Coat of arms of the University of Notre Dame

Last updated
Coat of arms of the
University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame coat of arms.svg
Armiger University of Notre Dame
AdoptedFebruary 13, 1931
Crest none
Blazon Azure, a passion cross patty at the extremities Or, issuant of a champagne barry wavy of four Argent and the First, in dexter chief a mullet of six points of the Third, and over all an open book proper charged with the words VITA DULCEDO SPES in letters Sable.
Supporters none
Motto Vita, Dulcedo, Spes

The coat of arms of the University of Notre Dame is the assumed heraldic achievement of the University of Notre Dame. [1] It was designed by noted American heraldist Pierre de Chaignon la Rose in 1931. [2]

Contents

History

The coat of arms of the University of Notre Dame was commissioned in early 1931 by university president Charles L O’Donnell, C.S.C. [3] In the 1930s, neo-gothic architecture and heraldic achievements were a distinctive sign of prestigious academic institutions (like Princeton or Yale) that Notre Dame aspired to be part of. [4] O'Donnell wanted to decorate the new Rockne Hall with elegant heraldic achievements, and the building was sculpted with the coat of arms of the United States, France (in homage to Notre Dame's origins), and Norway (to commemorate Knute Rockne). The president also wanted to decorate it with the coat of arms of Indiana, but was informed by the architects that neither the state of Indiana nor its Supreme Court had coat of arms. [4]

O'Donnel authorized the university architects, Maginnis and Walsh, to commission to University's coat of arms to Pierre de Chaignon la Rose, one of America's most prominent heraldists and designer of the coat of arms of Harvard University's Graduate Schools and the University of Chicago among others. [4] [5] [6] [7] [1] [8] [9] He sent his proposed design of armorial bearings in February 1931, and it was immediately accepted and assumed. [10] [1] [4] The coat of arms, inserted into a circular device with written "Sigillum Universitatis Dominae Nostrae a Lacu" became the university seal. [11] The coat of arms was carved into the Rockne Memorial building and thereafter in many locations on campus.

Another reason behind the creation of the coat of arms was institutional. Notre Dame had been founded in 1842 by Edward Sorin, member of the Congregation of Holy Cross, and the institution, interest, and activities of the Congregation and those of the University overlapped. With the recent creation of the lay board of trustees and president James A. Burns' fund drive, the two institutions were more consciously separated and were made quasi independent. [12] Up until then, the coat of arms of the University that was used was almost identical to that of the Congregation, hence the new coat of arms commissioned in 1931 also served as a symbol of the new more independent relationship between the two institutions. [12]

Since 2003, the university relies on a two-colored academic mark consisting of a modified version of the coat of arms, with only two colors, and the official wordmark of the university. [13] [14]

Design

Blazon

Azure, a passion cross patty at the extremities Or, issuant of a champagne barry wavy of four Argent and the First, in dexter chief a mullet of six points of the Third, and over all an open book proper charged with the words VITA DULCEDO SPES in letters Sable. [15]

Meaning

The colors blue and gold (azure and or in heraldry), the official colors of the university, represent Our Lady. The star represents the ancient title of Our Lady, Star of the Sea. The two wavy lines of silver at the base of the shield, used in heraldry to depict water, are used to represent the two lakes on campus from which the university gets its name (Notre Dame Du Lac). The cross represents the Congregation of Holy Cross, congregation to which university founder Edward Sorin and following presidents were part of. The open book represents learning and education, and the didactic mission of the university. On its pages is written the motto of the university "Vita, Dulcedo, Spes," from the ancient prayer Salve Regina meaning "our life, our sweetness, our hope". [16] [17] [18] [12] [9]

Other versions

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knute Rockne</span> American football player and coach (1888–1931)

Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach at the University of Notre Dame. Leading Notre Dame for 13 seasons, Rockne accumulated over 100 wins and three national championships.

