Iowa State University Cyclones Logo: A History of Visual Identity
Iowa State University (ISU), a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa, has a rich history dating back to its founding in 1858 as a college of agriculture. Over time, the institution expanded into a multidisciplinary university, earning recognition as one of the top 400 universities worldwide and a prestigious institution in the USA. Its athletic teams, known as the Iowa State Cyclones, have a long-standing tradition of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as members of the Big 12 Conference. This article explores the evolution of the Iowa State Cyclones logo, tracing its development from the late 19th century to the present day.
Early Logos: Monograms and Inscriptions (1894-1930)
The very first logo for the Iowa State Cyclones was created at the end of the 19th century, in 1894, and featured a bright vivid yellow and white color palette. That was a simple yet elegant IAC monogram with the smooth capital letters overlapping each other. In the same year, another logo version was introduced. This time it was an angular and strong inscription in the same yellow and white color palette, but with a completely different mood. The capital sans-serif letters of the inscription were set in horizontal space, slightly jumping above the line and separated by two solid yellow dots.
The logo design from 1896 was much stronger and brutal than the previous badges. The dots were removed and the “ISC” abbreviation was set in a straight horizontal line, with no shifts or inclinations. The sharp square Sans-serif letters were massive but perfectly balanced in terms of size and spacing.
A surprisingly simple and laconic emblem replaced the strong masculine ISC badge in 1900. A medium-weight Sans-serif uppercase letter “A” in intense yellow color was the only element of the new badge. The “A” remained but was redrawn in a more modern Sans-serif typeface, and got placed on a solid burgundy background of the new circular medallion in a yellow framing of the same thickness as the bars of the letter.
In 1930 the design concept of the Iowa State Cyclones visual identity was switched to a more elegant one. The yellow “ISC” monogram was now executed in two fonts - with the “I” in gothic serif, with sharp elements in the middle line of the vertical bar, and “S” and “C” in plain medium-weight sans-serif with regular shapes and contours. All three letters were overlapping each other. The badge stayed in use for a decade and was the last yellow and white logo in the history of the athletic club. These early logos primarily utilized yellow and white color schemes and featured monograms or inscriptions representing the university's initials.
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Interlude: The "ISC" in a Rectangle (1957-1959)
In 1957, the Cyclones adopted a new logo where the lettering “ISC” was placed in a rectangle with rounded corners.
The Cardinal Era (1965-1983)
The redesign of 1965 has introduced a different version of the Cyclones logo, with the cartoonish red cardinal bird as the only element. The bird was drawn walking to the left and holding a yellow triangular pennant with the contoured burgundy “ISU” abbreviation. It was drawn on a plain white background without any framing or additional lettering. This version of the logo stayed with the teams of the program for longer than a decade.
The cardinal on the 1978 logo lost the flag and turned in the opposite direction (right). This era marked a shift towards incorporating a mascot-like figure into the logo, moving away from purely typographic designs.
The Cyclone Wave (1983-1995)
In 1983, a logo featuring a red cyclone wave was introduced. Above the wave, the lettering “Iowa State” in a handwritten font could be seen. This logo introduced a more dynamic element, reflecting the "Cyclones" team name.
Typographic Dominance: Modern Logos (1995-Present)
After another experiment with a cardinal and a cyclone wave in 1995, the Iowa State Cyclones logo became a typographic one. The logo, designed for the Iowa State Cyclones in 2007, looked strong and modern. The redesign of 2008 cleaned and refined all contours of the badge, enlarging both elements and making them more visible. Now the shades on the “I” and the “State” were distinct and made the badge look three-dimensional. Also, the straight lines on the letters reflected the strength and determination of the players, becoming a great representation of the team’s spirit and character.
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Alternate and Secondary Logos
The Alternate logo of the Iowa State Cyclones program is a red bird with its bottom part stylized as a tornado swirl, overlapped by a dynamic banner in white and blue, with the full name of the teams written in a custom progressive typeface with sharp details.
The Secondary logo of the teams from Iowa is the Cyclone swirl logo, red with gold highlights, lines uneven, thickness varying. Center not perfectly round, outer edges jagged. Gives impression of motion and energy, imperfectly drawn. Looks instantly recognizable, lively, with hand-crafted charm. These logos provide additional visual representations of the Iowa State Cyclones, offering variations on the primary logo for different applications.
The Helmet Design
The design of the Iowa State Cyclones players’ helmets is pretty simple yet very bright. Based on the crimson red color, the helms are accompanied by modest gray face guard grilles and massive yellow and burgundy emblems placed on the sides.
Mascot: Cy the Cyclone
Cy the Cyclone has twisted body, irregular spiral shape, small jagged arms, uneven legs. Red mostly, gold highlights unevenly applied. Swirl lines rough, not uniform. Silhouette energetic but irregular, giving casual, sketchy, lively impression.
Font and Color
According to the official style guide, cardinal and gold, the university’s two official colors, can be reproduced according to the following values:
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- cardinal: PMS 202, Hex: 822433
- gold: PMS 123, Hex: FDC82F
In addition to the two-color version, the Iowa State Cyclones logo can also be given in three or four colors.
Iowa State University: A Legacy of Excellence
Iowa State University's commitment to academic excellence is reflected in its eight colleges, offering over 100 undergraduate majors and 200 fields of study. The university is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities - Very high research activity" and is affiliated with numerous research institutes, including the Ames National Laboratory and the Biorenewables Research Laboratory.
A Historic Campus
Iowa State's campus boasts over 160 buildings, with several listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Key landmarks include:
- The Campanile: A memorial to Margaret MacDonald Stanton, Iowa State's first dean of women.
- Lake LaVerne: Home to mute swans, Sir Lancelot and Elaine.
- Reiman Gardens: A 14-acre site featuring distinct garden areas and an indoor conservatory.
- Brunnier Art Museum: Iowa's only accredited museum emphasizing decorative arts.
- Farm House Museum: A National Historic Landmark and the first building on campus.
- Art on Campus Collection: A campus-wide resource of over 2000 public works of art.
- Morrill Hall: Originally a library, museum, and chapel, now a museum.
- Elizabeth and Byron Anderson Sculpture Garden: Located by the Christian Petersen Art Museum.
- W. Robert and Ellen Sorge Parks Library: Contains over 2.6 million books and subscribes to more than 98,600 journal titles.
Research and Outreach
Iowa State is a member of the Universities Research Association, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. The university's research contributions include the Ames process for producing high-purity uranium and the development of the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC), the world's first electronic digital computer. The ISU Research Park Corporation and the Plant Sciences Institute are key components of Iowa State's research infrastructure.
Student Life
Iowa State operates 20 on-campus residence halls and has over 900 student organizations. The ISU Student Government serves as the governing body for students. Fraternities and sororities at ISU include fifty chapters that involve 14.6 percent of undergraduate students. The Memorial Union, designed as a living memorial for ISU students lost in World War I, includes the Gold Star Room, a library, and a chapel.
Athletics
Iowa State University's athletic teams, the Cyclones, compete in various sports, including:
- Basketball: Both the women’s and men’s basketball teams play in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I athletics. Their home arena is Hilton Coliseum.
- Football: The team fielded in 1892 uses Jack Trice Stadium as its home arena.
- Soccer: The Iowa State Cyclones Soccer club, which home ground is the Cyclones Sports Complex, has both men’s and women’s teams.
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