 Historical Perspective
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Historical Anecdotes
In
the early years, commencement was a weeklong series of events. In 1919,
there was a Military and Athletic Field Day and Students' Entertainment,
a Baccalaureate Sermon, Demonstrations of Students Work, Class Day Exercises,
Senior Dance, Faculty Reception, with final Graduating Exercises on Wednesday.
Because we were an Agriculture school the calendar revolved around the growing season. In 1919, graduation was in March. In the 1940's, graduation was early April. From 1948-1973, graduation was in June. Since 1973, graduation has been in late May. In many programs, there is the following: "The Ladies of the Faculty invite the Trustees, the Graduates and their Friends to the Reception in the Dining Hall and Lounge." (from 1948)
Graduating students did not wear caps and gowns until 1949.
The History of Academic Regalia and Commencement
America adopted modern Commencement rituals from 18th century English universities, where the history of academic dress dates back to the early days of the original English schools. But in fact, academic regalia can actually be attributed to monasteries in the Middle Ages, when university teachers were male clergy who wore the dress while teaching. It was not until the mid 1900's that British law allowed university professors to be from the lay population. While many historians believe that the academic dress has its origins in the Church, some believe that gowns and hoods were worn more because of the weather conditions in England. The architecture of England then featured mostly stone buildings without any real form of heat. Thus, the wearing of a gown would have been quite practical for the scholars of the day.
While European academic dress varies widely, American colleges and universities
tend to follow a tradition created in 1894. Leading educators convened
at Columbia College to draft a dress code for collegiate institutions.
These codes were later revised slightly by the American Council on Education.
The Gown
The traditional gowns worn by academics in this country are varied, and it is the highest degree attained by the wearer that determines the style:
Baccalaureate Degree: Designed to be worn closed, this gown has long pointed sleeves.
Master's Degree: Unlike that of the undergraduate student, those achieving a master's degree features an oblong sleeve and can be word either open or closed.
PhD
Degree: For this highest achievement, doctoral degree graduates wear a
gown with black velvet on the front and sleeves. The bands of velvet found
on the sleeves are of varying colors, depending on the individual field
of study. Sleeves are bell-shaped and the gown is most often a traditional
black.
The Hood
Some academics wear hoods along with their gowns. Originally, the hood was used by monks to carry food and other items throughout the monasteries. Today, you will see hoods in a variety of colors and materials.
Hoods for Masters and bachelor's degrees are three and one-half feet
long, while doctors wear a hood four feet long. The width of the velvet
on the hood also varies by degree: bachelors, two winches wide; master's,
three inches wide; and doctor's, five inches wide. The color on the border
denotes the field of study and the lining represents the official color
of the degree-conferring institution.
The Mortarboard
The commencement cap, or "mortarboard" derives from headgear worn by church dignitaries in the 16th century. They began as square hats with a raised square crown. Historical roots can be traced to the mediaeval square biretta worn by both clergy and laity to indicate social status. As the affairs of the Church and academe became separated over the centuries, so did their hats. The biretta was modified and became the headwear of the clergy, and the mortarboard became the hat of the academic.
It
was in the 1700's that the crown changed and became a cloth-covered board.
The tassel was added in the 19th century, becoming standard dress for
graduates. The reason it is called a "mortarboard" is its similarity
to a tool of the same name, used by masons. The mortarboard remains standard
throughout all degrees. PhD degree recipients can choose to wear a gold
tassel, while other academic degree recipients generally wear black. However,
some universities have chosen to relate the color of the tassel with the
major subject of study. Doctoral recipients can also wear rather elaborate
hats, sometimes made of velvet, which were copied from hats worn in the
period of the Medici. During the graduation ceremony, the tassel is worn
on the right side of the mortarboard. The tassel then moves to the left,
after the candidate receives his or her degree. However, the faculty always
wears the tassel to the left.
The Music
The traditional music played at Commencement is the processional Pomp and Circumstance written by English composer, Sir Edward William Elgar. He was considered by many to be the first modern English composer to write choral and orchestral music of any significance. He learned to play the organ with his father as teacher. Born on June 2, 1857, Elgar followed his father as organist at Saint George's Roman Catholic Church in 1885.
In 1889 he resigned and devoted all his time to composing. The first composition
to bring him attention was Imperial March, composed in 1897 for Queen
Victoria's diamond jubilee. One of his most popular compositions included
the five popular Pomp and Circumstance marches (1901to1930), the first
of which is the famous Land of Hope and Glory. He was knighted in 1904
and became Master of the King's Music in 1924.He died on February 23,
1934.
