As Marquette University prepares for the inauguration of Dr. Kimo Ah Yun as the 25th president of Marquette on April 29, history shows that inaugurations in the early years of Marquette looked much different than they do today.
Although Marquette was founded in 1881, the first large inauguration celebration was for Rev. William M. Magee, S.J., in 1928. The pomp and circumstance likely started off with a dinner party including an extravagant menu for only a special selection of top school officials. Today, the inauguration consists of an academic ceremony with a Mass that includes special community guests and campus events.
By President Ah Yun’s inauguration day, he will have served as an elected president for nearly six months and acting president for nearly 10 months prior to his inauguration, after the passing of the late President Michael R. Lovell.
“I ask myself, ‘How do I continue to honor what has been done and determine the next big step that we need to take?’” President Kimo Ah Yun says. “I reflect on the work done by previous Marquette presidents with our community — the students, faculty, staff, alumni and the Board of Trustees — that got us to where we are today.”
In the early years, the tenure of a university president was relatively short — Marquette had over a third of its presidents in its first 20 years. This is largely because Marquette presidents were members of the Society of Jesus. Due to the Jesuits’ frequent relocation, presidential tenures were brief.
Marquette’s 18th president, Rev. Edward O’Donnell, S.J., was the first president to hold the position for over 10 years. Father O’Donnell was president for 14 years, from 1948-62. The longest presiding president of Marquette was Rev. John P. Raynor, S.J., who served about 25 years, from 1965-90.
Rev. Robert Wild, S.J., joins Father O’Donnell as one of only two presidents to have been a part of the Marquette faculty for a total of more than 30 years; he also served the second longest uninterrupted term as president from 1996 to 2011.
Father Raynor was a part of the Marquette community for 37 years. He’s remembered for an outstanding period of growth at Marquette, but he was also an advocate for including lay people in Marquette leadership roles. This no doubt paved the way for the late President Lovell, Marquette’s first lay president, who was inducted in 2014 and served for 10 years.
Rev. John P. Raynor, S.J. (Images courtesy of the Marquette Department of Archival Collections and Institutional Repository)
Understanding the symbols and traditions of Marquette’s presidential inauguration
The inauguration ceremony for Dr. Kimo Ah Yun as Marquette University’s 25th president will be steeped in tradition — much of which dates back hundreds of years. Read more.
Academic inaugurations have roots in medieval history, which can be seen throughout the years by the accessories worn at the ceremony. For example, Father O’Donnell became the first president to be bestowed the Chain of Office, an accessory worn around the neck, which has medallions that showcase each of the university’s colleges. It symbolizes all parts of Marquette working together to create something whole.
Rev. Albert J. DiUlio, S.J. was the first Marquette president to receive the Marquette mace in 1990. The mace represents the medieval war club, which was used as a symbol of protection, but for academia, the university mace is associated with dignity and the exploration of all subjects throughout the university.
Inauguration ceremony
President Ah Yun’s inauguration ceremony will be held Tuesday, April 29, at 10 a.m. The event will be hosted in the Al McGuire Center and include a Mass and the inaugural ceremony. More information about the inauguration is available online.
Undergraduate lecture-based classes will be canceled for the morning of April 29, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., to allow students to participate in the celebration.
An extensive historical archive about Marquette’s former presidents can be found here.
