The Evolution of Trinity College's Visual Identity: From Seal to Modern Graphics
Trinity College, a private liberal arts college in Hartford, Connecticut, has a rich history dating back to its founding in 1823 as Washington College. Over the years, the college has evolved, adapting to changing times while maintaining its commitment to liberal arts education. A crucial part of this evolution is the visual identity of the college, which includes its logo, colors, graphics, and overall branding. This article explores the history of Trinity College's logo and visual elements, tracing their development and significance.
Early History and the College Seal
Originally known as Washington College until 1845, Trinity College was chartered on May 16, 1823, becoming the second college in Connecticut after Yale University and the 61st in the nation. The Trinity seal dates back to the college’s name change from Washington College to Trinity College in 1845. Parts of the seal reflect the college’s Episcopal roots. The abbreviated Latin inscriptions read “The Seal of the College of the Most Holy Trinity” and “For Church and Country.” The shield is also crowned with a bishop’s ceremonial headdress.
The Evolution of Visual Elements
The visual elements of Trinity College's brand are heavily inspired by the history, architectural stonework, and shapes found throughout Trinity’s campus. These graphic elements are versatile and add depth, color, texture, and visual interest. They may also act as containers for photos, statistics, and other callouts. They can be used singularly or in groups, at sizes large and small. These five shapes are the basis for our system of graphics. With our core glyphs, we created several patterns to be expanded or reduced. These linear graphic elements have a more refined, historical feel, and they are more appropriate for internal and alumni audiences. These graphics are meant to be used at a large scale, as background objects. The pattern is most effective when it appears in a tone of the background color.
Colors and Mascot
Our primary palette consists of Trinity Blue and Trinity Gold. In 1868, undergraduates made the case to change school colors from green and white (adopted in 1868) to dark blue and gold. The Bantam mascot, blue-and-gold colors, and The Tripod were introduced, becoming a foundation for campus identity. Joseph Buffington ’75 envisions a bantam mascot in the “collegiate barnyard,” ready to take on the Princeton tiger and Yale bulldog.
The Krijger Logo
The three-bar emblem, signifying the persons of the Trinity, was designed by Krijger at the request of students who desired a school ring. An account of this part of Trinity’s history is recorded in the book At the Heart of Community, Stories of Trinity Christian College’s First 50 Years, by Dr. “The design communicates the values of the institution with clarity, and it is distinctive enough to hold its own identity,” said John Bakker, professor of art and design at Trinity since 1982. “I think that it’s one of the great marks of the 20th century. It reminds me of logos for Chase or Nike in its clarity and succinctness. “We discuss the logo and its history in design classes,” said Ellen Browning, assistant professor of art and design. “Krijiger’s logo remains significant today as it was originally designed from a minimalist, modern perspective.
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Brand Articulation
Trinity’s brand is an articulation of what defines the quintessential experience of what it means to be a Bantam. It draws upon perceptions shaped by the stories and associations in the minds of our community and the world at large. For Trinity College, our brand today builds on the foundation set in 1823. The sum of experiences, interactions, and communications at Trinity shapes how students engage, how alumni remember their school, and how faculty and staff deliver on Trinity’s mission. At Trinity College, we bring curiosity and critical thinking to every challenge. Our visual identity represents Trinity College at the highest level. Photography is a powerful tool for conveying the Trinity College brand.
Graphics and Patterns
From our typefaces to graphics, the visual elements of our brand are heavily inspired by the history, architectural stonework, and shapes found throughout Trinity’s campus. These graphic elements are versatile elements-use them to add depth, color, texture, and visual interest to any piece. They may also act as containers for photos, statistics, and other callouts. They can be used singularly or in groups, at sizes large and small. These five shapes are the basis for our system of graphics. With our core glyphs, we created several patterns to be expanded or reduced. These linear graphic elements have a more refined, historical feel, they are more appropriate for internal and alumni audiences. These graphics are meant to be used at a large scale, as background objects. The pattern is most effective when it appears in a tone of the background color. Click here to submit a request for an event poster. Trinity has a suite of branded animated GIFs and stickers for use on your social media posts.
Traditions and Symbols
We’ve established many beloved traditions during our more than 200-year history. The oldest continuously observed tradition at Trinity, matriculation is the symbolic act of enrolling at the college. Every incoming first-year student is asked to sign “The Charter and Standing Rules,” first penned in 1826. During his senior year, Augustus P. Burgwin ’82 set the words for the unofficial alma mater, “’Neath the Elms of Our Old Trinity,” to the tune of an old African American spiritual.
President Theodore Roosevelt, who came at the request of Trinity President Flavel S. Luther. Soon after the stone was added, Trinity students began the tradition of never walking on it before their Commencement day, fearing that to do so would prevent their graduating. The origin of Trinity’s mascot can be traced to a spirited speech that the Honorable Joseph Buffington, Class of 1875, gave at an 1899 Princeton Alumni Association dinner. At their 50th Reunion, the Class of 1953 was greeted with a new tradition from the Class of 1952. The tradition continues today, whereby a representative from the previous year’s 50th reunion class passes the hat to the president of the class being inducted during the Half-Century event at Reunion. The president then wears the hat during the alumni parade on Saturday.
The Owen Morgan Mace stands for the president’s new executive power. It was presented to Trinity in 1950 in memory of Owen Morgan, Class of 1906, who served his Alma Mater as a member of the Board of Fellows, as a Trustee, and as a treasurer of the college. Historically, maces were first used as weapons in warfare and later became a symbol of the sovereign and his power. One of the first known uses of a mace by an educational institution was at Cambridge University in the 13th century. Today, a number of colleges use the mace as a symbol of authority and of the power vested in the president by the faculty and trustees. The mace precedes the president in academic processions. The Morgan Mace is made of ebony, signifying endurance; bronze, meaning power; and gold, symbolizing dignity and glory. It is 44 inches long and weighs 20 pounds. On the head, or urn, of the mace are six seals representing the key institutions that form the college’s environment: the Great Seal of the United States; the Seal of the State of Connecticut; the Charter Oak; the original seal of the City of Hartford; the Washington Coat of Arms; and the seal of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut.
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The Book, which has been placed in the hands of every Trinity graduate at Commencement, signifies the delegation of responsibility to the president for maintaining the educational activities for which Trinity was founded. By chance, the Book became one of the college’s oldest traditions. As it is now related, at the college’s first commencement, President Thomas Church Brownell had intended to have each student touch the Bible as he received his degree. But when the moment arrived, President Brownell realized that he had brought only the bound volume of the order of exercises. The Presidential Collar, which is worn on ceremonial occasions, is the visible symbol of the president’s high office and authority. The collar was presented to the college in 1953 by former president G. Keith Funston, Class of 1932, in memory of his grandmother, Maria Briggs Keith. The chain symbolically links modern higher education with the universities of yesteryear. The golden seal of the Trinity President hangs from the collar, which is fashioned of 20 replicas of the Trinity Elms and seven silver seals, including the six reproduced in the Mace, and the Trinity College seal superimposed on a triangle representing the religious foundations of the college, crowned by a sun that signifies enlightenment.
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