147th Spring Commencement

ACADEMIC REGALIA Academic regalia, consisting of a gown, a hood, and a cap, dates from the Middle Ages and may be worn on occasion by anyone holding a degree. Golden stoles worn over the black gown dis- tinguish our commencement honor graduates. Holders of a postbaccalaureate degree wear a gown which differs in design and ornamenta- tion, particularly in the sleeves. Hoods symbolizing the master’s and doctoral degrees include in their lining the official colors of the institution from which the degree was received. The color of the velvet on these hoods indicates the field of study, some of which are listed here: white—arts, letters, humanities; drab—commerce, accounting, business;

copper—economics; light blue—education; brown—fine arts; crimson—journalism; purple—law; lemon—library science; green—medicine; pink—music; silver gray—oratory (speech); dark blue—philosophy; sage green—physical education; golden yellow—science; cream—social science; citron—social work

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THE SEAL In the Spring of 1915, Dr. Felix Yanowski a Concord chemistry professor was commissioned to design a seal for the institution. The faculty adopted it as the official seal of the institution on March 31, 1915. The only changes made since then have been to change the name to correspond with the name changes of the institution, and to use the date 1872, as the year of Concord’s charter. Concord’s Board of Governors approved the new name, “Concord University,” July 1, 2004. Around the seal is a wreath made of pine leaves, denoting dignity, and oak leaves, denoting strength. At the top of the wreath is a dove of peace. In the center of the seal can be seen the figure of a teacher who is imparting learning to an eager student standing beside him. In the teacher’s hand is a book of literature. At his feet is a palette denoting art. The globe before him signifies science; the dividers are a symbol of mathematics. The vase and cogwheel represent artisanship and industry. In the background are oak trees, symbolic of the forest of West Virginia, and the rhododendron, the state flower. The 1927 Pine Tree yearbook described the remainder of the seal thus: “In the glow of the setting sun, forming a background for this symbolic picture, we see a scene of majesty and splendor, the beauty of those West Virginia Hills.” The above description and early history of the seal were adapted from the unofficial history of Concord University, The Pines , and the 1927 Pine Tree .

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