At the ceremony, President Killingsworth will be presented one of the most significant symbols of the university: the Presidential Medallion. Bearing the crest of the university, the medallion is custom made for each president. The ancient symbol of authority signifies the institution’s charter and right to confer honors. It is worn by the president on academic and ceremonial occasions, including commencement.
The crest of Jacksonville State University was created in the 1930s at the request of President Clarence W. Daugette, who served from 1899 to 1942. It was designed by artist Grace Stevenson McAbee, whose original drawing is on display at the Alumni House. The crest exhibits the Lamp of Knowledge above Seven Strands of Rope, surmounting a shield-encased Griffin, emblazoned with a combination of laurel and oak leaves, under which is a Latin inscription "EXEGI MONUMENTUM AERE PERENNIUS," which means "I have reared a monument more enduring than Bronze."
