Howard University Logo PNG
Howard University’s logo was chosen with the motto “Truth and Service.” Therefore, it is strict, business-like, and serious. The main emblem features the main building with a clock and a rotunda on top. The historic structure is rendered in blue and white colors. The administrative seal features a shield with an open book and also echoes the slogan.
Howard University began in December 1866, when Congregationalists met in Washington, D.C., at the home of deacon Henry Brewster to plan a seminary for Black ministers and teachers. Within weeks, the idea expanded into a full university. On March 2, 1867, the US Congress granted its charter, naming it after General Oliver Otis Howard, head of the Freedmen’s Bureau and one of its first trustees.
The university opened without restrictions on race, sex, or religion. In 1868, medical and preparatory departments were created, and the medical school formally opened on November 5. In spring 1869, the law school admitted its first students under the leadership of John Mercer Langston. By 1872, Howard had helped educate 150,000 formerly enslaved people.
For its first sixty years, Howard had white presidents. In 1926, Mordecai Wyatt Johnson became the university’s first Black president and led the university for 34 years. Under him, enrollment reached 6,000 students, the budget rose to $8 million, and the number of buildings more than doubled. Howard Law became a civil-rights center under Charles Hamilton Houston, who trained Thurgood Marshall before the legal strategy behind Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.
Howard’s faculty and alumni included Carter G. Woodson, Alain Locke, Ralph Bunche, Zora Neale Hurston, Charles Drew, Toni Morrison, Roberta Flack, and Kamala Harris. In 1942 and 1943, students organized early sit-ins in Washington. Fisk University and Morehouse College remained historic peers in Black higher education. Howard later opened the National Human Genome Center. At the same time, Howard Bison teams compete in NCAA Division I through the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Meaning and History
From the beginning, HU positioned itself as a non-sectarian university, open to representatives of all races, which is why many African-American students study there. However, according to the original plan, it was supposed to be a seminary for training clergy. Yet, just a few weeks before the launch, the project was expanded with the idea of creating a university and was revised. As a result, a university was formed, which included several humanities and medical colleges. The US Congress officially established it in the spring of 1867.
What is Howard University?
Howard University is a private higher education institution registered in Washington, D.C. It was established by General Oliver Otis Howard, in whose honor it is named. The university was founded in 1867. It offers more than 120 educational programs. The university’s accreditation level is R2.
1867 – today
The university’s entire identity is associated with the name of Oliver Otis Howard, a general, Civil War hero, and head of the Freedmen’s Bureau. He founded Howard University, inspired it, and was its first president from 1869 to 1874. The main logo features the iconic HU building located on the university campus. The Founders Library was later added to the list of national historic landmarks. Therefore, it has become very important for the entire area, not just for the university representatives.
The academic logo of Howard University is an original combination of its roots and modernity. The university’s architectural landmark, Founders Library, represents the past. The building is included in the list of important historical monuments. The logo depicts the upper part with two domes of different sizes and a tall spire. Below (in the square segment) are clocks. They, as well as the windows, are painted white. At the bottom is a horizontal rectangular platform with decorative elements at the edges. The text indicates the year of the university’s founding, 1867. The university’s name is typed in uppercase serif font. The first word is larger than the second. A thin stripe runs between them.
The Seal
The seal of Howard University is classically round. It features a rondel with an accentuated center: a rectangular shield in the colors of the American flag is depicted within it. There are small stars at the top, on a dark blue field, and at the bottom, on white space, there are red stripes. At the very heart of the shield is a symbol of wisdom and knowledge: a book. It is inscribed with the phrase “Deo et Reipublicae.” Surrounding it is the Latin phrase “Veritas et Utilitas,” divided into three fragments, with each word flanked by single dots on both sides. Next is a chain of small dots. Then, in a wide ring, the university’s name and location are indicated. The composition is completed by a twisted rope running in a circle. The seal’s palette is based on the colors of the US national flag: red, blue, and white.
The visual identity of Howard University is businesslike and practical, just like the activities it conducts. Everything in it is subordinate to the canons of truth, knowledge, and justice, which the two slogans emphasize on the seal. The university’s historical roots are not forgotten either. They are represented by the library, whose building is included on the list of architecturally significant objects.
Font and Colors
The basic font in the emblems of Howard University is called Serif12 Beta. It is a typeface with small serifs. If a sans-serif font is required, Eau Sans Book is used. Dark blue, red, and gray are part of the official university palette. In addition, white serves as the background.
