Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-05-22
THE COLLEGE GOWN.
History of Costume Worn BY Students
at Commencements.


at Commencements.
In all ages and among all peoples
SAYS the New York Herald, distinc-
tions in dress indicated distinctions
in social standing, age or occupation.
AS early as 1900 B. c. the Egyptians
rank could be easily told by his dress.
The same was true Of the Assyrian,
the Greek, the Roman. Among the
Israelites peculiar classes were al
ways carefully indicated by their
dress. A Roman after retiring from
office was allowed to retain purple
stripe on his tunic, to indicate his be-
longing. to the senatorial rank.
Doubtless at first in the Christian
church worshipper and priest alike
wore special gowns upon special occa-
sions of joy or sadness, but during the
middle ages the priesthood elaborated
ceremonial dress for their own use,
copying it as nearly as their available
data would permit from the ceremo-
NAL of the old temple at Jerusalem.
For everyday use the various monas-
tic orders adopted a distinctive dress,
the different orders being indicated
by slight differences in color, cut or
material.
In the Middle Ages.
The universities of the middle ages
grew out of the gatherings of stu
dents around a celebrated preacher.
AS they were generally candidates for
priestly orders. they naturally adopt
ed some distinctive dress that would
| ally them with their teacher. When
| the universities became organized
schools the professors or doctors or
bachelors of divinity ard the gradu-
ates Of the faculties Of arts and law
above the bachelor degree wore over
their regular dress flowing gowns
with capes and hoods. Very high
rank was indicated by a special cap.
In the fifteenth century distinction
was made between the masters and
the bachelors gown, the latter being
shorter. Soon system was evolved
by which the various higher degrees
were indicated But this system was
far from uniform among the universi-
| ties. Oxford has not changed its
form for more than two hundred
years. Here ecclesiastical and civil
robes are markedly different. Cam
bridge Is similar in its general system
to Oxford, but at Cambridge each COL
lege has some distinctive mark which
appears on the gown.
The ordinary academic dress of to-
day consists Of cap, gown and hood.
In the United States the system has
been so unified that very definite
code has been established. In 1894 an
intercollegiate college with Seth Low
as chairman and Colonel McCook, of
Princeton; Mr.. Palmer, Of Yale. and
Chancellor MacCracken, Of New York
university, as members Of the COM
mission. They made careful study
of academic costume in all the uni
versities of Europe and out Of the
chaos which they found in the Euro
pean universities they evolved an or
derly system, which has been adopted
by all the greater universities and col
eges in the land.
There are three types of gowns
with varying cuts of hoods to repre-
sent doctor, master and bachelor de-
grees The doctors gown is full,
round, open sleeves, is faced with vel
vet and has three bars of velvet on
the sleeve, square at the bottom, fall
ing below the knees. The arm enters
through a slit near the elbow. The
bachelors gown has long pointed
sleeves. Doctors and masters gowns
should be of silk, bachelors of wors-
ted stuff. The doctors cap some
times has a gilt tassel, while the others
have a silk tassel.
Follow British Custom.
Thus far the United States follows
British custom, but the lack OF uni
formity in hoods and the application
Of color to them made us adopt "a sys-
tenn of our own, very carefully elab-
grated. The three grades Of hood vary
in cut as much as do the three grades
of gowns. They are made Of the stuff
of the gown, but are generally lined
with the colors Of the institution
granting the degree. They are trim
med with the color that stands for the
department from which the degree
emanates, this trimming being gener-
ally Of velvet. Arts and letters are
represented by white trimming, which
is copied from the white fur found on
the Oxford and Cambridge bachelor of
arts hood. Theology and Divinity are
always indicated by scarlet, the tra-
ditional color Of the church, standing
for zeal Law is indicated by purple,
the color of kings courts, or possibly
this is a retention of the old purple
stripe on the senatorial tunic. Green
stands for medicine, originally signi-
fying the green of the herbs. The
pink of music was copied from the
pink brocade of the Oxford gown OF
its doctor of music. Philosophy isl
blue the color of truth and wisdom.
The yellow of science indicates the
wealth that science has brought us.
The introduction of many new de-
partments has led to the adoption of
distinctions for them. Pharmacy is
indicated by the russet band, dentistry
by the lilac, forestry by russet brown,
and so on through an elaborate sys-
tem The colors Of the institutions
shown in the hood are arranged on
the old principles of the colors on
shield.
Academic costume on the one side
is a pleasant survival of an old GUS
tom, but it also had a deeper signifi-
canoe. In the universe of letters only