Understanding Our Commencement Traditions

The commencement ceremony is steeped in tradition, with rich symbolism surrounding special costumes, artifacts, and customs. Learn more about the Loyola Mace, gowns, caps, hoods, and the university seal.

The Loyola Mace

A mace is traditionally carried at the front of the procession. It is a lantern, fueled by knowledge and wisdom, that radiates the "light of truth" in all directions. It ornamental and symbolizes our university's identity and authority.

The cross serves as a reminder of the eternal source of truth. The staff is white ash, from the tree rich in mythological lore as a symbol of everlasting life and fertility. The stylized silver point at the end of the shaft recalls that in ancient times a maker of an oath would place a hand upon a spear while pledging allegiance and honesty.

The mace originally was a gift to Mount Saint Agnes College and was later accepted by Loyola as an enduring symbol of joining with Mount Saint Agnes in 1971. One face of the lantern features the seal of Mount Saint Agnes College and another the seal of Loyola University Maryland.

The Academic Costume

The academic costumes worn at commencement ceremonies and other college functions originated in the Middle Ages, when all of the scholarly institutions were religious or monastic foundations and the daily attire of the teachers, scholars, and students were those of the religious orders. As the universities became more secular over the centuries, each of the former religious houses or colleges adopted their own versions of academic dress. These costumes have become quite elaborate, with bright distinctive collars and gowns frequently embellished with fur, gold chains, and braid, and often topped with elaborate hats topped with feathers.

In the United States, however, solemn clerical black predominated in the academic dress of the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1895, a standardized code for academic costumes was drawn up and accepted by the vast majority of American colleges and universities. By that code, the academic attire is designed to reflect both the level of an individual’s degree and the institution which granted that degree.

Gowns

Undergraduate gowns are black, worn closed, and distinguished by long pointed sleeves. Masters wear their black gowns open, with square-cut sleeves open at the wrist and an arc cut out near the hem. The doctor’s gown features large, bell-shaped sleeves, and is trimmed with a velvet yoke which is attached to the neck and stitched down the front edges to the hem. In addition, three horizontal velvet bars are attached to the upper arm of the sleeves. The velvet may be either black, or in a color particular to the field of study of the acquired degree. Doctoral gowns are traditionally black, but increasingly American universities have adopted their own color for these gowns.

Hoods

Originating from the cowls of monastic orders, the hoods are the most dramatic part of the academic regalia. The bachelor’s hood is three feet long, with a two-inch velvet border around the edge and collar which identifies the academic field. The hood is lined in silk, with the colors of the degree-granting institution. The green and white of Loyola University Maryland should be visible when the hood is worn properly. The master’s hood is three-and-a-half feet long, with a three-inch collar and border in its academic discipline. The doctoral hood is four feet long, with a five-inch collar and border of velvet. All of these hoods are lined in silk, with stripes or chevrons representing the color of the degreegranting institution.

In assigning colors to the velvet borders—and to the trim on doctoral robes—historical associations are maintained. For example, white, which is worn by degree recipients in the arts, is taken from the ermine edging of the medieval Oxford hood. The fields of study most frequently represented in the Loyola procession are white (arts and sciences) and tan (business).

Headgear

There is more variety in the shape and color of academic hats than in any other area. Among the great variety of European costumes, the Elizabethan soft-cap, or tam, is often seen. In the United States, the black “mortarboard” became popular. The origin of this peculiar-looking outfit is uncertain, although it probably has some connection with the skull-caps and birettas worn by monks and priests.

The University Seal

The main feature of the Loyola University Maryland seal is a quartered shield, the lower half of which includes elements from the coat of arms of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus. These include the two wolves and kettle and the seven maroon and gold diagonals that are emblazoned on the seals of many Jesuit schools. The upper half of the shield refers to the location of Loyola: the coat of arms of Lord Baltimore, and an evergreen tree on a field of grey, identifying the site of the campus in school colors. Loyola’s motto, “Strong Truths Well Lived,” runs across the bottom.