Behind the Pomp and Circumstance
Inauguration ceremonies have existed for hundreds of years. Among institutions of higher education, these ceremonies are conducted with great pomp and circumstance, calling upon traditions as important and beloved as the institutions themselves.
Examples abound: The same president's chair has been used at every inauguration at Harvard University since 1737. And a copy of Harvard's original school charter—granted in 1650—is also brought out of the vault for such occasions.
St. Ambrose, too, has its own customs. Yet, what is the significance of the most venerated traditions, such as:
The use of the mace, and its importance in St. Ambrose's history.
Wearing the presidential medallion and academic regalia.
The development of the University Seal, which will be presented to Sister Lescinski at her installation.
The processional (before the ceremony) and recessional (after the ceremony).
The Mace
The mace is the most sacred symbol of the presidential office. Made of wood, metal or gems, it now functions simply as a symbol of authority. In 12th century Rome, however, the mace would have doubled as a club carried by a bodyguard, whose job was to protect the clergy. Maces were used because, according to Canon law forbidding priests from shedding blood, only blunt objects could serve as weapons.
The mace of St. Ambrose University was crafted in the early 1980s by John Morrissey Sr., who was superintendent of buildings and grounds for 42 years. Morrissey was a woodcarver in his spare time and carved the mace from Brazilian rosewood. It was inset with slate carvings of a cross, a chalice and host, an oak leaf and an acorn, and the University Seal.
Although the first president to use the mace was William Bakrow, Morrissey carried it first—at President Bakrow’s insistence—during the 1984 spring commencement ceremony.
As the president processes in a regular ceremony, the mace is carried either directly behind or in front of him or her. During the installation ceremony, it accompanies the outgoing president. During the recessional, it is carried in front of the new president.
The Presidential Medallion
The first St. Ambrose presidential medallion was worn by President William Bakrow, following a trend in higher education of university presidents wearing such symbols of their office. Today, the president wears the medallion as part of his or her academic regalia. Sister Lescinski will receive the medallion of St. Ambrose University at the moment of her installation.
Academic Regalia
In the cold castles of the Middle Ages, academics wore hoods and long robes to keep warm as they schooled their students in the liberal arts.
Today, that tradition continues for those with stature in the academic world. Their robes signify their academic accomplishments and position among the ranks of their colleagues.
In keeping with guidelines first established in the 1800s by the American Council on Education, university faculty and staff wear garb with colors and decorations that correspond to their field of study, while the presence and length of hoods are determined by one's degree. At four feet, doctoral hoods are the longest.
Robes, hoods and caps are always worn at higher education institutions’ matriculation and baccalaureate ceremonies.
An inauguration, due to the infrequency of such an event, has its own special protocols for incorporating academic regalia into the ceremony. Oftentimes a university president will wear the robes of his or her alma mater.
University Seal
Every college has a seal that represents the ideals and mission of the institution.
The seal of St. Ambrose University was designed in 1925 by Pierre de Chaignan la Rose of Cambridge, Mass., with a shield as its central feature. The top portion is gray with three black crosses that come from the coat of arms of the Davenport family in England. The bottom third is red, the color for theology, and an image of a beehive is in the center. Three bees surrounding the hive symbolize the Holy Trinity and are also ancient symbols of indefatigable labor and industry.
The honey-producing insect is also part of the legend of St. Ambrose. It is said that bees swarmed around his cradle while he was sleeping and flew in and out of his mouth. He was forever after called honey-tongued, and indeed throughout his life he was given to delivering the most eloquent and persuasive speeches.
Lastly, encircling the shield on the seal is the name of the university in Latin—Sigillum Universitatis Sancti Ambrosii Davenportensis (Seal of St. Ambrose University Davenport)—beginning, and ending, with a Greek cross.
Moment of Installation
This is climax of the installation ceremony—the moment when the new president is formally placed in office.
At the moment of Sister Lescinski's installation as the 13th of St. Ambrose, she will receive the presidential medallion and blessing from Bishop Martin Amos of the Diocese of Davenport, as president of St. Ambrose's Board of Directors.
Processional and Recessional
The processional—first used at the Olympic games in ancient Greece—is the grand march into a formal ceremony. It usually begins at the back of the seating area and ends near the front of the stage or dais.
The academic processional at an inauguration differs from commencement in that delegates from other colleges and representatives of academic societies are invited to march along with an institution's own faculty and staff.
Marshals usually will lead each division of the university and seat representatives in their appropriate order. Academic institutions and societies process in the order of the year their institutions were founded.
The recessional is much the same, but follows the reverse order as the new president walks alone, following the mace bearer.