Cornell University is an American institution of higher learning ranked among the top institutions of higher learning in the world for scholarly and methodological publications. Although it is private, it is not affiliated with sectarian, racial, or other communities. In addition to seven colleges and seven graduate divisions, this educational institution also additionally operates two medical campuses, one of which is overseas. The university has more than 15,000 undergraduate and 9,000 graduate students from 119 countries and 50 American states. It has produced 61 Nobel laureates and 63 Olympic medalists. In addition, it has a Big Red athletic department of 35 teams. The university’s founders are Ezra Cornell and Andrew D. White. Its location is in Ithaca, New York. The year of its founding is 1865.
Meaning and History
After the official signing of the decree establishing the university, the search for land suitable for construction began. For its erection, Ezra Cornell, a former senator, provided his farm and $500,000 as a down payment to it. He invited his friend, the historian and educator Andrew D. White. He supervised the work and traveled, advertising the future institution, inviting students and teachers. It opened in 1868. At that time, it enrolled 412 students.
Today Cornell University is famous for its architecture of extraordinary buildings. Some of them are even listed in the list of the most beautiful buildings in the United States. For example, the main campus is distinguished by its architectural eclecticism: it combines Gothic, Victorian, Neoclassical, and Modernist styles. There are several dormitories, tan houses, classrooms, libraries, and much more in each association, providing a comfortable environment for students and faculty.
At the same time, it is a non-profit organization governed by a board of trustees. It includes not only private but also public representatives. There are a total of 64 of them. They oversee all processes. But the university administration is responsible for the identity. It traditionally includes the university seal, the emblem, and the athletic logo.
The university-wide emblem includes a smaller seal. It is identical to the main seal but does not have double outlines – all elements are made up of single lines. The structure of the logo is almost similar to the prototype because the miniature shields at the top have completely different images. One of them contains a separating strip; the other contains a corner forming a rhombus. To the right of the icon, at some distance, is the phrase “Cornell University. It is typed in typewritten type. The letters are thin and have needle-shaped serifs. The “C” and “U” are capital letters and the others are lowercase.
Seal
The seal is round and has a complex structure. In the center is a quadrangular shield with a sharp base. It is divided into two parts: one rectangle and one crushed triangle. At the top are two more similar shields: on the right are painted stripes, on the left is a schematic landscape with the sun, water, a mountain, and a three-masted sailing ship. At the bottom is an open book, divided by a vertical band into two halves. The main shield is surrounded by a double ring of thin and wide stripes followed by the name of the university and the year of its appearance. The inscription is in contoured hollow lettering. A double border runs along the edge.
Cornell Big Red Logo
New York’s Cornell University sponsors 36 university teams and numerous club sports. They are all part of the Cornell Big Red department and compete in NCAA Division I. For the most part, they compete in the Ivy League, although there are exceptions: some teams are members of EIWA, MAISA, EAWRC, EARC, NIWFA, ECAC Hockey, and other conferences. The name Cornell Big Red was adopted in 1905 when an alumnus composed an anthem for the players. One line referred to the athletes as “the big, red team” because of the bright color of their uniforms.
1998 – 2001
The university has no official mascot. Instead, it has an ancient symbol – a bear nicknamed Touchdown. It is represented on the logo of the athletic department. From 1998 to 2001, it was depicted in a menacing pose. The wild animal stood with its front legs wide apart, and the Cornell Big Red logo was draped across its shoulders. The designers worked on the font, choosing the original version with rectangular serifs and black outlines.
2002 – today
In 2002 the old logo was replaced by an alternative design. A story drawing of a bear replaced it. The animal growls menacingly and looks out from the letter “C,” encircling it with two paws. This suggests that the unofficial mascot is selflessly protecting the team, symbolizing fearlessness and strength. The artists approached the choice of color with great care. They used different shades of brown (for the bear’s fur) and red (for the lettering), complemented by neutral white.
Font and Colors of the Emblem
All three of Cornell University’s main visual identity marks share a common feature: the color red. Two of them also have a circular element with identical content. They differ in the number of outlines: there are two in print and one in the academic logo.
The main font of the university’s icon is Palatino. It is a classic serif typeface. An additional sans serif variant is called Freight Sans. The basic colors of the university are red carnelian and white background.