The 15thAnnual Florida A&M University (FAMU) College of Law Hooding Ceremony took place at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, May 11, 2019, where more than 120 candidates ceremoniously received the doctoral hood for the juris doctor degree.
The ceremony recognized graduates and candidates from the fall 2018, spring 2019, and summer 2019 classes. Candidates for spring 2019 had their juris doctor degrees conferred in Tallahassee, Fla. at the University’s commencement exercises on May 4, 2019.
Jeremy Waller, was recognized as the 2019 valedictorian, graduating summa cum laude among a field of candidates that features 30 honors graduates, including seven magna cum laude, 20 cum laude graduates, and two with Veteran honors.
The Honorable Val Demings, who serves in the United States House of Representatives for Florida’s 10th Congressional District, provided the keynote address. Joining the congresswoman to greet each hooded candidate was FAMU President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., and FAMU College of Law Interim Dean Nicky Boothe Perry, J.D.
Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Phyllis Taite announced each candidate as they are hooded by FAMU Law Professor of Law Patricia Broussard. Professor Broussard was selected as faculty hooder through a special election by the graduating law students. She was assisted by Associate Dean for Student Learning and Assessment Alicia Jackson.
The 2019 Hooding Ceremony student speaker was outgoing Phi Alpha Delta President Ashley Wilson, who congratulated her fellow classmates on completing the juris doctor degree. Wilson was selected by a panel of judges that included faculty, staff and fellow classmates. Additional law student speakers included LaTasha Green-Cobb, who served as the Fall 2018 student graduation chair for the FAMU Law Student Bar Association, and Robert Bowen, who provided the opening meditation.
For more information about the FAMU College of Law, please visit law.famu.edu.
Background: Academic Regalia and Hooding
Patterned from medieval customs, today’s academic regalia reflect the status, scholastic achievement and study discipline of its wearer. Colors are associated with different disciplines as seen in the trimmings of doctoral gowns and the edging of their hoods and in the tassels of caps worn by candidates. Distinctions between gowns and hoods indicate the type of degree held by the wearer.
The doctoral gown is faced with a broad strip of velvet and has crossbars of velvet on each sleeve. The bars may be of black velvet or of colored velvet indicative of the degree’s discipline and agreeing with the border of the hood. Thus, for law, the border is purple.
Hoods are worn by those holding graduate degrees. The doctoral hood is longer and more elaborate than the master’s hood. The lining of the hood is silk in the official colors of the institution conferring the degree. For instance, at Florida A&M University, the lining of the hood is orange and green. However, faculty members who hold a degree from another college or university wear the colors of his or her alma mater. The distinction should be made that the edging of the hood is in colors representing the wearer’s discipline, but the lining of the hood is in colors representing the wearer’s alma mater.
Members of the law school’s faculty hold degrees from several institutions. Some of those institutions and their distinctive hood-linings are represented in the rainbow of colors displayed on the faculty’s regalia:
Baylor University – Royal Blue, Bright Gold Chevron;
Brigham Young University – Navy, White Chevron;
Columbia University – Light Blue, White Chevron;
Creighton University – White, Royal Blue Chevron;
Duke University– Royal, White Chevron;
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University – Orange, Green;
Florida State University – Garnet, Gold Chevron;
University of Florida – Orange, Navy Blue Chevron;
Harvard University– Crimson;
Howard University– Blue, White Chevron;
Inter-American University – Green, Gold;
University of Miami– Orange, Forest, White Chevron;
University of Michigan– Maize, Azure Blue Chevron;
University of Minnesota – Antique Gold, Cardinal Chevron;
North Carolina Central University – Cardinal, Gray Chevron;
Nova Southeastern University – Royal Blue, Gray Chevron;
The Ohio State University– Scarlett, Gray Chevron;
Pepperdine University – Royal, Orange Chevron;
Rutgers University – Red;
Southern University – Blue, Gold Chevron;
Stanford University – Cardinal;
Temple University – White, Red Chevron;
Texas Southern University– Maroon, Grey Chevron;
University of Toledo– Royal, B. Gold Chevron;
Vanderbilt University – B. Gold, Black Chevron;
Vermont Law School– Bright Gold, Forest Green Chevron;
University of Virginia – Navy, Orange Chevron;
University of Washington – Purple, Gold;
University of Wisconsin – Cardinal;
Yale University – Royal