Chancellor Randy Woodson carried the NC University Mace - created by faculty and staff from the College of Design - upon being sworn in on Oct. 26, 2010.
The installation ceremony of W. Randolph “Randy” Woodson on Oct. 26 included a few key references to the College of Design, one of eleven colleges that comprise NC State University.
Woodson, the 14th chancellor of the University, in his installation speech made reference to the College when he said: “When we look across the history of NC State, we see a willingness to think big about the possibilities and an energy to bring those possibilities to life. It was there in the conversation of the Watauga Club members who believed North Carolina needed a land-grant university, and extends all the way to Dean Kamphoefner imagining a world-class College of Design right here in Raleigh - and the College of Design truly is world-class.”
Woodson also mentioned in his speech Caldwell Scholar and graphic design major Saul Flores, who traveled across Latin America in the Summer 2010 to capture with his camera the many faces he met as a way to promote cross-cultural understanding. (See photos from Flores’ journey.)
Additionally, the NC State University Mace and Medallion, which held center stage during the morning’s pomp and circumstance in Reynolds Coliseum, were designed by teams that included faculty and staff from the design college:
- The NC State University Mace was created by a team that included Dean Marvin Malecha, Chris Jordan (BEDP 1975), Jack Lancaster and Jim Dean (BEDP 1983). Features include a geometric progression of layers, burled walnut recycled from a storm-felled tree, and a base made from North Carolina stone. (Read more about the mace’s symbolism.)
- The NC State University Medallion was redesigned and reconfigured by Malecha, Jordan, Lancaster, and Sarah Tector of S Tector Metals in Wilmington, NC. Its key features include a small disk engraved with the year of the University’s founding (1887), gold-plated brass, and the University seal. (Read more details about the medallion.)
The NC State University Medallion
The ceremony was attended by several faculty, staff, and alumni of the College. Speeches were made by several dignitaries, including North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue, President Erskine Bowles, and Chair of the Board of Governors Hannah Gage. Stirring music by Aaron Copeland, Rimsky-Korsakov, and NC State professor and composer Rodney Waschka II was performed by the NC State Chorale and Wind Ensemble.
Professor of English John Balaban’s poem to commemorate the event compared the occasion to Plato’s “opening the academic door” in Greece and included reference to Woodson’s “life in science, and an acoustic blues guitar / to keep things in perspective.”