55332 2005 Program.indd - Loyola Marymount University

The academic gown was modified from the
ecclesiastic robes that the medieval clergy wore
to class. The common practice was codified
at Oxford in 1222 when the Archbishop of
Canterbury mandated the wearing of the
cappa clausa, a closed robe based, like the
pileus quadralus, on a lay style. The tradition
of a specifically academic robe spread to Paris,
Bologna, and throughout Europe over the next
centuries, although most universities in Germany
and Switzerland did not adopt the practice.
Today, individual European universities continue
to establish their own academic costumes. Loyola
Marymount University faculty who attended
international institutions proudly wear their unique
and colorful attire to our commencement ceremony.
The traditions of British academic regalia
naturally carried over into most American
institutions, but gradually gave way to the wearing
of lay fashions in class. It was in the later part of
the nineteenth century that students at Columbia,
Bryn Mawr, and several other institutions sought
to revive the European tradition, at least for
use at commencement ceremonies. In 1895, a
special inter-collegiate commission standardized
a specifically American style and form to
commencement costumes. Subsequently, in 1932
and again in 1959, this code was revised and
appropriate styles and colors prescribed to meet
the needs of the burgeoning academic institutions
of this country. But with only subtle differences,
nearly all American students graduate in the same
caps, hoods, and gowns.
Styling of the robes varies slightly for the
bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, but
a somber black is the American standard color.
Hoods corresponding to individual majors also
differ in length, trim, and shape. The hood lining
designates the colors of the institution granting
it, hence the Loyola Marymount hood is lined in
crimson and blue. The color of the velvet border
on the hood designates the major of the graduate’s
degree, corresponding with the following scheme:
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White
Copper
Scarlet
Drab
Brown
Silver
Bright Gold
Gold
Orange
Crimson
African American Studies
Art History
Asian and Pacific Studies
Chicana/o Studies
Classical Civilizations
Classics
Counseling Psychology
English
European Studies
French
Greek
History
Humanities
Latin
Liberal Studies
Marital and Family Therapy
Pastoral Studies
Philosophy
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
Spanish
Urban Studies
Economics
Theology
Accounting
Business Administration
Dance
Studio Arts
Theatre Arts
Communication Studies
Applied Mathematics
Athletic Training
Biology
Chemistry
Computer Science
Engineering & Production Management
Engineering Physics
Environmental Science
Mathematics
Natural Science
Physics
Biochemistry
Civil Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Animation
Film Production
Recording Arts
Screenwriting
Television Production
Light Blue
Education