Symbolic Value | CEREMONIAL OBJECTS COME OUT OF STORAGE FOR INAUGURATION DAY

Both the baton and the mace were designed in 1962 by Sir Eric Clements of the Goldsmiths' Guild of London, on a commission from President Deane Malott. The baton has a foot-long rosewood shaft; at its tip is a silver pyramid bearing the University's coat of arms and decorated with engraved ivy leaves. At the inauguration, it was carried by University Marshal Charles Walcott, dean of the faculty and a professor of neurobiology and behavior.

Weighing some fifteen pounds, the yard-long mace is kept in a faux-alligator carrying case, along with the baton, in a "very secure area" of Barton Hall, says Cornell Police Chief Curt Ostrander. The hefty object is made of silver, with its ribs surrounding a golden globe; an ornament depicting a bear holding an oar is screwed onto the tip when it's taken out for ceremonies. It was carried by Michele Moody-Adams, vice provost for undergraduate education.

Kept in Kroch Library's Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections--along with such priceless documents as Cornell's copy of the Gettysburg Address--the charter bears the signature of New York State Governor Reuben Fenton, who officially brought Cornell into being on April 27, 1865. Among the then-radical sentiments the charter expressed was the offer of admission without regard to religious affiliation "and without distinction as to rank, class, previous occupation, or locality." It was carried by Kwame Thomison '07, president of the Student Assembly.

There are actually several copies of the University seal, some of which are used to emboss official documents. The ceremonial version, known as the Great Seal, is about two inches wide and used only on diplomas. Its design was authorized by the trustees in 1868; 1940 saw the addition of the year of the University's founding and Ezra Cornell's profile, as well as his pledge to "found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study." It was carried by Donna Goss, chairwoman of the Employee Assembly.