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One event every ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥n looks forward to is steeped in the past. Much of the pageantry we see at Commencement can be traced back to the Middle Ages. For instance, the tradition of wearing academic regalia originated in the 12th century. At that time, scholars would don caps and gowns to display their educational attainment—with the added advantage that the attire kept them warm in the drafty, unheated buildings where they taught and studied. Maces, too, have long been part of the pomp and circumstance of this momentous day. Once used as weapons of war as far back as ancient times, today the mace staff or academic scepter is mostly decorative, representing authority in university and governmental ceremonies.

Partial to academic heraldry, the Rev. John A. Klekotka, OSA, ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥â€™s president from 1959 to 1965, commissioned the design of ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥â€™s mace. Carved from walnut, its acorn-like base symbolizes the growth of the University after World War II. At 6½ pounds and 3½ feet tall, it resembles a torchlight to denote the light of knowledge. It’s adorned with three brass plates, including the University seal, the motto—Veritas, Unitas, Caritas—and an acknowledgment that it was gifted by the class of 1964. In 2021, Facilities carpenter Shaun Ahner crafted the stand that holds the mace in the President’s Office.