It was a great pleasure for me to attend the Installation of the new Chancellor at the University of Paisley on the 28th of October 2003. Sir Robert Smith, Mr Cameron Parker, Mr John McCormack and myself were presented with the Honorary Degree of Doctor of the University
This was a splendid and formal occasion in the Coats Memorial Church which is situated opposite the University. As can be seen in the picure above, we were dressed in the red robes of the University as the audience were seated and organist played Bach. In due course, we were taken outside to process through the main ailse of the church to the front where the ceremony would take place. The principal, Professor Jack Macklin welcomed the assembly and his first task was to confer the degree of Doctor of University upon the Chancellor Designate, Sir Robert Smith. He was then installed as the new Chancellor of the University.
There was a brief interlude while the Chancellor was being robed when the choir of the Royal Scottish Academy sang an astonishing arrangement of The Gallant Weaver, composed by James McMillan, for the University in 1997, followed by Psalm 100. We were sitting directly in the middle of the choir who were situated at both sides of the podium. The sound was fantastic.
When Sir Robert returned in the full regalia of the Chancellor, we were presented with our honorary degrees. We stood, each in turn, at the right hand side of the podium as our presenter addressed the Chancellor and the audience as to why we were being nominated for the degree. My presentation was made by Stuart James, the Librarian of the University, seen in the picture above. A copy of his speech can be read by clicking here then I proceeded to the Chancellor who was seated and I bowed to him, the Bedullus put the collar around my neck and I was given my parchment. Splendid and very elegant.There are several reasons why this award is special to me and why I had no hesitation in accepting it.
Firstly, it was until recently, a little known fact that I was a student there before I decided to study art. One of the events that brought me to the decision to try to go to art school occurred sitting in the student refectory in the then college. I couldn't face the lectures that morning and spent the time drawing the building opposite. There and then I realized that I would like to study art and that mathematics and computing, however exciting and even then understood to be the future, were not for me. I had seen some of the 4th years getting prepared for first job interviews, dressed in suits and looking very formal. I thought then, that is not me, not now and not in 3 years time, so I decided to leave. I remember my course tutor staring at me when I told him what I was planning to do. He looked at my notes and said, but you haven't studied art at all.
When I received the email asking if I would accept the award, and that the ceremony would take place in the building that I had drawn, I found the irony wonderful and later discovered that this early attachment also appealed to the University Court.
The other and more important reason that this award gives me great satisfaction is that it is an academic award. A Doctorate is usually earned through a research project. For those who don't know how I work, many of my projects are primarily research projects where data is gathered, assembled and structured in some way to create, not a report or a thesis, but a work of art. For this to be recognized by a University is indeed an honour.
John K Clark Nov 2003