THE UNIVERSITY MACE

Created by Guelph artisan Harold Muller and presented to the University by the citizens of Guelph, the mace is carried in the academic procession by the beadle. It is topped by the silver crown of Queen Victoria (reigning monarch when two of the founding colleges were established) and decorated with native Canadian stones. Below the crown are the insignias of Queen Elizabeth II and the founding colleges, and four plaques bearing the coats of arms of Canada, Ontario, the City of Guelph and the University. The crown is mounted on pine from the former Massey Library and supported by metal forged from an old Ontario farm implement. Sixteen symbols on the shank represent the arts, sciences and various college activities.

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH CREST

The University of Guelph crest was designed by Eric Arthur and John Hall of the University of Toronto School of Architecture. The three components of the design — the crest, shield and motto — represent the University’s ties with the City of Guelph and the University of Toronto (the degree-granting body for the founding colleges before the University of Guelph was incorporated in 1964).

The white stallion in the crest links U of G with the House of Hanover’s coat of arms. The name “Guelph” comes from “Welfen,” the family name of the House of Hanover, which intermarried with the English royal line. The three-part shield combines a book (symbolizing learning, the liberal arts and the U of T connection), an astrolabe (symbolizing science) and a cornucopia (a symbol for abundance and agriculture).

The crest and shield are used with or without the University of Guelph motto — rerum cognoscere causas, a quote from Virgil that means “to learn the meaning of reality.”