ties to their ceremonial roots. Their faculties and graduates have gloried in the rich imagery and colorful panoply associated with commencement, one of the oldest continuing rituals in the Western world.