1. Student Experience
  2. Campus Experience
  3. Traditions and Annual Events
  4. Class Colors and Symbols

Class Colors and Symbols

Each class proudly displays their class color at class-related activities such as Convocation.

The blue lion class symbol

Blue Lion classes

1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024, 2028, 2032
Green Griffin class symbol

Green Griffin classes

1925, 1929, 1933, 1937, 1941, 1945, 1949, 1953, 1957, 1961, 1965, 1969, 1973, 1977, 1981, 1985, 1989, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2021, 2025, 2029
Red Pegasus class symbol

Red Pegasus classes

1926, 1930, 1934, 1938, 1942, 1946, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026, 2030
Yellow Spinx class symbol

Yellow Sphinx classes

1927, 1931, 1935, 1939, 1943, 1947, 1951, 1955, 1959, 1963, 1967, 1971, 1975, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023, 2027, 2031
Purple Phoenix class symbol for Frances Perkins scholars

Purple Phoenix

All Frances Perkins graduates
The teal owl class symbol for all graduate students

Teal Owl

All ³ÉÈËÊÓƵGraduate Degree Programs

 

History of class colors and symbols

Since the late 1800s ³ÉÈËÊÓƵclasses had been voting on a variety of class colors, but it wasn't until 1901 that the classes voted for the colors that are still in use today.

The class of 1901 chose hunter green, and the classes of 1902, ’03, ’04 voted for crimson, golden yellow, and royal blue, respectively.

In 1905 the classes adopted class animals: the lion, unicorn, tiger and dragon. Finally, in 1909, the students voted for lion, griffin, sphinx, and pegasus as their class symbols. They also decided that even-year classes would use pegasus and lion and their colors would be red and blue, and odd years would use griffin and sphinx, with green and yellow as their colors.

This system has persisted to this day.