Academic Apparel
The Mace
The Indiana University Mace is carried by the University Grand Marshal on ceremonial occasions.
The staff of the Mace, which is 30 inches long, is constructed of polished ebony, encircled with four brass, gold-plated collars and entwined by swirled gold bands. The staff is surmounted by a globe of gold-plated brass with four flat sides. The sides of the globe are embossed with the seal of Indiana University, the seal of the State of Indiana, the emblematic initials “IU,” and the donor inscription. Mounted on the globe are 12 large synthetic jewels of blue sapphire, ruby, garnet, and topaz. At the top of the globe is a spread-winged eagle.
The Mace was presented to the university by Indiana Alpha of Phi Delta Theta at the centennial celebration of the Indiana Alpha chapter in 1949.
The Mace has an ancient history as a symbol of authority. In medieval times it was a studded, clublike weapon, made of iron and capable of breaking armor. It came to be associated with the protection of the king in France and England and was carried by the king’s sergeant-at-arms. In the thirteenth century it began to be used for civil purposes and figured in the processions of city mayors and other dignitaries. Eventually the Mace became a symbol also for academic institutions, an emblem of order and authority in the pageantry of ceremonial occasions.
