The Evolution of the Oregon State University Logo: A Sesquicentennial Reflection
Oregon State University (OSU), a public land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, has a rich history dating back to 1856. Over the years, its visual identity has evolved to reflect its growth, mission, and connection to the state of Oregon. From its early adoption of the state seal to the modern logo unveiled for its 150th anniversary, OSU's logos tell a story of transformation and enduring values.
Early Days: Corvallis Academy and the State Seal (1856-1868)
The university's roots trace back to 1856 when it was founded as Corvallis Academy, a primary and preparatory community school. The Corvallis area Freemasons played a leading role in developing the academy. Several of the university's largest buildings are named after these founders today. The early academy is recognized as the first to offer a postsecondary public education in the Oregon Territory. Initially, the institution, then known as Corvallis College, adopted the official crest of Oregon as its own identity. This crest, dating back to 1857, was a complex and detailed heraldic shield filled with historical symbols and metaphors.
The official-looking crest, consisting of a plumpish heart-shaped shield is bursting at the seams with the kind of illustrated historical symbols and metaphors that were typical for state seals and other forms of institutional heraldry at that time. A covered wagon, symbolizing the hardy pioneers who first came to Oregon, is forging its way across the middle of the composition and the image of a haystack with plow, representing the state’s rich agricultural heritage, is positioned toward the bottom. The lush evergreen forests of the Pacific Northwest are depicted in the upper right-hand corner of the shield with a stand of Douglas Firs, Oregon’s state tree, and a hint of a mountain off in the distance. The scene in the upper left-hand corner of the crest depicts a British Man O’ War hightailing it out of the scenic waters of the Oregon coast with a technically superior American war vessel in hot pursuit. On the horizon there’s a sun setting in the western sky and an arc of stars cascades down both sides of the outer-edges of the shield.
The only wildlife depicted in the composition are a lone elk standing at the edge of the forest, and a large eagle with its wings outstretched, symbolizing the United States, perched on top of the shield. The beaver, Oregon’s state animal, is nowhere to be found in the crest but a beaver does make an appearance on the state’s flag-if only on one side. The Oregon State flag is an unusual design in that it is the only state flag in the union with two different sides. One side of the flag is dominated by Oregon’s fussy crest, and the other side features a primitive, but charming, rendering of a beaver standing on a small, oddly shaped log.
This seal was used in official documents and on graduates' diplomas. The seal pictures the name in an uppercase sans-serif typeface with soft angular letters. The small ‘Union’ word has the same script, but a bit lighter. The color palette of the university’s main graphical marks consists of black, white and orange shades. The main graphical marks of the university are colored in a different way. The seal is black and white.
Read also: The Evolution of the Beavers Logo
The "OSU" Abbreviation (2003-2017)
As OSU evolved, so did its logo. In 2003, a new logo was introduced, primarily for use in paper media. This logo featured the abbreviation "OSU" alongside the full name of the university, "OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY." The designers took bold black sans serif as a basis and combined letters of different sizes to highlight the first line. The area on the right was reserved for the orange abbreviation “OSU.” The phrase “OREGON STATE” appeared at the top, with the word “UNIVERSITY” just below, in a smaller font size.
However, this logo had a critical flaw: the acronym "OSU" was not unique to Oregon State University. Ohio State University and Oklahoma State University also use the same initials. This lack of distinctiveness prompted the university to seek a more effective and recognizable identity.
The 150th Anniversary Rebrand: A Return to Heritage and a Nod to the Future (2017-Present)
In honor of its 150th anniversary in 2017, Oregon State University undertook a comprehensive rebranding effort. Teaming with Pentagram, the world’s largest independent design consultancy, OSU aimed to create a logo that honored its history while also reflecting its modern mission and aspirations. Meanwhile, OSU developed its refreshed brand positioning in collaboration with Ologie, a leading branding agency with extensive experience in higher education.
The state flag and the fact that OSU had co-opted Oregon’s official identity featured on one side of the flag, and had taken the beaver featured on the other side, as its school mascot lead the Pentagram team down the road of exploring a simpler rendition of the crest for the university’s identity. A new heraldic shield that could hold up in today’s demanding, small-usage situations-like online and mobile phone applications.
