Guilford College Seal

Our simple, yet beautiful college seal has been in use since New Garden Boarding School transitioned into Guilford College in 1888. This U.S. Patent Office trademarked seal is used as one of the primary identity and service marks for brochures featuring information about Guilford, its college events, and college recruitment. 

It's also featured on clothing, accessories. banners, flags and pennants, course books, handbooks, yearbooks, college rings, graduation packets, stationery, pendants, pins, blazer buttons and cuff links; during sporting events, and is stamped into our diplomas with gold leaf.



It's nothing fancy, perhaps keeping with Quaker values of simplicity, but it's also very effective: a founding year, a motto and a few scholarly elements, such as the star and scroll. I still have a (well-worn) Guilford Alumni T-Shirt from the late 1990s featuring the seal, as well as my (every day wear) signet college ring with an ovalized seal.


It appears that the seal was used quite a bit 
in the old days, for many purposes -
school approved and otherwise - such as the pewter mug and pottery jug from the early 1960s (at right). 


(A sign of the times: mugs like these were ubiquitous on college campuses from the 1950s - 1970s. My dad has at least five pottery and pewter beer mugs from his days at UNC.)



The powers-that-be at Guilford probably dug the college seal affixed to the blue blazers of "Marshals," students with high GPAs, charged with seating alumni and guests during campus events.  

These patches were also very popular with the "Ivy Style" preppy set, adorning the jackets of quite a few Guilfordians (male and female) from the early 1950s to mid 1960s. It was most often seen on athletes, student government and campus media leaders.  

(I wish I could get one of these patches! It would look good on my favorite wool blue blazer -- J.Crew, circa 1989. Alas, modern manufacturers charge an insane amount to produce a single patch...)




These days, the seal is still very much in view, but more common in an "official" capacity...as in podiums and campus documents. I haven't seen it on a T-Shirt or coffee (or drinking) mug in years. Back in the day, the school gave us java mugs graced with the college seal for graduation. I doubt they still do, but they should; it's a beautiful emblem. And should be a beautiful tradition.

Former Guilford College President and current Political Science professor, Kent Chabotar addresses graduating seniors at a podium featuring the Guilford College Seal.  

(Photo courtesy of Guilford College.)



*** THIS OFFICIAL COLLEGE SEAL is reserved for formal academic ceremonies, legal applications, diplomas and official certificates. The seal is not a communications mark for identifying the college; for that, we have logos. The seal may not be altered, modified, disassembled, manipulated, flopped, and absolutely CANNOT BE DOWNLOADED OR USED FOR ANY PURPOSE OUTSIDE OF THE COLLEGE, AND WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THE COLLEGE.)

























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