Burgon Society

The Burgon Society, concerned with academic dress, should not be confused with the Dean Burgon Society, concerned with the advocacy of the King James Bible. They are separate organizations.

The Burgon Society was founded in 2000 for the study and promotion of academical dress, to preserve its history and to advise film and television companies and interested others in its correct usage. The president of the society is James P.S. Thomson, former Master of London Charterhouse. His predecessor was the organist John Birch, who served two terms ending in 2011.

One of the society's founding fellows, Nicholas Groves, created the Groves classification system for academic dress, in which the most common shapes of British gowns, hoods and caps are coded for easy reference.^[1] He also designed the gowns of the University of Malta.^[2] His design, selected from entries submitted in an international competition, debuted in November 2011 at a degree ceremony in Valletta, Malta.

The society is named after John William Burgon (1813–1888) from whom the Burgon shape academic hood takes its name. The Burgon hood is depicted in profile in the society's emblem, surrounded by Bishop Andrewes caps.

In 2010, the society received charity status from the Charity Commission.

Activities

The society publishes an annual journal of peer-reviewed research into academic dress.^[3] It holds a spring conference each year and organises visits to robemakers, universities and other institutions, as well as a congregation, at which successful candidates are admitted to fellowship of the society. There are also occasional garden parties usually hosted in the country somewhere.

Patrons

The patrons of the society are:

• The Rt Revd and Rt Hon. Richard J. C. Chartres, KCVO, Bishop of London
• The Rt Revd Graeme Knowles, CVO, former Dean of St Paul's
• Graham Zellick, CBE, QC, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of London

Membership

In addition to the patrons and the president, the society includes fellows, individual members and corporate members. Membership is open to all who support the aims of the society. Fellowship (FBS) is awarded to members on the successful submission of a piece of original work on a topic approved by the executive committee. Fellowship may also be awarded to any member who has demonstrated in some other way a significant contribution to the study of academic dress. Occasionally, the fellowship may be awarded honoris causa.

Footnotes

References

• "El jefe de Protocolo de la Universidad de Salamanca ofrece una conferencia en la Burgon Society de Londres". Revista Protocolo, 25 October 2010. Article about Jerónimo Hernández de Castro becoming the first Spaniard to address the Society. Retrieved 2010-10-25. 
• "A Rainbow Round Their Shoulders". Church Times (#7701). 15 October 2010. p. 31. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 7 June 2014. (subscription required (help)).  Article describing the Society's tenth anniversary activities.
• Wolgast, Stephen. "Times Topics: Academic Dress". The New York Times Reference article about the history of academic dress including quote from the Dean of Studies of the Burgon Society. Retrieved 16 April 2009. 
• "PUMP up the POMP. (Higher Education) (Graduates' garb could top lists for both "most traditional" and "worst dressed")". The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR). June 8, 2003. Retrieved 24 November 2008. The Burgon Society, founded to "promote the study of Academical Dress," traces graduation gowns to the cloaks of medieval monks, students in the first ... 
• Shaw, Lisa (April 22, 2004). "The History of Academic Regalia". The Arbiter. Retrieved 30 October 2010. The design of the cap, or mortarboard, resulted from combining two different types of caps commonly worn in medieval times, according to the Burgon Society,... 
• "Academic regalia". Making History. BBC Radio 4. 3 June 2008. Retrieved 24 November 2008. 
• "A History of Graduation Gowns & Academic Dress". Marston Robing, Loanhead, England. Retrieved 26 December 2008. This article was kindly provided by the Burgon Society. 

External links

• Official website