Published: April 12, 2007 12:30 am            

NWOSU investiture to feature new ceremonial mace

When Dr. Janet Cunningham is formally invested as Northwestern Oklahoma State University’s 19th president, the ceremony will feature a mace newly crafted by Dr. Jerry Brownrigg, professor emeritus of technology.

The mace is one of the traditional symbols of office that will be used during the ceremony beginning at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Percefull Fieldhouse in Alva. State leaders in government and higher education, along with delegates from other colleges and universities are expected to attend. A reception will follow in Student Center Ballroom. The public is welcome to both events.

Investitures, formal ceremonies to confer the authority and symbols of high office, have been held at academic institutions since the Middle Ages.

Symbols to be presented during the ceremony include the academic mace, which is the ceremonial staff of authority carried by administrators and faculty at the head of academic processions, and the president’s medallion, which is a symbol of the office of president worn at ceremonial observances such as commencement.

Brownrigg chose a highly figured piece of walnut cut from a tree grown near Carmen. He had purchased the piece from a former student approximately 45 years ago and found it still was in excellent condition.

“It’s very difficult to find a single piece of wood both large enough and of a high enough quality wood to be used for a piece like this,” Brownrigg said.

The mace is slightly more than 36 inches long and the end is topped with a finial made of ebony and holly, a white wood. The bottom is shaped into a knob and three sets of three beaded rings each are featured along the shaft.

At the top, below the finial, the mace is shaped hexagonally to hold six brass plates. Two of the plates will be engraved with the names of all of Northwestern’s presidents. The others will showcase the university seal, the horse-and-rider Ranger symbol, the alma mater and the names of the institution since it was formed as Northwestern Normal School in 1897.

Brownrigg, a nationally recognized woodturner, turned the mace on a lathe. He researched maces used by universities and devised the design himself.

He said there were few common features among the various maces — some were thin, some were thick. The longest he found was more than 50 inches and the shortest only was about a foot long.

After the actual turning was completed, Brownrigg sanded the wood and applied eight coats of a penetrating oil finish. He also crafted a display stand from native walnut and a storage case made from South American walnut. He estimates the project took about 100 hours to complete.

When not being used for ceremonies, the mace will be displayed in the president’s office.