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Mckinlay’S People: A Study Of The Academic Dress Of The University Of Bradford, Peter William Clarke

Transactions of the Burgon Society

Introduction: On the morning of Friday, 19 February 1965, the Vice-Principal of the Bradford Institute of Technology, Robert McKinlay, and seven other members of the academic staff convened the first meeting of the Academic Dress Sub-Committee. This was the start of what was to be a year-and-a-half-long process of creating the academic dress of the institution.

Stitched Into History: A Brief Review Of Some Tailors’ Labels In Academic Dress, Stephen L. Wolgast

Transactions of the Burgon Society

Introduction: What tales do tailors tell? In the cut of the clothes and the drape of the cloth are stories that come together like grammar and syntax to express the style of the person wearing them. Messages like these are seen from the outside. Your friends recognize you in your favourite blazer because when you wear it, the blazer becomes part of who you are.

Authors; Burgon Society On-Line Bibliography; Burgon Society Shop; Transactions Published On-Line For Researchers, Stephen L. Wolgast

Transactions of the Burgon Society

This content includes a list of contributors authors for this volume, the Burgon Society On-line Bibliography, the Burgon Society Shop, and Transactions Published On-line for Researchers.

Dressing By Degrees: Academic Dress In British Columbia 1866–1966, John Lancaster

Transactions of the Burgon Society

Introduction: Before leaving his quarters at Fort Victoria in the recently established Colony of Vancouver Island on Sunday 18 March 1849, the Revd Robert John Staines took clerical vesture from his trunk. Yesterday, after a six-month journey from England, he came ashore from the Hudson’s Bay Company barque Columbia. Today his Sunday duties as Company Chaplain and Schoolmaster begin with the conduct of Divine Service. For his ministrations, he likely donned Anglican choir dress: cassock, surplice, scarf and his Cambridge BA hood.

Academic Dress In China From 1994 To 2011, Peter P.K. Chiu

Transactions of the Burgon Society

Introduction: This article reports the development of academic dress in China from the year 1994 to 2011. China has two self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau), and claims sovereignty over Taiwan; these three areas are not included in this study because the laws of China do not apply directly in them. As a result, academic dress in these areas has been influenced by different parts of the world.

How Academic Dress Is Mobilized In Degree Ceremonies And To What Effect, Sandra Wearden

Transactions of the Burgon Society

Academic dress is perceived by many to be fixed and unchanging, yet this study illuminated how rich, diverse, dynamic and changeable it can be. Using a socio-material approach called actor-network theory meant that the focus of attention in this study was on how academic dress was mobilized in relation to degree ceremonies and to what effect. By focusing on academic dress in this particular way, the aim was to highlight how academic dress contributed to making and shaping degree ceremonies.

This study found that academic dress generated similar and different effects across degree ceremonies held at different institutions, and concluded …

The Iridescent Web: American Degree Colours (1895–1935), Kenneth L. Suit Jr

Transactions of the Burgon Society

Introduction: The general history of American academic dress has been extensively chronicled in the pages of this journal, but aside from noting that the faculty colours currently in use were added piecemeal during the hundred-odd years the 1895 Intercollegiate Code of Academic Costume and the 1935 Academic Costume Code have been in force, a detailed study of these colours has not been made.

The Tradition Of Academic Costume At Acadia University, John N. Grant

Transactions of the Burgon Society

Introduction: In the history of post-secondary education in Canada, the creation of Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, might appear to be part of the pattern of denominational colleges in Nova Scotia. More accurately, however, Acadia helped to establish that pattern. In 1838, despite the 1818 founding of Dalhousie University in Halifax, the University of King’s College (est. 1789) in Windsor was the only chartered institution of higher learning that was active in Nova Scotia.

The Academical Dress Of The Ionian Academy, 1824–1864, Jonathan C. Cooper

Transactions of the Burgon Society

The Ionian Academy was founded in 1824 at Corfu, then part of a protectorate of the British Empire. However, its academical dress bore little resemblance to that of British universities but, rather, was based upon the costume of Classical Greece, largely due to the influence of the first Chancellor, a notable philhellene. Context will be given through a brief consideration of the Protectorate and of the organizational structure of the University; an account of the first Chancellor will follow. We shall examine the classically inspired dress of students, graduates and university officers worn at the institution during its early years. …

The Development Of Academic Dress In China, Charles Ko Ka Shing

Transactions of the Burgon Society

This article includes a series of pieces on the themes of Chinese academic dress and on the topics of design, history and practice. It covers the motives leading to the development of academic regalia of modern Chinese tertiary institutions, the history and development of academic regalia in China, and how and why the design of academic regalia has changed from ancient China to today. China is a valuable research target as it has had periods of economic reform, a change of its political attitudes, and the establishment of Westernized and modernized degree system.

Officers; Events In 2014; Fellows & Members; Editor's Note, Stephen L. Wolgast

Transactions of the Burgon Society

This content includes the front cover, the table of contents, a list of the Burgon Society's Officers, a list of Burgon Society events of 2014, a list of Fellows & Members, and a note from the editor.

