Harvard shields
On Sept. 8, 1836, at Harvard’s Bicentennial celebration, it was announced that President Josiah Quincy had found the first rough sketch of the College arms—a shield with the Latin motto “VERITAS” (“Verity” or “Truth”) on three books—while researching his History of Harvard University in the College Archives. During the Bicentennial, a white banner atop a large tent in the Yard publicly displayed this design for the first time.
Until Quincy’s discovery, the hand-drawn sketch (from records of a meeting of “the Governors of Harvard Colledge” in 1643) had been filed away and forgotten. It became the basis of the seal officially adopted by the Corporation in 1843 and still informs the version used today.
Today the Veritas shield (left) is a central element of the University’s graphic identity. The Veritas shield with wreath and banner (right), also known as the adorned Veritas shield, is used by the University for commemorative purposes, for other official University functions and purposes where the University is being represented as a whole.
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