The Nott Memorial, the emotional
and architectural centerpiece of Union, is taking center
stage in the College's new logo being launched this week.
“To find a distinctive brand for
the College, we needed to look no farther than one of the most recognizable
symbols in higher education,” said Dan Lundquist,
vice president for admissions and financial aid. “Like no other symbol, the
Nott — in all its quirky grandeur — captures Union's
distinctive mix of tradition and innovation.”
The new
logo has been added to the College's web site, and can be used for new projects
immediately. However, the new image will be phased in over time, so offices and
programs need not waste stationery, for example. “We are not saying that
by noon tomorrow everyone must use the new logo,” said
Lundquist. “This will be rolled out over time and you will be seeing it
more and more.”
The
launch of the new logo is accompanied by an on-line “Style Guide” (available
to on-campus users only) that explains the various uses and includes downloads
of the logo and related typography. The guide is available at: http://www.union.edu/styleguide/ (Click on the navigation bar on the left side of the page.)
The new logo was a result of work
by a committee of students, faculty and staff with input from a range of
constituencies. Committee members, with Lundquist, were Ramsey Baker,
athletics; Peter Blankman, communications; Davide Cervone, mathematics; Donna
Davenport, College Bookstore; Jeremy Dibbell
'04; Tom McFadden, College librarian; and Mike O'Hara, College Relations. The
committee worked with graphic designer Maria Holdren.
The committee formed about a year
ago in response to an earlier design that some said was too abstract to convey
the distinctiveness of the building. One of the
committee's main goals was to develop a design that conveys the College's
distinctive centerpiece in a clean, elegant graphic that would be easy to
reproduce. A highly detailed logo would be difficult to reproduce in a variety of
media – print and electronic.
The new
logo replaces what some have called “the wavy Nott,” an image adopted as part
of the College's Bicentennial Campaign more than a decade ago.
The Nott
Memorial, a rare example of Victorian High Gothic architecture, is on the National
Register of Historic Landmarks. Completed in 1875 and fully restored for the
College's Bicentennial in 1995, it incorporates many eclectic elements of
architectural styles, religions and rationalism. For more on Union's
16-sided centerpiece, please visit: http://www.union.edu/Campus/Nott_Memorial/
The seal
of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, has shouldered the brunt of the
College's graphic identity since its founding in 1795. But the venerable icon
is too detailed for a range of print and internet-based applications. The seal will
continue to be used for official College documents – like diplomas, transcripts
and program covers. The adoption of the Minerva seal at the College's founding
was a radical innovation in that it incorporated a French motto: “Sous
les lois de Minerve nous devenons tous frères” (“We all become
brothers under the laws of Minerva”).