f I
October 21, j96f)
Dr. Lewis, Dean Hixson, and Dr. Byers model their academic gowns.
Academic Costumes Signify Degrees
“What is that little hat Dr.
Lewis has on?” “Well, why does
Dr. llycrs have all those colors?”
"What is that gokl tassel for?”
Questions, ([iiestions, questions. On
opening day as the faculty marches
down the aisle of Memorial Hall,
everyone wonders just what the
.significance of their regalia is. Why
wear robes and hoods and mortar
hoards ?
It all started a long time ago in
Kurope. 'I'he history of the aca
demic dress reaches far back into
the earliest days of the oldest uni
versities. In 1321 there was a sta
tute requiring that all Doctors,
licentiates and bachelors of the
University of Coimbria, Portugal,
wear gowns.
During the second half of the
fourteenth century in England, col
leges forbade “e.xcess in apparel”
and prescribed the wearing of long
gowns. It is still a question as to
whether the academic gown found
its sources chiefly in ecclesiastical
or civilian dress. It may have been
necessary for warmth in the un
heated buildings which scholars
frequented. Both Oxford and Cam
bridge have tnade academic dress a
matter of university control to the
extent of even its minor details,
and they repeatedly issue revised
regulations.
When .American colleges and uni
versities desired to adopt some
suitable system of academic apparel
a half-century ago, it seemed best
to agree on some definite system
which all might follow. Students,
in a way, were responsible for this
move m e n t in America for the
standard academic robes lent to
the ideal of democracy. They over
came individual differences among
students and also helped to appeal
to school si)irit.
As the result of this student
inoveiiicnt, on May 16, 189S, a
MORRIS SERVICE
Next to Carolina Theatre
* * * *
Sandwiches - Salads - Sodas
“The Place Where Salemites
Meet”
conference of representatives from
interested institutions met at Co
lumbia. From that meeting came
the official suggestion that a “by
law regulation, or statute” be set
up. In 1902 the regents of the
University of iJew York gave a
charter to an organization called
the Intercollegiate Bureau of Aca
demic Costume to serve as a source
of information and guidance in
such matters. The firm of Cotrell
and Leonard was designated as “re
pository” and still serves in that
capacity.
In 1932 the American Council on
Education authorized the appoint
ment of a corhmittee to determine
whether revision and completion of
the Academic Code adopted in 1895
was necessary, and if so, whether
to draft and revise the code and
present it to the council. The com
mittee reviewed the situation and
approved a code that has been in
effect ever since.
The Committee on Academic Cos
tumes and Ceremonies was ap
pointed by the American Council
on Education in 1959. They re
viewed the code and made signi
ficant changes.
Closer to us at Salem, the first
Oxford cap and gown were worn
at Salem in 1891. The Cremation
ceremonies, when the seniors
burned old straw hats and donned
their caps and gowns, were held
in 1910. This has become hat burn
ing in the Spring of the junior year.
1906 marked the first graduation
exercises in which seniors changed
tassels.
Specific regulations concerning
Academic dress are lengthy, but
several are as follows:
The gown of a Bachelor should
be made of cotton poplin or broad
cloth with pointed sleeves and
should be worn closed. The Bache
lor wears a cap to match his gown.
The tassel is either black or the
color representing his major sub
ject.
A master’s gown is also of cot
ton, but ha.s oblong sleeves open
at the wrist. The sleeve base hangs
down in traditional manner and the
front of the oblong has an arc cut
away. The robe may be worn open
or closed.
The Doctor's gown is by far the
most elaborate. The material should
be black silk or rayon. The front
is faced with black velvet and three
bands of black velvet encircle the
sleeves. Tassels may be black or
gold.
The hoods of the robes were ori
ginally like the hoods that priests
once wore and used for collecting
money in their parishes. Now they
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Every leader has ideals . . .
The ideals guiding Thalhimers are three
fold . . .
First, to serve you and our community
to the best of our ability.
Secondly, to contribute in every way
possible to the betterment of the areas
we serve.
Thirdly, to grow with our community,
reflecting its spirit of progress.
mainly denote the major subject
and the school attended.
The lining of the hoods is the
school color and the trimming
(about two to five inches around
the edge, depending on the degree)
is in the specified color for the
major subject.
A few of these colors are: arts,
letters, and humanities—white ;Eco-
nomics—copper; Education —■ light
blue; Fine Arts —brown; Journal
ism — crimson; Library Science-
lemon; Music—pink; Philosophy ■
dark blue; Science—golden yellow;
Social work — citron; Theology—
scarlet.
There are even more colors, but
the preceding are the ones seen
most otten around Salem campus.
These colors are used for tassel
trimming and edging around hooks.
Persons like Dr. Lewis who hold
degrees from foreign universities
may wear their entire appropriate
academic costume.
Precedent directs that only a
single degree from a single insti
tution should ever be indicated by
a single garment.
There are reams and reams of
information concerning the aca
demic code of dress. Dr. Hixson
has made a study of it and keeps
adding to her collection.
Maybe from this brief sketch we
will know why Mrs. Heidbreder
has on a blue tassel and Dean Hix-
IRS Sponsors
Room Contest
There was a reason for the hustle
and bustle of freshmen on Tuesday
afternoon — the Freshman Room
Contest. Held on October 18 be
tween 8:(X1 and 10:00 p.m., the com
petition was sponsored by the IRS.
The winners of the separate con
tests held in the two freshman
dorms are as follows: Anne Griffis
and Helen Wollny, second place-
Betty Pope and Kathy Chalk, first
place in Babcock; Anne Simmons
and G. G. Monk, second place;
Mary Alice Teague and Carolyn
Morrison, first place in Clewell. The
rooms were chosen on the basis of
neatness and originality, but pri
marily on “livability.”
Dean Hixson, Mrs. Snow, and
Mr. Hill, representatives from the
faculty, Barbara Edwards, Presi
dent of the IRS, and Lou Liles
served as judges. They announced
their decisions at a reception given
in the Babcock Terrace Room after
the contest.
son has a gold one, and why Dr.
Lewis has on his tippet and fur
trimmed robe, when they line up
outside Memorial Hall for the Aca
demic Processional.
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