University of Southern Maine

Academic Dress

Academic costume originated in Europe about six hundred years ago. It consists of the gown, hood, and cap. Each level of academic achievement still retains a distinctive gown and hood. Bachelor’s gowns are worn today by all recipients of undergraduate degrees. Master’s degree candidates have distinctive master’s gowns. Many faculty members wear doctoral gowns with colorful hoods representing their alma maters and their disciplines.

The edging of the hoods varies in width according to the degree. Its color is distinctive of the subject to which the degree pertains. Some of these colors and associated subjects are:

Arts, Letters, Humanities—White

Commerce, Accountancy, Business—Drab

Education—Light Blue

Engineering—Orange

Law—Purple

Nursing—Apricot

Philosophy—Dark Blue

Science—Golden Yellow

Women’s Studies—Purple

The hood worn for the bachelor’s degree (now seldom seen) is three feet long, for the master’s degree three and one-half feet, and for the doctoral degree four feet. Hoods are lined with the official colors of the college or university conferring the degree. University of Southern Maine hoods are lined in crimson.

The black mortarboard caps are of the same material as the gown. The tassel may be black or, as our custom, the color appropriate to the subject, except that the doctoral cap may have a gold tassel.

Most American colleges and universities use black gowns and black caps which conform to the above description. Many European institutions have gowns, hoods, and caps of original and frequently colorful design.

The University Mace

In medieval times the mace was a heavy club, surmounted by a spiked metal knob. An effective weapon of war against armor, it was originally carried by knights for battle and by royal bodyguards to protect the king. It assumed more ceremonial functions by the 14th century and began to be decorated with jewels and precious metals.

Today the mace stands as a symbol of authority. It is displayed during sessions of the British House of Commons, where it is placed on the treasury table, and during sessions of the United States House of Representatives it is placed to the right of the Speaker. Maces are often carried during academic and ecclesiastical processions, particularly in English-speaking countries.

The University mace of walnut and brass was crafted in Westbrook, Maine, by R.G. Eaton Millworks.

The mace will be carried by Professor Irwin D. Novak.

Predecessor Institutions

The predecessor institutions of what today is known as the University of Southern Maine share a common vision that is as true today as it was 131 years ago: provide an education that transforms students’ understanding of the world while equipping them with the knowledge and skills to lead productive and fulfilling lives.

In the fall of 1878, Gorham Normal School was founded to provide the region and state with well-prepared teachers. During the Great Depression, a transplanted Boston University dean led an effort to establish a college in Portland to provide further educational access to local citizens. These institutions in Portland and Gorham merged in 1970 and became the University of Maine at Portland-Gorham. The institution was renamed the University of Southern Maine in 1978 to reflect its role as a public regional university. USM’s Lewiston-Auburn College, which fills a regional need for university education, opened its doors in the fall of 1988. Today, USM serves 10,000 students and, as an outstanding public, comprehensive university, is dedicated to playing a strategic role in the social, intellectual, and financial well-being of the state and region.

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