<i>Knute Rockne, All American</i> 1940 film by William K. Howard, Lloyd Bacon

Knute Rockne, All American is a 1940 American biographical film that tells the story of Knute Rockne, Notre Dame's legendary football coach. It stars Pat O'Brien as Rockne and Ronald Reagan as player George Gipp, as well as Gale Page, Donald Crisp, Albert Bassermann, Owen Davis Jr., Nick Lukats, Kane Richmond, William Marshall and William Byrne. The film also includes cameos by legendary football coaches "Pop" Warner, Amos Alonzo Stagg, William H. Spaulding and Howard Jones, playing themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Notre Dame</span> Private university in Notre Dame, Indiana

The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campus covers 1,261 acres in a suburban setting and contains landmarks such as the Golden Dome, the Word of Life mural, Notre Dame Stadium, and the Basilica. Originally for men, the university did not formally accept undergraduate female students until 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supporter</span> Figures usually placed on either side of an heraldic shield and depicted holding it up

In heraldry, supporters, sometimes referred to as attendants, are figures or objects usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Gipp</span> American football player (1895–1920)

George Gipp, nicknamed "The Gipper", was a college football player at the University of Notre Dame under head coach Knute Rockne. Gipp was selected as Notre Dame's first Walter Camp All-American, and played several positions, particularly halfback, quarterback, and punter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Sorin</span> French priest and founder of the University of Notre Dame, Indiana

Rev. Edward Frederick Sorin, C.S.C. was a French-born priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross and the founder of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana and of St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Notre Dame)</span> Church in Indiana, United States

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Notre Dame, Indiana, is a Catholic church on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, also serving as the mother church of the Congregation of Holy Cross (C.S.C.) in the United States. The neo-gothic church has 44 large stained glass windows and murals completed over a 17-year period by the Vatican painter Luigi Gregori. The basilica bell tower is 230 feet (70 m) high, making it the tallest university chapel in America. It is a contributing building in Notre Dame's historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The basilica is a major tourist attraction in Northern Indiana, and is visited annually by more than 100,000 tourists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alumni Hall (University of Notre Dame)</span> Historic dormitory building in Indiana, U.S.

Alumni Hall is one of the 32 Residence Halls on the campus of the University of Notre Dame and one of the 16 male dorms. It is located on South Quad adjacent to "Main Circle", across from the law school building, and it hosts 234 undergraduates.

"Notre Dame, Our Mother" is the alma mater of the University of Notre Dame, a private, Catholic research university in northern Indiana. The song is addressed to "Notre Dame", a reference to both the university and its patroness and namesake, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Joseph Casasanta, a 1923 Notre Dame graduate, composed the song and it was first performed at coach Knute Rockne's funeral in 1931.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Corby</span> American army chaplain in the Civil War

The Rev. William Corby, CSC was an American priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, and a Union Army chaplain in the American Civil War attached to the Irish Brigade. He served twice as president of the University of Notre Dame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Edward's Hall (University of Notre Dame)</span>

St. Edward's Hall is one of the 32 Residence Halls on the campus of the University of Notre Dame and one of sixteen male dormitories. Saint Edward's Hall is located directly east of the Main Administration Building and is directly west of Zahm Hall and houses 162 undergraduate students. The structure, the oldest among all residence halls on campus, was built in 1882 to house the minims, Notre Dame's boarding school program. When such program was discontinued in 1929, the building was converted to an undergraduate residence hall, which it has been ever since. Together with other historical structures of the university, it is on the National Register of Historic Places. The coat of arms is the Cross of Saint Edward the Confessor on a green background.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sorin Hall (University of Notre Dame)</span> Student dormitory at the University of Notre Dame

Sorin Hall, also known as Sorin College, is the oldest of the 32 Residence Halls on the campus of the University of Notre Dame and one of the 17 male dorms. It is named after Fr. Edward Sorin, C.S.C., the founder of Notre Dame. Sorin is located directly north of Walsh Hall and is directly south of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Sorin houses 143 undergraduate students. Sorin Hall is, along with other buildings on the Main Quad of Notre Dame, on the National Register of Historic Places. Sorin Hall was the first Notre Dame residential hall established as such, although St. Edward's Hall is housed in an older building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1931 Transcontinental & Western Air Fokker F-10 crash</span> 1931 passenger aircraft crash in Chase County, Kansas, USA

On March 31, 1931, a Fokker F-10 belonging to Transcontinental and Western Air crashed near Bazaar, Kansas after taking off from Kansas City Municipal Airport, Kansas City, Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hunk Anderson</span> American football player and coach (1898–1978)

Heartley William "Hunk" Anderson was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Saint Louis University (1928–1929), University of Notre Dame (1931–1933), and North Carolina State University (1934–1936), compiling a career college football record of 34–34–4. From 1942 to 1945, Anderson was the head coach for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), tallying a mark of 24–12 and winning the 1943 NFL Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse Harper</span>

