2009 Commencement Ceremonies, for the 260th year in the life of the university: The 154th commencement ceremony for the Washington and Lee University School of Law will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2009, at 11:00 a.m., and the 222nd undergraduate commencement will be held on Thursday, June 4, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. There is also an undergraduate baccalaureate service on Wednesday, June 3, 2009, at 10 a.m. All ceremonies will be held on the Front Lawn of the main campus, between the Colonnade and Lee Chapel. (Plans in case of inclement weather will be announced early the day of the ceremony.) See also the Schedule of Events at commencement.wlu.edu/sched-events.htm . [top]

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Personalized commencement announcements may be ordered from Traditions for Undergraduate Commencement at the Grad Fair (Wednesday, March 11, to Friday, March 13) in the atrium of the Elrod University Commons from 9:00 am-5:00 pm each day. Orders can also be placed on-line at www.traditionsusa.com/schools/WashingtonAndLee.asp or by calling toll free 1.800.297.4723.

Announcements for Law Commencement may be ordered from Exemplar (Tuesday, February 18, and Wednesday, February 190) in the Moot Court Lobby of Sydney Lewis Hall. Orders can also be placed on-line at www.exemplarinc.com/announcements.htm. [top]

CAPS AND GOWNS: Each degree candidate will be fitted individually for new academic regalia. Graduates must attend in approved regalia, with no adornment. Undergraduates may purchase their new regalia ($40), which may be kept after the ceremony, from Oak Hall through the University Store at the Grad Fair (Wednesday, March 11, to Friday, March 13) in the atrium of the Elrod University Commons from 9:00 am-5:00 pm each day. This will be the only opportunity to order undergraduate caps and gowns.

Law-student regalia is rented from Josten's, including tams, gowns, tassels, and hoods, through the University Store. With the exception of the tassel, these must be returned at the end of the ceremony to the Elrod University Commons. Measurements for law academic regalia will take place (Tuesday, February 18, and Wednesday, February 19) in the Moot Court Lobby of Sydney Lewis Hall. [top]

DIPLOMAS: Students may choose between real sheepskin diplomas ($90) or top quality parchment diplomas (no charge). The diploma order is sent in no later than February 1, after which changes to names or type of diploma will incur an additional fee. [top]

DRESS: Graduates must attend in approved regalia, with no unapproved adornment (cords, flowers, etc.). Guests are advised to dress comfortably. The weather in Lexington during May and June is often warm and humid. If ceremonies are held outside, most seating will be on the beautiful, sunny and gently sloping Colonnade in front of Lee Chapel, facing toward the sun, so comfortable shoes, light clothing, hats, and sunglasses will be useful. In the case of inclement weather, the Law School commencement exercises and undergraduate Baccalaureate will be moved indoors to W&L's Warner Center gymnasium where seating is on bleachers, so a cushion would be useful. Warner Gymnasium is not air-conditioned. The undergraduate Commencement will be held at Cameron Hall Gymnasium on the campus of Virginia Military Institute. Cameron Hall is air-conditioned and has individual, padded, stadium seating. [top]

DURATION: Commencement Exercises are expected to be completed by 12:30 p.m. for the Law School and by 12:15 p.m. for undergraduates. The Baccalaureate Service is usually completed shortly after 11:00 a.m. [top]

FIRST AID: The Student Health staff is available at each ceremony in the lobby of Washington Hall to assist those who need first aid. They are also able to contact a local rescue squad in case of an emergency (911 or 540.458.8999 for W&L's Public Safety officers). Rain locations are posted on the Rain Plan Schedule. [top]

FLOWERS: The University Store will offer for sale, on the Web or on the morning of graduation, a substantial bouquet of 10 white flowers tied with blue and white ribbons for parents to present to their graduates after the ceremony ($25). These bouquets may also be reserved in advance by e-mailing Maureen Becker, Store Co-Director, at mbecker@wlu.edu. The Lexington-Rockbridge Chamber of Commerce also lists member florists on its Web site at www.lexrockchamber.com . W&L's colors are royal blue and white. [top]

FRAMING: The University provides detailed wet- and dry-mounting instructions for handling the sheepskin diploma. This is archival quality handling which will last for a very long time.

A selection of beautiful high quality frames is available from the University Store in a variety of styles from traditional to contemporary. The University Store also offers an exclusive diploma-frame design which incorporates a panoramic sepia photo of the Colonnade. All diploma frames will be available for purchase at a discount ONLY during the Law Grad Fair, (Tuesday, February 18, and Wednesday, February 19) in the Moot Court Lobby of Sydney Lewis Hall and the Undergraduate Grad Fair in the Commons Atrium (Wednesday, March 11, to Friday, March 13).

