On Friday, Oct. 21, Longwood University inaugurated the university's 25th president. Brigadier General Patrick Finnegan started his presidency at Longwood on July 1, 2010 and was presented with the new presidential medallion at his inauguration. At the same inauguration, as is tradition, the new mace was also revealed.
The new mace was carried by Chief Faculty Marshal and Professor of Anthropology Dr. James Jordan. Jordan was selected to become the new chief faculty marshal after Dr. Geoffrey Orth, former director of the Cormier Honors College, retired earlier this year. Jordan carried the mace at the presidential inauguration and will carry it at all academic ceremonies. According to Diane Easter, director of events and ceremonies for the President's Office, Orth served as chief faculty marshal for eight years before Jordan took over this summer.
Jordan was selected by the president to be chief faculty marshal after having met the most senior status at the university. He was selected based on his commitment and dedication to the university as well.
According to Easter, the old mace had Longwood College engraved on it and was in the shape of a lily. She explained that this new mace is updated and a bit more masculine. The new mace now says "Longwood University' and includes the university's seal, the seal for the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Joan of Arc seal.
A mace committee was appointed to design the new mace which consisted of the mace committee chair, Orth; Director of Alumni Relations, Nancy Shelton; Director of the Longwood Center for Visual Arts (LCVA), Dr. K. Johnson Bowles; Director of Publications and Visual Arts, David Whaley; and Student Government Association President Brandon Fry.
The mace committee was appointed by the president in order to create the best possible mace by including the opinion of many individuals.
Fry said, "I was asked by President Finnegan to sit on that committee, to represent the students and make sure the student's voice was not missed during discussion on the new mace."
Whaley explained that the top of the mace is the shaped like the Rotunda, cast in metal and is removable with a hollow inside containing some of the university's relics. The new mace includes many historic features that are symbolic to Longwood University. According to the inauguration program, "Encased within the cube … a minié ball that struck Ruffner Hall during the Civil War, as well as a piece of wood that remained after the fire in Ruffner Hall."
The old mace will be on display in the library and the new mace will reside in the president's office. The new mace is currently at the LCVA where a protective case is being made to prevent damage. Only certain people will be able to handle the mace and will handle it with care. Easter said, "We are treating [the new mace] as a piece of art."
During his speech to the president on the day of the inauguration, Fry referred to Finnegan being a part of the Lancer family. The new mace is also now a part of the Lancer family and represents Longwood. Fry said, "Lancer family is the spirit of Longwood. Everyone has a different meaning of what Lancer means and the way I see it, it's a part of you that connects you to Longwood through tradition, history and ideals, something we all express together."
During the inauguration ceremony, Finnegan was presented with his presidential medal, which is also referred to as the chain of office. Each university president is given their own presidential medallion that will stay with them forever. Finnegan's medallion is a long chain with a medal pendant at the end of the chain. The chain has smaller silver pendants and engraved are the names of each college, the lancer logo with phrase, "Lancers Forever" under it and the phrase "Scholarship, Service and Standards" which was the theme of the inauguration.
Finnegan designed his own medallion and according to Easter, his medallion was similar to those of other university presidents. Dr. Patricia Cormier's medal was much simpler and also said "Longwood College" on it since she became president in the 1996.
Both the presidential medallion and the new mace were handmade by the Northwest Territorial Mint LLC Company. It took three months for this company to make both of these items because of their unique design.
According to Easter, the presidential medallion and mace were paid for by private fund and no student fees or stated funds were used.