School colors

For a piece in the May issue of The Port I wrote about the history of the school colors. Had to dig a little in the old Normalia, but that and the Stylus gave me what I had thought was the story.

According the January 1902 Normalia, forerunner to the Stylus, "A short time ago a committee of students was appointed in conjunction with Prof. McFarlane to choose colors for the school. They finally decided on olive and yellow. The colors were worn for the first time on Dedication Day, when they adorned the speakers and faculty, and blossomed out in brilliancy on our loyal alumni." 

   The colors were highlighted in an annual event which launched in 1902, that of "Color Day." After initially refering to the colors as olive and yellow, by May 1902 the report on the first Color Day noted thatthe colors were prominently display, "In the office windows were the green and gold banners. The faculty and students appeared in chapel wearing the school ribbons..."

   In a 1932 Stylus article reference was made to the long standing tradition that "...the green of the grass and the yellow of the dandelion constitute the school colors..."