Earning a doctoral degree represents the pinnacle of academic achievement. At The University of Texas at Austin, that achievement is honored by unique doctor's regalia.
The regalia were developed under the leadership of Larry R. Faulkner, now President Emeritus of the University. In announcing the premiere of the regalia for the 122nd Spring Commencement in 2005, President Faulkner stated, "With symbols, we extend a university's culture far beyond its campus. Our official regalia now become an important new symbol distinguishing our graduates in the world's academies. Those wearing it become emblems of the best of Texas and eminent ambassadors of The University of Texas at Austin." With its deep russet color, gold accents and unparalleled design, the regalia ushered in a new tradition at the University.
To design the regalia, the University turned to one of its own. In 2000, award-winning costume designer Susan Tsu, then a professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance, presented the initial design. Professor Tsu, a preeminent costume designer and distinguished teacher, recognized that like many designs for the stage, consideration of tradition should be a driving element.
Academic regalia has its roots in the first universities in Europe in the 12th century, when the ordinary dress of the scholar was the dress of the cleric. The costume bestowed honor, but it also served the functional purpose of keeping medieval scholars warm in unheated buildings. The style of dress was standardized in the United States in 1895 by an Intercollegiate Code.
Within that code, each university must find a way to uniquely represent itself. The UT doctor’s regalia incorporate many singular details, the most obvious of which is its color. The warm tone is a variation of burnt orange that blends well with the more traditional orange and white.
“There is a great deal of pride and identity associated with our University colors, and it was important to me that we choose a color that evokes both the history and the dignity of our University,” Tsu says. “The color of the doctoral regalia is a rich russet that will celebrate our colors from head to toe with taste and elegance.”
It will also allow UT graduates to stand out in a crowd when worn at commencement ceremonies at other universities.
The regalia possess other distinctive qualities, the most striking of them the gold UT Tower embroidered on the front lapels of the robe. The Tower is the symbolic heart of campus, and its image is the university’s most recognizable icon on campus and beyond.
Hoods on academic gowns originated when monks wore cowls as protection against inclement weather. Today’s hood is never worn on the head, but rather draped over the shoulder and down the back. The ornamental cloth is then lined with a color that represents the graduate’s field of study. The UT regalia standardize the hood in the traditional colors of orange and white and include the discipline color in a unique way: in a pin on the lapel of the gown.
Two cloisonné pins are positioned in the clock face of the embroidered UT Tower. One pin represents the Graduate School with its traditional symbol, the oak tree, at its center. This pin is bordered in the color of the graduate’s discipline. The second pin represents a broader connection to the University with a replica of the medallion of office given to symbolize academic leadership.
The regalia is completed with a six-cornered velvet tam featuring softened corners providing a less rigid silhouette than a traditional mortarboard. It is worn as a beret at a slightly jaunty angle with the gold tassel sloping toward the wearer’s left ear.
Since being introduced in 2005, UT’s custom doctor’s regalia has become one of most distinctive and far reaching symbols to reflect and proudly display the rich tradition of academic excellence that is a hallmark of The University of Texas at Austin.