Jesse Clair Harper was an American football and baseball player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Alma College (1906–1907), Wabash College (1909–1912), and the University of Notre Dame (1913–1917), compiling a career college football record of 57–17–7. Harper was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dexter and sinister</span> Heraldic terminology indicating relative direction

Dexter and sinister are terms used in heraldry to refer to specific locations in an escutcheon bearing a coat of arms, and to the other elements of an achievement. Dexter indicates the right-hand side of the shield, as regarded by the bearer, i.e. the bearer's proper right, and to the left as seen by the viewer. Sinister indicates the left-hand side as regarded by the bearer – the bearer's proper left, and to the right as seen by the viewer. In vexillology, the equivalent terms are hoist and fly.

Pierre de Chaignon la Rose was an American heraldist and heraldic artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the University of Notre Dame</span>

The University of Notre Dame was founded on November 26, 1842, by Father Edward Sorin, CSC, who was also its first president, as an all-male institution on land donated by the Bishop of Vincennes. Today, many Holy Cross priests continue to work for the university, including as its president. Notre Dame rose to national prominence in the early 1900s for its Fighting Irish football team, especially under the guidance of the legendary coach Knute Rockne. Major improvements to the university occurred during the administration of Rev. Theodore Hesburgh between 1952 and 1987 as Hesburgh's administration greatly increased the university's resources, academic programs, and reputation and first enrolled women undergraduates in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand heraldry</span>

New Zealand heraldry is the term for the style of armorial achievements, sometimes known as coats of arms, and other heraldic bearings and insignia used in New Zealand. It largely follows the Gallo-British tradition of heraldry also followed in England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and Australia.

The 1931 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1931 college football season, led by first-year head coach Hunk Anderson.

References

  1. 1 2 3 The Catholics of Harvard Square. Jeffrey Wills. Petersham, MA: Saint Bede's Publications. 1993. p. 84. ISBN   1-879007-01-0. OCLC   30475190.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. Vachon, Auguste; Boudreau, Claire; Cogné, Daniel (1998-07-06). Genealogica & Heraldica: Ottawa 1996. University of Ottawa Press. ISBN   978-0-7766-1600-1.
  3. RAUCH, R. W. (February 1931). "Notre Dame's New Coat of Arms" (PDF). The Notre Dame Alumnus. IX (6): 195. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Lindquist, Sherry C. M. (2012-03-01). "Memorializing Knute Rockne at the University of Notre Dame: Collegiate Gothic Architecture and Institutional Identity". Winterthur Portfolio. 46 (1): 1–24. doi:10.1086/665045. ISSN   0084-0416. S2CID   146612474.
  5. "Official Coat of Arms Adopted for Notre Dame by President" (PDF). Scholastic. 64 (16). February 13, 1931. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  6. "100th anniversary of the University of Chicago seal | The University of Chicago Library News". news.lib.uchicago.edu. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  7. "Heralding a Great University: Pierre de Chaignon la Rose and the Evolution of the Rice Academic Seal" (PDF). Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  8. Wallace, Francis (1969-01-01). Notre Dame: its people and its legends.
  9. 1 2 The Coat of Arms. 1968.
  10. Hope, Arthur J. (1943). Notre Dame - 100 Years. Notre Dame, Ind.: University press. p. Chapter XXVIII.
  11. "University Seal". On Message. Archived from the original on 2016-05-04. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  12. 1 2 3 Blantz, Thomas E. (2020). The University of Notre Dame : a history. [Notre Dame, Indiana]. ISBN   978-0-268-10824-3. OCLC   1182853710.
  13. "Academic Mark". On Message. Archived from the original on 2016-05-02. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  14. Bramanti, Matt (2003-04-25). "Notre Dame releases new icon for usage" (PDF). Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  15. "U.S. Heraldic Registry » Registrations/Notre Dame, University of". usheraldicregistry.com. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  16. RAUCH, R. W. (February 1931). "Notre Dame's New Coat of Arms" (PDF). The Notre Dame Alumnus. IX (6): 195. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  17. "Official Coat of Arms Adopted for Notre Dame by President" (PDF). Scholastic. 64 (16). February 13, 1931. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  18. "U.S. Heraldic Registry » Registrations/Notre Dame, University of". usheraldicregistry.com. Retrieved 16 July 2019.