Graduates originally wore caps and gowns to keep warm

Graduates originally wore caps and gowns to keep warm. The first university was established back in 12th century England. Back then, higher education was run by the church, which was run by monks and clergy. These clergymen lived in churches - very cold, drafty, castle like churches. To keep warm, they wore... you guessed it... gowns (thick robes) and thus the clothing worn at graduation was created to be like that of the clergy who ran it.

In 1894 a group of scholars met at Columbia College to decide on academic dress, and in 1895 created the Depository for the Intercollegiate Bureau of Academic Costume, making the cap and gown official grad wear.

The cap that grads wear is also derived from clothing worn by religious figures, and is also referred to as a mortarboard, because it looks like the tool masons use to lay bricks.

Tonight I attended a very special graduation ceremony - my darling brother, Max Randall Branigan, was the 10th member of my family to graduate from Columbia High School in Maplewood, NJ. He will continue his education at Rutgers University, where he has been accepted into the prestigious Mason Gross School of the Arts.

Congratulations Max!