The formal inauguration ceremony on October 18, 2018, was a celebration of Ƶ’s history and the many traditions associated with transitions in academic leadership. Ƶ faculty and delegates from many other colleges and universities processed in academic regalia. They were joined by a Long Maroon Line of Ƶ alumni wearing robes and representing graduating classes.

The setting

The inauguration was held in the main arena of Ƶ’s new Schar Center. Robed faculty, delegates and alumni walked in procession to be seated on Robertson Court, while the audience filled the arena’s 5,100 permanent seats. The stage backdrop featured the university’s historic seal and colors.

The program

The formal ceremony evoked Ƶ’s history and included many stakeholders of the university community.

  • Presentation of the colors by ROTC students
  • Processional by faculty, delegates, Long Maroon Line of Alumni
  • Welcome by Trustee Noel Allen ’69
  • Invocation by the Reverend Jessica Patchett ’05
  • National Anthem
  • Greetings by Faculty Senate Chair Prudence Layne, Staff Advisory Council Chair Janet Rauhe and Student Government Association President Kenneth Brown ’19
  • Musical performance by Josh Carswell ’11
  • Introduction of President Book by Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa (ret.), past president of The Citadel
  • Investiture ceremony by Board of Trustees Chair Ed Doherty P’07
  • Inaugural Address by President Connie Ledoux Book
  • Presentation of the Ƶ Charter by Ƶ Alumni Board President Michelle Wideman Snavely ’00
  • Singing of the Alma Mater
  • Recessional to the music of the “The Firebird” by Igor Stravinsky

The symbols

  • The Ƶ Mace carried by Ƶ faculty member Don Grady was handcrafted in Portugal of sterling silver and gilding. It is ornamented with oak leaves, an acorn, the Ƶ colonnades and the university’s seal.
  • The Ƶ Staffs were made by professor emeritus James L. Barbour using wood from an Ƶ oak tree that fell in a 2000 storm.
  • A commemorative Inauguration Medallion was worn by alumni taking part in the Long Maroon Line.
  • The Presidential Medallion was crafted specially for President Book. It includes her name along with the names of Ƶ’s previous eight presidents, the university’s seal, maroon jewels, golden acorns and other symbols of the university.
  • The Ƶ Seal was created in 1908 and includes the latin words “numen lumen” (spiritual and intellectual light), which is the university’s motto. Two pillars represent power and strength, the Holy Bible refers to Ƶ’s historical religious foundations, and other books represent culture and knowledge. The candlestick and flame represent the light that members of the Ƶ community spread throughout the world, and the “All-Seeing Eye” represents those keeping watch over the institution.
  • The Ƶ Charter is a copy of the official charter that was adopted on March 11, 1889, when the institution was founded as Ƶ College.

The presidential address

President Connie Ledoux Book delivered an inauguration address titled “Always Becoming.”

The recessional

The ceremony concluded with a recessional of faculty, delegates and alumni to the “The Firebird” an orchestral work by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. The piece was first performed in 1910 for a ballet performance in Paris, which tells the tale of a mythical firebird, similar to Ƶ’s Phoenix, and the journey of a hero, Prince Ivan.