The University Store also offers special photo frames matted with gold and embossed with the University crest and name suitable for holding the diploma-presentation photograph (see Photographs below). These frames will also be available at a discount ONLY during the respective Grad Fairs. [top]

GIFTS FOR THE GRADUATE: A large selection of exclusive gifts to celebrate the Washington and Lee experience is available in the University Store and on the official web site ( bookstore.wlu.edu ): the W&L armchair or rocker, lamp, a selection of fine framed art depicting W&L, fine embossed leather attaché cases, time pieces, writing instruments, and quality apparel, all subtly enhanced with the W&L or W&L Law official mark. Many of these items can be personalized with the graduate’s name and class year. For details, please contact Maureen Becker, Store Co-Director, at mbecker@wlu.edu. At no charge, your University Store will wrap your gift of choice to commemorate this special day. [top]

PARKING: Parking for commencement exercises is available in the parking deck located off Nelson Street and East Denny Circle behind the gymnasium complex. The Front Lawn is a short walk from the parking deck.

Washington and Lee provides other convenient access to the law and undergraduate commencement exercises and the undergraduate baccalaureate service for all those who are able to walk only short distances, who have difficulty climbing steps, who use a wheelchair, or who otherwise need special assistance. Please inform your parents and families that the university provides special parking and transportation for the Commencement and undergraduate Baccalaureate ceremonies for those guests who are handicapped or have special health concerns. Many of your families will have these special needs.

We designate the Lee Chapel Visitors lot on Jefferson Street and Washington Street from Lee Avenue to Nelson Street as Handicapped and Special Needs parking. These areas will be closed to all others. Please advise your families that this parking is available on a first come, first served basis, so they need to plan arrival times accordingly. We also will have a golf cart available to transport special needs guests to the ceremonies from those areas. When these areas fill, guests may drop off their special-needs guests near the President's house on Washington Street and they can still be transported to the ceremony.

Access to the Elrod University Commons or to the rain-plan site for law commencement or undergraduate Baccalaureate at Warner Center is handled through special underground parking arrangements. Under the rain-plan site for undergraduate Baccalaureate and Commencement, buses will be available to transport guests from the back-campus and parking deck, because on-street parking is limited in the vicinity of VMI's Cameron Hall. To request assistance, please contact Michael L. Young, Director of Public Safety, by e-mail (mlyoung@wlu.edu) or phone (540.458.8427), or Brian Richardson, University Marshal, by e-mail (richardsonb@wlu.edu) or phone (540.458.8430). [top]

PHOTOGRAPHS: Class pictures are scheduled prior to Commencement at times and locations noted in the Schedule of Events. A "Class of 2009" banner will be set up on the Colonnade for individuals, families and other groups who may want a "photo op." There are a few spots near the line-up area and along the procession route which might be of interest as well

Amateur photographers are asked to be respectful of others in attendance, including the professional photographers. Space is reserved near the stage for families wanting to take pictures of their graduates while receiving their diplomas. Space and line-of-sight limitations prevent us from accommodating video tripods in this space for the entire ceremony.

Those with family or friends receiving law degrees or, during undergraduate ceremonies, degrees from the Williams School (BS or BA degrees) or BS degrees from the College may find the best vantage point to the left of the stage facing the chapel; those whose graduates are receiving BA degrees from the College may find the best spot to the right of the stage facing the chapel.

Individual still photographs are taken of each graduate receiving the diploma, and a videotape of the entire graduation ceremony, with sound but without commentary, is prepared by Johnson's Video. Details on obtaining copies of still photographs will be provided here at a later time; Johnson's Video contacts the graduates before graduation with their offer. For information about still photography, please see the university's web page at photostore.wlu.edu or contact the Public Affairs and Communication office, by e-mail at jcline@wlu.edu or by phone at 540.458.8460. For more information about videotapes, contact Johnson's Video in writing at 310 North Pope Street, Bridgewater, VA 22812, by e-mail at mys700@verizon.net or call 540.828.3822. [top]

PROCESSION AND TRADITION: [top]

Coat-of-arms and banners

In 1890, at the request of Leslie Lyle Campbell, Class of 1887, Professor W. G. Brown designed a white silk banner bearing the words Washington and Lee University embroidered in gold letters on a blue scroll. Below the scroll was a composite shield made up of heraldic elements from the coats-of-arms of the Washington family and the Lee family. The shield has survived the years, but the original banner has not. Before 1903, Professor Brown designed a full coat-of-arms with crest and motto. The black raven rising out of the golden ducal coronet comes from the Washington crest. The upper left quarter of the arms depicts an open book with an injunction from I Thessalonians to "test all things." The upper right quarter exhibits the arms of Washington of Sulgrave, and the lower left quarter the arms of Lee of Coton. The arms in the lower right quarter are those of Astley of Staffordshire, and signify a marriage between the Lee and the Astley families. The motto, non incautus futuri, based on a phrase from Horace’s Satires and translated "not unmindful of the future," comes from the Lee family arms.

