The ceremonial mace is a symbol of authority of the university as a degree-granting institution.
The Joliet Junior College mace, designed by part-time instructor Bev Decman, is made of cherry-stained mahogany. Lathe-turned and inlaid with cast and engraved brass and sterling silver, the mace is plated with 24-karat gold. The silk tassel is hand-woven, and the designs in the metal represent the school and match the president’s graduation necklace.
In the United States, almost all universities and colleges have a mace, which is used at commencement exercises and carried by the university or college provost, the marshal of the faculty, a dean or some other high official.
In the past, the mace was a weapon used to establish the authority of the physically strong. Its transformation into a symbol of intellectual authority is both a tribute to, and a reminder of, the civilizing force of a university’s teaching, research and community service.