The first President's Medallion depicts William & Mary's coat of arms and the W&M cipher. The medallion was crafted by Charles Eugene ("Mike") Stousland, Jr., class of 1941. Stousland was Chair of the Department of Architecture at Miami University of Ohio and also crafted jewelry and small sculpture in silver as a hobby. For many years he created jewelry featuring the William & Mary cipher for the Alumni Association to sell to raise funds for the organization. The first photograph of the medallion in use seems to be from Charter Day in 1978, when President Thomas Ashley Graves wore the medallion. William & Mary presidents wore the medallion regularly at Commencement, Convocation, and Charter Day until it was retired in February 2013.
Similar medallions were given to His Royal Highness Prince Charles during his visit to the College in 1981 and Dean of Students J. Wilfred Lambert (class of 1927) when he retired.
In 2018, President Taylor Reveley gifted a new President's Medallion to W&M. He officially unveiled it at Charter Day. Handcrafted by the firm of Thomas Fattorini of England, the chain is made of silver and plated in gold and features the names of W&M Presidents, from Blair to Reveley, engraved along the chain.
References
- University Archives Photograph Collection, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, William & Mary.
- University Archives Artifact Collection, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, William & Mary.
External Links
- Photo of the College Regalia on display in the Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) in Swem Library via the SCRC's Flickr page.