A historical symbol of a university’s authority and independence, a ceremonial mace is an object displayed at major university occasions and celebrations such as commencements, convocations, or investitures. The University of Texas at Dallas created its ceremonial mace in 2005. The mace contains wood from the Texas Treaty Oak, a tree in Austin, Texas where Stephen F. Austin signed the first agreement between Texas settlers and Native Americans. It also contains UTD’s university seal, and a disk of metal taken from a scientific instrument, created by UTD, that flew in space.