In 1998, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the University, David D. Brown, Law School Class of 2000, designed four banners that draw upon the original heraldic design of 1890. The new University banner is a revised version of the design by Professor W. G. Brown. The banners for the College, the Ernest Williams II School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics, and the School of Law derive their separate designs from the University banner.

Mace

A mace is a ceremonial staff and a symbol of authority. The mace is carried by the Marshal to denote that the University is in session. It was designed in 1951 by Marion Junkin, Class of 1927 and Head of the Department of Fine Arts, and carved by Mary Barclay, a member of the staff of the Alumni Office, from a 150-year-old walnut beam taken from the old Lexington firehouse. The University coat-of-arms is carved on opposite sides of the urn-shaped head and painted silver, blue, red, and gold. Below the arms are the scroll and the motto. Atop the mace are the coronet and raven from the University crest.

Academic costume

In the procession of the Faculty, guests will see a variety of academic costumes. The design of the gowns has evolved over centuries from medieval origins. Most of the regalia seen today represent the Doctor of Philosophy degree. Traditionally, the doctoral gown is black, has full sleeves gathered at the wrists, velvet bars on the sleeves and velvet panels on the front. The colors on the hood, which is worn around the shoulders, designate both the academic discipline of the degree earned by the wearer and the university that awarded it. The gold tassel on the hat is another sign that the wearer holds a doctoral degree. Over the years some universities have adopted gowns in colors that complement their hoods.

Flags

International flags are displayed to represent the home countries of the graduates in each class. The flags of the following countries have been displayed in the last three years: Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Ghana, Guyana, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Jamaica, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Northern Cyprus, Panama, People’s Republic of China, Poland, Republic of China (Taiwan), Republic of South Korea, Romania, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, United Republic of Cameroon, Togo, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The University is grateful to the family of Douglas Panzer '98 and '99, for its generosity in helping us to build and maintain our collection of international flags.

PROGRAMS: A limited number of extra programs are available at the entrances to seating areas. An electronic version is available on this web site soon after each ceremony. [top]

RAIN PLAN: For the law Commencement or undergraduate Baccalaureate, an indoor celebration will be held in the Warner Center gymnasium with bleacher seating. (Bring something to sit on.) For the undergraduate Commencement, the rain plan uses VMI's Cameron Hall gymnasium on North Main Street, which has individual, padded, stadium seats (see the inside layout with section and row numbers). See also the Inclement Weather page. [top]

RESTROOMS: Restrooms for guests are available inside each building on the Colonnade, the Leyburn University Library, and the Elrod University Commons (where the bookstore and Café '77 are). [top]

RINGS: Traditions is the official provider of class rings for both undergraduates and law students. Rings may be ordered at any time from the University Store and at the special Law Grad Fair (Tuesday, February 18, and Wednesday, February 19) in the Moot Court Lobby of Sydney Lewis Hall and the Undergraduate Grad Fair in the Commons Atrium (Wednesday, March 11, to Friday, March 13). [top]

SAFETY AND SECURITY: Members of the Public Safety staff are in uniform and scattered about the campus during the ceremonies. If you have questions or need assistance, please feel free to seek them out. You may reach a member of the security by phone at 540.458.8999. [top]

SEATING: The ground in front of Lee Chapel is slightly sloping and the University provides chairs. There is also limited space under shade trees, shading tents, and along the Colonnade on the edges of the graduation area. The audience faces into the sun, so appropriate protection and clothing is advised. If it helps you to envision the area, please check this link for the setup diagram. The sun is almost directly over Lee Chapel at 12 noon. [top]

SPEAKERS: Each of the ceremonies is led by the president of the university, Kenneth P. Ruscio. The commencement speaker for the Law School on May 9, 2009, will be announced in early 2009. The speaker at the undergraduate Baccalaureate Service on June 3, 2009, will be announced in early 2009. Speakers at the undergraduate commencement on June 4 include the University's president, Ken Ruscio, and a member of the Student Executive Committee. [top]

TICKETS: The number of guests at commencement is not limited, and those attending may sit anywhere in the area other than in a few designated sections. No tickets are required for Washington and Lee's Commencement activities and the ceremonies are open to the public. [top]

WATER: The University provides complimentary water stations to the sides and behind the seating area. Faculty and graduates also have bottled water at their seats. [top]