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President Merten had a horse-drawn carriage. The audience at President Cabrera’s enjoyed the first spoken word presentation from a member of the Green Machine. Each celebration of a new president at George Mason University has had its own flair and reflected the personalities of the men being inaugurated.
In October, the campus community will celebrate Mason’s eighth president, Gregory Washington, with a week of activities and a special investiture ceremony in EagleBank Arena on Thursday, Oct. 21, at 1 p.m.
Why are we calling it an investiture?
Inaugurations are meant to mark a beginning. For university presidents, this ceremony often occurs within the first year. The pandemic made such a celebration impossible as all efforts at Mason were focused on keeping the university running smoothly and the university community safe, especially students, during a stressful and unusual time.
President Washington also wanted to wait for a time when it was safe to bring people back together.
Mason’s successful handling of safety protocols and keeping COVID-19 under control makes such a celebration possible, and the Mason Nation is asked to RSVP here for the Oct. 21 Investiture by Oct. 4.
Events planned for that week include a celebration in Mason Korea and on other campuses; faculty panels discussing the grand challenges and issues of our time; and Accelerate 2022, an Arlington Campus conference focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, and business community engagement; among others.
A Look Back at the History of Inaugurations at Mason
President Ángel Cabrera was inaugurated on April 26, 2013, in an IDEA-focused (Innovation, Diversity, Entrepreneurial, Accessible) celebration in EagleBank Arena. Guest speakers included AOL founder Steve Case. The event included a spoken word performance by Mason student (now alum) Sha’air Hawkins.
President Alan Merten and his wife, Sally, rode around campus in a horse-drawn carriage with the sign “Just Inaugurated” for part of the festivities surrounding his April 4, 1997, inauguration.
President George W. Johnson during his inaugural speech, April 7, 1979. The event took place in the gymnasium of the Physical Education Building, which was later expanded into what is now called the Recreation and Athletics Complex (RAC).
For a comprehensive look at leadership changes throughout Mason history, check out “Mason Inaugurations through the Years” on the George Mason University Libraries' Special Collections Research Center blog, Vault 217.