Graduation portrait of Linus Pauling, 1922

A mortarboard is an item of academic headgear consisting of a horizontal square board fixed upon a skull-cap, with a tassel attached to the centre. It is often termed trencher in the UK and Australia; in the U.S., it is usually referred to more generically as a cap. Its name derives from its resemblance to the board upon which mortar is placed prior to the laying of bricks. The cap, together with the gown and (sometimes) the hood, form the official uniform of a high school or university graduate. Download high resolution version (1024x1516, 84 KB)Linus Paulings graduation portrait from Oregon Agricultural College. ... Download high resolution version (1024x1516, 84 KB)Linus Paulings graduation portrait from Oregon Agricultural College. ... Academic procession during the University of Canterbury graduation ceremony. ... Linus Carl Pauling (February 28, 1901 – August 19, 1994) was an American physical chemist, widely regarded as the premier chemist of the twentieth century. ... Plato is credited with the inception of academia: the body of knowledge, its development and transmission across generations. ... See also: Hilt (band) and Peter Hilt The hilt of a sword is its handle, consisting of a guard, grip and pommel. ... Mortar holding bricks. ... See also Wikimedia Commons has multimedia related to: Bricks Masonry Brickwork Ceramics Fire brick In role-playing games, a brick is a character whose main useful skill is being able to take a great deal of damage (usually physical damage) and act as a shield for weaker allies. ... Japanese high school students in uniform High school, or Secondary school, is the last segment of compulsory education in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan (Republic of China) (only junior high school), the United Kingdom and the United States. ... A professor giving a lecture at the Helsinki University of Technology A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees. ... An alumnus (masculine) or alumna (feminine) is a former student of a college, university, or school. ...

The mortarboard is believed to have evolved from the biretta, a similar-looking hat worn by Christian clergy — both are derivative of the Roman pileus quadratum. It was originally reserved for holders of master degrees, but was later adopted by bachelors and undergraduates. Doctorate-holders of some universities wear the mortarboard, although the round bonnet is more common in Britain while the 4, 6, or 8 cornered "tam" is on ascendency in the U.S. In the U.S., the mortarboard is also worn by high school graduates during the presentation of their diplomas. Traditionally they throw them in the air after the announcement of their confirmation of their graduation. The biretta is a square cap with three ridges or peaks (four for those who hold Doctorates of Sacred Theology or STD), surmounted by a tuft, traditionally worn by Roman Catholic clergy, as well as by some clergy of the Anglican Churches. ... A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christs commandments and is one who faithfully upholds his teachings. ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that existed in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East between 753 BC and its downfall in AD 476. ... A masters degree is an academic degree usually awarded for completion of a postgraduate course of one or two years in duration. ... A bachelor is an unmarried but marriageable man; some restrict the usage to men who have never been married. ... In some educational systems, an undergraduate is a post-secondary student pursuing a Bachelors degree. ... A bonnet is a kind of headgear which is usually brimless. ... The tam is a tall, round knitted cap, usually brightly colored, from Jamaica. ...

Until the second half of the 20th century, mortarboards were often worn by schoolteachers, and the hat remains an icon of the teaching profession. It is seen most often in comic representations of teachers, for example in The Bash Street Kids comic strip. The Bash Street Kids is a comic strip in the UK comic The Beano, and is often seen as respresentative of the comic. ...

See also Academic dress. Full dress bachelors gown, with hood and cap The traditional BA gown and hood from Cambridge University, which formed the basis of academic dress at many other English-speaking Universities The University Officers in charge of the degree ceremony at Cambridge An alternative coloured gown Academic dress or academical...