Inauguration

Welcome

On October 21, 2011, Tufts University inaugurated Dr. Anthony P. Monaco, a distinguished geneticist and former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, as its thirteenth president. The university community of students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and friends were invited to participate in several special events to mark the occasion. We invite you to explore the range of coverage as we celebrated this important moment in Tufts University’s remarkable history.

Read President Monaco’s Inaugural Address.

Inauguration Ceremony Photo Gallery

Inauguration Week Photo Gallery

Inauguration Week: October 17-23, 2011

Inauguration Events

The First Inauguration

The Cornerstone is Laid

Timeline of Tufts University Presidents

More Inauguration Coverage

Sol Gittleman Presents: Building a University: The Presidents of Tufts, 1852-2011 (video)

Symbols of Office


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			Tufts’ Charter was issued in 1852, granted by the Great and General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The original act of incorporation, under the name the “Trustees of Tufts College,” noted the college should promote “virtue and piety and learning in such of the languages and liberal and useful arts as shall be recommended.” During Tufts University’s inaugural ceremony, the incoming president is presented with the Charter, the Key to Ballou Hall and the Presidential Medallion.
			
			The Key to Ballou Hall is presented formally to each new president. Ballou Hall was named after Tufts’ first president, Hosea Ballou 2d. It was the first building on the Tufts campus and its construction began in 1853. On a wind-swept hill in 1854, Tufts College opened with one building, four professors and seven students. In those early days, Ballou Hall was home to all college activities, including classrooms, student living quarters, the library, a museum and a chapel, now the Coolidge Room.
			
			Ceremonial maces were originally carried as a symbol of royal authority, dating back to the Middle Ages. The academic mace is a symbol of the authority invested in the president by the university’s governing body. Tufts’ Mace is adorned with a medallion engraved with the official seal of the university, and is carried before the president in academic processions in formal ceremonies such as commencements and inaugurations.
			
			The Medallion is an integral part of the president’s regalia and symbolizes the Office of the President. Tufts’ official seal, with the motto “Pax et Lux (peace and light),” is engraved on the Medallion. The seal was adopted by the Trustees in 1857, the same year of Tufts’ first commencement. The links on the Medallion’s chain are inscribed with the names of Tufts’ past presidents.
			
			The Tufts Presidential Robe bears the school colors and is adorned with four velvet chevrons on each sleeve, denoting the Office of the President. In 1876, Tufts’ undergraduates settled on today’s brown and blue colors, but it was not until 1960 that they were officially adopted by the Trustees. Academic regalia evolved from attire worn by European scholars in the 12th and 13th centuries. Long gowns were worn at that time to keep warm in unheated buildings.