Boston University Logo (BU Logo) PNG
The concentration of expression, strength, and fire in the Boston University logo speaks to the university’s vigorous activity and ongoing events. The emblem suggests that only students with an active lifestyle are eligible to study here.
Meaning and History
The Methodist movement formed the university in Newbury, Vermont, and moved it to Boston. It began as a theological school founded by ministers and parishioners of Old Bromfield Street Church in Boston. It was later transferred to Concord, where it remained for about twenty years. The school changed its location and legal status several times, becoming either a Methodist Institute or a Theological Seminary.
In 1869, the school officially became Boston University, aided by three trustees after whom the three dormitories on one of its campuses are now named. They are Isaac Rich, Lee Claflin, and Jacob Sleeper. They are also considered BU founders. Because BU’s founding dates differ, some department seals show 1839, while others show 1869. Both cases are correct.
What is Boston University?
This renowned private research university offers over 300 academic programs across 17 schools and colleges along the Charles River in downtown Boston. In addition to active research across various academic fields, the university is known for its strong programs in communications, engineering, medicine, law, and business. A distinctive feature of the institution is its urban campus, which stretches 1.5 miles along Commonwealth Avenue and blends modern research centers, laboratories, and historic buildings. The university attracts students from over 130 countries, fostering an international environment and offering a wide range of global educational programs, including study-abroad opportunities at its institutions worldwide.
Despite its pastoral orientation, this institution has always been open to all, regardless of race, gender, or religion. The only exception was the school of theology, which did not admit women. It was the first university in the United States to award a doctorate to a female student. It was also a pioneer in jurisprudence, as one of its graduates was the first in the country to be admitted to the bar. She was also the first black female psychiatrist to graduate from the university, making a major contribution to the study of Alzheimer’s disease.
Unlike the seal, the university-wide emblem is simple in form and concise in content. It is a red rectangle with a double border and the university’s name in the middle. The inscription is grouped in two lines: “Boston” at the top and “University” at the bottom. Both parts are the same length, but they have different numbers of characters. To achieve the same size, the designers had to increase the letters in one word and decrease them in the other. But their typeface is identical: the classic uppercase with serifs. The line thickness varies: sometimes narrow, sometimes wide. This adds expressiveness to the inscription.
The Seal
The Boston University seal appeared in 1869. It looks like a classic rondel, with a center featuring key elements, a stripe with the name, and several rings for division. In the middle is a view of the city from the open water, such as the Charles River or the Atlantic Ocean. In the distance are contoured pointed buildings, sailboats, and a boat standing very close together. The drawing is circular with a spiky edge and is centered on the Methodist church cross, with distinctive thickening at the ends.
This is followed by a decorative ring with ornamentation and a wide space featuring the Latin words “Universitas Bostoniensis” and the year of the university’s founding, indicated in Roman numerals. The letters have miniature, almost imperceptible serifs because, in some places, they look like extensions. A solid, bold border completes everything.
Font and Colors
Since Boston University has an abbreviated name, BU, a corresponding logo was also designed. The university’s abbreviation uses the same font as the academic emblem and sits in a miniature rectangle. It also has a double red-and-white frame and thin serifs on the letters. In the athletic emblem, the letters are wide and large.
Although the official university font is Whitney, the identity uses Scala. Introduced in the late 1990s, it is based on Renaissance humanist typography. With this, the designers emphasized the university’s Western roots and Roman Catholic influence. Boston University’s emblem palette consists of Scarlet red and neutral white.