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Hoods of Many Colors
An academic dress code established by American institutions designates plain gowns – usually without hoods – for bachelors’ degrees. Masters’ and doctors’ gowns have hoods lined with colors (like Yale’s characteristic blue) that represent the school that conferred the degree. The trimming on hoods and gowns represents the degree conferred; for example, green trim denotes a doctor of medicine. Faculty members wear the regalia of the schools where they received their degrees, and the processions are rich in color and variety. Those who received degrees in other countries – which have different academic dress – add to the picture.
Most commencement processions are led by a marshal or other faculty representative carrying a mace, a symbol of authority modeled after the weapon of the Middle Ages.
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