A new gavel, an old story.

To a passing glance, the ceremonial gavel introduced at the May 5 Chapman University Board of Governors meeting might look like any other gavel. However, it comes from the very foundations of Chapman itself — literally. It is made from a salvaged four-by-four of Douglas fir from the original foundation of Wilkinson Hall — the oldest building on campus.

The gavel was hand-crafted by President Jim Doti  and presented to board president Judith Garfi-Partridge, with the humorous promise that although it may not be a historic gavel yet, in 50 or 60 years’ time it will be.

Doti’s handmade gavel was inspired by the story behind another board gavel, the one for the Chapman Board of Trustees. That one was a gift to a historic board of trustees president, presented to the board by a member who had hand-carved it.

Not to be outdone by history, Doti said of the historic board member: “If he can do it – I can do it.”

The wood used was a salvaged timber removed during the earthquake retrofit of Wilkinson Hall’s foundation. The timber, still bearing its original stamp, came from the Southern California Lumber Company. Over a series of weeks, Doti worked on wood-turning the new gavel, bringing form and sheen to the century-old lumber. Doti learned his new craft from his friend and “best of the best” woodturner
Jimmy Clewes
of Las Vegas.

When the new gavel was finished and polished to a high gloss, it was placed in a satin-lined wooden box complete with a gleaming plaque that reads: “President Doti made this gavel from wood used in the construction of Wilkinson Hall (1903). It was presented to the board on May 5, 2015.”