Morehouse College Logo PNG
Morehouse College’s logo has pure aspirations toward truth, knowledge, and light. The emblem was created to commemorate the time when the institution supported religious views and actively participated in the fight for social justice.
Morehouse College began on February 18, 1867, two years after the American Civil War. Baptist minister, cabinetmaker, and journalist William Jefferson White founded Augusta Institute in the basement of Springfield Baptist Church in Augusta, Georgia. The school was supported by Rev. Richard Coulter, a formerly enslaved man from Georgia, Rev. Edmund Turney, and the American Baptist Home Mission Society, which financed education for Black communities in the South.
The first years were difficult. Augusta Institute faced financial shortages, temporary closures, and hostility during Reconstruction. One early leader, Rev. W. D. Siegfried, left Augusta after local white residents learned of his letter criticizing Southern treatment of Black people. The school later moved to Atlanta, operated from Friendship Baptist Church, and became Atlanta Baptist Seminary.
In 1897, the institution was renamed Atlanta Baptist College and awarded its first bachelor’s degrees. After John D. Rockefeller donated land near Spelman College, the school settled in southwest Atlanta. In 1906, John Hope, a Brown University graduate, became its first Black president. His support for liberal arts education contrasted with Booker T. Washington’s Tuskegee Institute, known for practical and agricultural training.
In 1913, the college was named Morehouse College after Henry Lyman Morehouse of the American Baptist Home Mission Society. In 1929, it joined Atlanta University and Spelman College, later forming part of the Atlanta University Center. Under Samuel Archer, the college adopted maroon and white as its colors. Under Benjamin Mays, president from 1940 to 1967, Morehouse gained national recognition. Martin Luther King Jr. graduated in 1948, and the college later became the largest men’s liberal arts college in the United States.
Meaning and History
The college only received its current name, marked on the seal and logo, in 1913. Therefore, its identity couldn’t have emerged earlier. In 1867, the institution was named the Augusta Institute. After relocating in 1879, it was called Atlanta Baptist Seminary. Visual symbols from the early years, especially before moving to Atlanta, have not been preserved.
What is Morehouse College?
A private liberal arts college in Georgia. It was founded in 1867, after the Civil War, for freed African Americans. The main building is located in Atlanta. It educates men. Many famous African Americans, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Donn Alvin Clendenon, graduated from this institution.
1913 – today
The seminary’s emblem features Graves Hall. The building was erected on the new campus land and donated to the college by John D. Rockefeller. At the time of the move in 1885, it was the tallest building in Atlanta. Unsurprisingly, the college staff decided to immortalize it on the logo.
During the hall’s construction and the institution’s relocation, it was managed by its second president, Samuel T. Graves. Hence, the building was named after him. Originally, student dormitories and classrooms were inside the building. Thus, Graves Hall can be considered Morehouse’s first modern facility. Now, it is the central campus.
The logo shows the top part of the building in a round medallion. The choice hints at a commemorative coin that captures an important event. The circle symbolizes perfection. The college was engaged in the “perfection” of mind and spirit.
The upward view suggests something majestic and beautiful.
The current name, as it appears on the emblem to the right and on the seal, was taken from the surname of the benefactor, Henry Lyman Morehouse, four years before his death. Morehouse worked for the American Baptist Home Mission Society and contributed to the institution’s financial support and donations from Rockefeller. Without his involvement, the college wouldn’t have received the land for the campus.
Interestingly, the servant’s surname translates to “More than a house.”
The Seal
The edges of the seal are framed by a thick rope outside and a thinner one inside. The choice of material hints at a maritime theme. This biblical analogy speaks of managing the raging sea of life, where college is a reliable haven.
Around the circle, the name of the college and the state it’s located in are indicated. Words are separated by stars, symbolizing valor, courage, and the guiding star, an eternal life compass.
At the center of the seal is the Sun rising above stormy waves. Its rays represent the triumph of knowledge and truth. The sea waves symbolize the depth of human knowledge. The college helps navigate it to find what’s important and necessary.
The round crests and clouds above, which the sun ascends to its zenith, remind us. The clouds speak of ignorance, over which the light of knowledge rises.
The Latin motto, “Et Facta Est Lux,” guides the reader to the Book of Genesis, where God created light. The inscription represents the Creator as the primary source of truth and enlightenment. Initially, the college had a seminary focus and provided Baptist religious education.
It also embodies the rise of the Sun as freedom and victory over slavery. The institution has always been a bastion in the struggle for racial equality and civil rights.
Font and Colors
The official colors of Morehouse are maroon and white, which are used in both the logo and the seal. White represents faith, living in purity, and adherence to the Word. It signifies the liberation of slaves and a fresh start. Maroon speaks of nobility. It reminds us of the price paid for freedom and encourages a passionate heart. These shades were chosen by the college’s 5th president, Samuel H. Archer, who was influenced by his alma mater, Colgate University.
The font of the inscription, Alternate Gothic, stretches towards the sky like the spires of the institution’s main building. The inscription appears neat and harmonious, symbolizing the students’ diligence and earnestness.