The Mace
The mace, a symbol of authority, was carried by the Chair of the Senate for the first time at Commencement on June 1, 1969, as a symbol of Vanderbilt's authority to confer degrees.
- Artist: Norah Creswell, artist/jeweler, Edinburgh, Scotland
- Length: 42"
- Weight: 88.39 troy ounces or 7.36 troy pounds
- Shaft: dark rosewood; all other parts, gold-plated silver
Symbols were selected by Robert A. McGaw, then Secretary of the University.
- The panels
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- Magnolia Grandifloris was selected because there are so many of them on campus, and they are usually in bloom at Commencement time.
- The tall bearded iris was selected because it is the Tennesssee state flower and because three prominent Vanderbilt individuals were nationally recognized hybridizers of the plant (Kirkland, Connell, and Wills).
- The shaft
- The embattled shields suggest the roof line of Kirkland Hall.
- The knockpiece or pendant is a magnolia seed cone.
- The oakleaf is a stylized rendering of the American white oak leaf and acorn and was selected because it appears on the Vanderbilt family arms.