The Introduction And Contemporary Practice Of Academical Dress In Japan, Jason T. Testar

Transactions of the Burgon Society

The history of the introduction, evolution and contemporary—albeit limited—practice of academical dress in Japan is a story that parallels the revolutionary changes which swept across the once feudal nation as it emerged into the twentieth century. In the clash of East and West that characterized the rise of modern Japan, the parallel story of academic dress is one which debunks the model notion that conventions of Westernization and the process of modernization are inextricably linked. Set apart from the conventions of popular fashion, academic dress in the West represents the highest scholastic achievement. However, prior to Western contact, the wearing …

Glasgow Gown With Three Bands On Each Sleeve, Neil K. Dickson

Transactions of the Burgon Society

In my history of the academic dress of the University of Glasgow I recorded that major changes to gowns and hoods took place in 1893. When the proposals for the various degrees were under consideration by a committee, the University Court instructed the committee to design a gown for its members. However no design appeared. In 1901 a new committee was appointed with the result that in 1902 the following design was approved: ‘a black doctor’s gown with collar and yoke and faced all with MA silk and with three bands of MA silk on each sleeve’. [Excerpt].

The Present And Future Of Academical Dress In Spain: Catalogue Of Guidelines On The Use Of Academical Dress And Its Colours In Spanish Universities, María Teresa Galino Mateos, Jerónimo Hernández De Castro, Francisca De Paula Saravia González, Jonathan C. Cooper

Transactions of the Burgon Society

The Association for the Study of University Protocol, founded in 1997, brings together professionals in Spanish universities who are responsible for the organization of academic ceremonies, university traditions, as well as the new activities derived from those traditions which maintain the university in its place. In the course of the activities of the Association it soon became apparent that it was necessary to understand with the greatest possible degree of accuracy ways in which academical dress was used and that it was important to establish a catalogue of suggestions on its use and of the current use of colours. The …

Authors; Burgon Society Shop; Burgon Society On-Line Bibliography, Stephen L. Wolgast

Transactions of the Burgon Society

This content lists the authors' biographies and provides a list of items to purchase from The Burgon Society, which includes books, individual print journal volumes, and the Burgon Society Member's Tie; and a link to the Burgon Society On-line Bibliography for those researching the design, history and practice of academical dress.

Academical Dress In Sweden, Klaus Solberg Søilen

Transactions of the Burgon Society

The first academic ceremonies in Sweden date back to Uppsala and the 1480s. The first concrete evidence of a doctoral ceremony is documented on 22 January in the year 1600. Today the academic ceremony (akademisk högtid) has become broader and includes doctoral promotions (doktorspromotion), promotions of honorary doctors (hedersdoktorer) and installations of professors (professorsinstallation). [Excerpt].

The Academic Robes Of Graduates Of The University Of Cambridge From The End Of The Eighteenth Century To The Present Day, Nicholas Groves

Transactions of the Burgon Society

The aim of this article is to examine the developments in the academic dress of the graduates of the University of Cambridge from the end of the eighteenth century (where Hargreaves-Mawdsley ended his account) to the present day. (Undergraduate dress has been largely a matter for college regulation at Cambridge, and thus does not come within our remit.) Without doubt, the most important development was the complete revision of the scheme in 1934, of which a very biased account is to be found in Franklyn’s Academical Dress of 1970; it does however have useful transcripts of the various Reports of …

The Development Of The Academic Dress Of The University Of Oxford 1920–2012, Andrew James Peter North

Transactions of the Burgon Society

One might expect that the well-trodden ground of Oxford academic dress would yield nothing new or surprising, but this is far from the truth. With an institution as old as Oxford, many onlookers assume that because they know Oxford’s traditions that they know Oxford’s rules and so do not need to consult statute. An excellent example is the number of undergraduates these days who profess that one may not wear the square cap until graduation, whereas the most cursory glance at University regulations would show their belief false. Also, I would argue that the academic dress of Oxford is of …

Officers; Events In 2013; Fellows & Members; Editor's Note, Stephen L. Wolgast

Transactions of the Burgon Society

This content includes the front cover, the table of contents, a list of the Burgon Society's Officers, a list of Burgon Society events of 2013, a list of Fellows & Members, and a note from the editor.

Factors Influencing The Evolution Of Academic Dress At Kenyatta University, Kenya, Leonard E. Newton

Transactions of the Burgon Society

Kenyatta University was established in 1985, as Kenya’s third university. It is based in Kahawa, which is a suburb of Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. It is a modern institution, with well-equipped laboratories and other teaching facilities, state-of-the-art digital communications, including a fibre-optic cable network linking administrative and staff offices, and well-qualified teaching and administration staff. The declared aim of the management team is recognition as a ‘world class university’. However, in spite of the effort to achieve a modern image in teaching and research, the university has embraced the centuries-old tradition of wearing academic dress on certain occasions. …

Tradition And Humour: The Academic Dress Of The University Of Glasgow, Neil K. Dickson