The resulting academic crest, created in the spirit of the longstanding tradition of using heraldry as identity for institutions of higher learning, references the complex, dated-looking state crest but simplifies its symbolism to represent Oregon State’s four major grants: Land, Sea, Sun and Space. A lone Douglas fir, the state tree and an Oregon icon featured on the state’s license plates, towers up through the center of the new shield. The tree, a traditional metaphor for knowledge, represents Oregon State’s specialization in the area of forestry. A large book, another traditional symbol for knowledge, straddles the tree and represents the university’s commitment to academic excellence. On the right side of the composition, three stars representing Oregon State’s space grant and its three main campuses, rise in the sky above three peaks representing the Three Sisters mountains located near Bend where the university’s sister institution, Oregon State Cascades, is based. The date of the university’s founding, 1896, is emblazoned across the face of the mountain range.
Read also: Evolution of the Oregon Mascot
The distinctive heart-shaped shield, the “Heart of Oregon,” was redrawn to be less fat and squat and the eagle perched on top of the original crest was replaced with a simpler, more refined interpretation of the awkwardly drawn, state flag beaver.
The new logo features a redesigned academic crest topped by a beaver, Oregon's state animal and OSU's beloved mascot. They proudly refer to themselves as “Beaver Nation,” so on the occasion of Oregon State University’s 150th Anniversary, Pentagram has given the institution back its beloved beaver. Now the academic side of the university has their own version of the school’s beaver mascot that can co-exist with the football team’s logo designed by Nike in 2013.
The new logo and its academic crest tell a unique tale about the university’s mission as a land, sea, space and sun grant institution. On the new logo, a beaver (the state animal, as well as OSU’s mascot) sits atop an academic crest. Inside the crest, a tree and an open book represent knowledge. The three stars represent OSU’s three campuses in Corvallis, Bend and Newport, while also referencing Oregon as the 33rd state in the union. Finally, the year 1868 denotes OSU’s founding.
The second part of the OSU logo is the inscription “Oregon State University,” divided into two lines. Bold geometric font and a combination of contrasting colors (black and orange) make the wordmark look like the previous graphic symbol. The text may be on the right or below the coat of arms, but it is forbidden to separate them.
The Pentagram team chose the typeface, designed by the Klim Type Foundry based in New Zealand, because it struck the right balance between academic gravitas and the rugged ethos and outdoorsy courses offered by the university. with names that begin with the letter “O” (particularly Oregon State’s cross-state rival, the University of Oregon, that uses a large-cap letter “O” as their primary identity) and at least two well-known, national institutions-Ohio State University and Oklahoma State University, that use the initials “OSU” prominently as their identities. Given this information, the design team decided to move away from the acronym altogether during its explorations for a new, more effective identity direction for Oregon State University.
Read also: Quarter System at OSU Explained
According to the designers, the new heraldic shield contains the most important objects: one Pseudotsuga menziesii fir, mountain peaks with three stars, the setting sun, ocean waves, and an open book.
In the 2017 logotype, they’ve used a bold serif typeface with quite a typical appearance. The first letters of the name are capitalized, while the following ones are lowercase.
This new logo aimed to provide a refreshed visual identity with a powerful and cohesive look and feel to represent the brand of the entire university. "This branded logo portrays the promise and product of Oregon State: high quality teaching research and community engagement.
The Meaning Behind the Elements
Each element of the 2017 logo was carefully chosen to represent a specific aspect of Oregon State University:
- The Beaver: A symbol of Oregon and the university's athletic teams, representing hard work, ingenuity, and a connection to the Pacific Northwest.
- The Shield: A traditional symbol of universities, representing protection, knowledge, and institutional strength.
- The Douglas Fir: Oregon's state tree, symbolizing the university's strength, resilience, and connection to the state's natural resources, particularly its renowned forestry program.
- The Book: A symbol of knowledge, learning, and academic excellence, representing the university's commitment to education and research.
- The Three Stars: Representing Oregon State’s space grant and its three main campuses in Corvallis, Bend and Newport, while also referencing Oregon as the 33rd state in the union.
- The Mountains: The peaks of the Three Sisters mountains inspire the mountain peaks.
- 1868: The year of the university's founding, a reminder of its long history and enduring legacy.
A Consistent Brand Identity
To ensure a consistent and recognizable brand, Oregon State University developed brand identity guidelines and provided training sessions for campus communicators. Departments, colleges, and programs are expected to adopt these guidelines to maintain a unified look and feel in all internal and external materials.
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