James Madison Dukes Logo

James Madison Dukes Logo PNG

The James Madison Dukes logo represents the players’ courage, strength, determination, and nobility. It embodies the spirit of leadership and the will to win. At the same time, it is youthful and energetic, showing that sports are, first and foremost, a student hobby.

Meaning and History

Basketball teams are considered the oldest at the university. The women’s team was founded in 1920, and the men’s team in 1945 when the institution began admitting men. The basketball team appealed to the university’s president and promised to take his last name for the name if he provided them with equipment. That’s how the Dukes came to be. The name later spread to all the teams.

The James Madison Dukes logo changed three times. Depending on the sport, the basic emblem has minor transformations, but the trademark dog and the acronym JMU are always present on it.

What is James Madison Dukes?

James Madison Dukes is a sporting community of women’s and men’s teams in various sports. They originated in 1920 when the first team was formed.

1986 – 2001

Even though most teams came before and the Duke’s name has been used since ’47, the first logo for the school’s athletic movement was not designed until 1986. It featured a bulldog dressed in a crown, gown, and gold collar. The bearded dog stands right on top of the university’s acronym.

The dog has been the mascot of the sports movement at JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY since 1972. Dr. Ray V. Sonner suggested the idea for the image.

The English bulldog breed was chosen because the university is located in Harrisonburg, a town founded by English settlers. Bulldogs are famous for their powerful grip. Having seized on an opponent, the dog does not let prey go under any circumstances until complete victory. Originally, the breed was used to fight bulls. An experienced dog had to grab an animal that exceeded its weight dozens of times by the nose and press it to the ground. Therefore, in English culture, the bulldog is a symbol of courage and determination. It is these qualities that the dog brings to the logo.

Standing on the name of the university, the dog growls, informing the whole neighborhood of the nimble and strong players defending the institution’s honor. The beast was supposed to represent power and to look intimidating. However, the dog looks more like a kind cartoon character.

The mascot was nicknamed Duke, as were the teams themselves. The decision to duplicate the name stems from a desire to highlight the identity of the institution’s second principal, who was passionate about sports. Without his involvement, the women’s school would not have come to the title of university. Samuel Duke insisted on expanding the institution’s powers by making it a Teacher’s College and then secured the name change to James Madison College. During his reign, the first women’s basketball team was organized out of female students, and then the men’s basketball team. So both the athletes and the mascot were named after this active leader.

Dukes means “duke” in translation, but they didn’t want to portray a noble person on the mascot, believing that it wouldn’t look spectacular and inspiring. So they decided to use Duke’s dog. As Ray V. Sonner himself explained, his choice, such a royal person as a duke, could only have a bulldog dog.

From a noble title comes unusual clothing of the dog: a duke’s mantle and crown. The outfit appeared on the dog in 1982.

Letters JMU as if poured out of gold, which gives the emblem greatness.

2002 – 2012

In 2001 the university’s Board of Visitors decided to reorganize the athletic movement to comply with Title IX, the federal law against discrimination in educational institutions. There were too many athletes at the school, and they received special privileges and scholarships compared to other students. So the decision was made to make scholarship teams that retained privileges and regular teams without privileges.

To smooth out the unpleasant decision a bit, the transition process was stretched over several years, and an attempt was made to emphasize the unity of the athletic movement and the importance of each sport by changing the logo.

From the dog and the abbreviation, they formed a whole composition, putting both signs on a common lilac background. The color of the mantle and crown was also changed to lilac to match the background. The emblem demonstrated a special cohesion and togetherness.

2013 – 2016

In 2013, the university had a new director, Jonathan R. Alger. With his arrival, the color scheme was changed in the logo. It became a richer purple for the dog and the backing, giving the letters a lighter sandy hue. This shifted the emphasis from the university’s name to the mascot, making the athletes central to the logo. The basketball and soccer teams made significant strides in 2012-13. The saturated color showed the Dukes’ increased weight in the world of sports.

2017 – today

The last sign has become more mature and modern. The funny bulldog has been removed. The new emblem is consonant with the university’s visual mark and consists of the acronym JMU. The main difference from the JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY logo is in the hues. The teams’ colors are officially adopted purple and gold, in which the sign is colored.

The background shows the diligence and talent through which the school is glorified and distinguished. The impression is accentuated by the voluminous letters, which seem to be backlit from below. The combination of light and shadow elevates the lettering above the background, indicating the prestige the teams bring to the university.

Font and Colors

The primary colors of the emblem are purple and gold.

• Purple indicates hard work, prosperity, and talent.
• Gold – prestige, victories, awards.

The lettering font is similar to Ramsey Extra Bold Extended Italic but with a volume effect.

James Madison Dukes color codes