Transactions of the Burgon Society

The University of Glasgow was founded in 1451. It is the second oldest university in Scotland and the fourth oldest in the UK (after Oxford, Cambridge and St Andrews). By the end of the sixteenth century Scotland had five universities, compared with England’s two. This situation continued for more than two hundred years: it was only in the nineteenth century that England finally caught up with Scotland. So perhaps one might expect that Scotland would have a long, continuous and colourful history of academic dress. However, as we shall see, that is not the case. The reason can be expressed …

‘Most I Saw Were Very Dirty, Some Very Ragged And All Of Very Coarse Cloth’: The Conservation Of The Nineteenth-Century Student Gown In The Hunterian, University Of Glasgow, Karen Thompson, Sally-Anne Coupar, Julie Benner

Transactions of the Burgon Society

The nineteenth-century student gown in the collection of the Hunterian is rare and of considerable importance. Although it had been on display in the museum in the past, the gown was kept in storage for many years until its significance was recognized by Dr Neil K. Dickson, FBS, a former member of the Academic Dress Committee at the University of Glasgow, and an expert in this area. He describes the gown thus: ‘It is a red gown of very coarse cloth. It is short, and has three buttons at the top of the front. The sleeves are capelike and shorter …

A Study Of The History And Use Of Lace On Academical Gowns In The United Kingdom And Ireland, Charles Rupert Tsua

Transactions of the Burgon Society

This paper traces the history and use of gimp, lace and braid on academical gowns within the United Kingdom. Academical dress in the United Kingdom is unique in having a long history of using lace for decoration. The laces used are significant and their meanings depend on the gown on which they are used. Some universities, such as Cambridge, use laces to indicate a special status whilst others, such as Leeds, use it on their gowns more generally. The older versions of lace developed from earlier versions of decoration that had evolved over time and continue to be used up …

Burgon Society Fellows & Members; Burgon Society Shop, Stephen L. Wolgast

Transactions of the Burgon Society

This content includes a list of The Burgon Society Fellows and Members and a list of items for sale by the Burgon Society, which include books, journals, and accessories.

Academic Dress In Canterbury, Michael H.L. Brewer

Transactions of the Burgon Society

The University of Kent at Canterbury (UKC), which received its charter in 1965, had a unique concept of what constituted a degree hood, ground-breaking in its obvious difference from anything designed before or since. This paper includes academic dress at the neighbouring and slightly older institution of Canterbury Christ Church, founded as a teacher training college in 1962, with which Kent has always been closely linked. The histories and development of the academic dress of both the Canterbury universities are investigated and described. A timeline will be found in the Appendix. There is clear contrast between the ways in which …

Academic Dress Of The University Of Leicester, Clifford Dunkley

Transactions of the Burgon Society

Leicester lies on the cusp between traditional and innovative styles of academic dress. It received its Charter in 1957 and existing students were given the option of continuing to read for London degrees or transferring to Leicester degrees. The first Leicester graduates therefore emerged at the midsummer degree congregations of 1958. Leicester was the last of the twentieth century university colleges that started under the tutelage of the University of London before obtaining full independence and degree-awarding powers. This process gathered momentum in the years following World War 2, starting with Nottingham (in 1948) and followed by Southampton (1952), Hull2 …

The Demise Of ‘Faculty’ Meanings In U.S. Hoods And A Manifesto For Change, Stephen L. Wolgast

Transactions of the Burgon Society

US faculty colours are applied inconsistently, explained confusingly, and are out of date. In arguing that the colour scheme of the Code should be revised, this paper traces the changes to the description of colour use since 1895. It highlights sources of misunderstanding, including terminology and the way in which the original ‘faculties’ were chosen. Motivations for changing colour assignments from ‘subject-specific’ to ‘degree-specific’ lead to a review of the multiple interpretations of the national scheme. Influences from outside the Code are discussed before concluding with a manifesto for change.

Revisions To The Academic Dress Of The University Of Malta (L-Università Ta’ Malta), Nicholas Groves

Transactions of the Burgon Society

Those members who are also members of the Yahoo academic dress group will recall that, in September 2008, a competition was announced to design robes for the University of Malta. Specifically, it was to submit designs for a gown for masters, and a gown and hood for the PhD. Hats were included, but the styles were specified, so there was little scope for innovation. [Excerpt].

Contributors; Burgon Society Shop, Alex Kerr

Transactions of the Burgon Society

This content includes a list of contributors with brief biographies and a list of items available for purchase from The Burgon Society, which includes books, journals, and accessories.

Togas Gradui Et Facultati Competentes: The Creation Of New Doctoral Robes At Oxford, 1895–1920, Alan J. Ross

Transactions of the Burgon Society

During the academic year 2009/10, 18,755 students in the United Kingdom completed a doctoral degree after either full- or part-time study. The vast majority of these doctorates were obtained by young researchers immediately after the completion of a first degree or master’s programme, and were undertaken in many cases as an entry qualification into the academic profession. Indeed, the PhD today is the sine qua non for embarkation upon an academic career, yet within the United Kingdom the degree itself and the concept of professionalized academia are less than a hundred years old. [Excerpt].