More than a century of change for OSU Logos
Colby Dorsey Binger, Okla.
photos
In Oklahoma State University's 116-year existence, logos have been the face of OSU and, like the university, have seen their share of change — from the Tigers of Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College to today's OSU Cowboys.
For many OSU students and alumni, the logo brings an array of emotions and a sense of togetherness.
"Whenever I see someone who is either wearing an OSU logo or has an OSU decal on their vehicle, I feel a connection with that person," said Lynn Ann Dietrich, 1978 agricultural economics alumna and former Agriculture Alumni Association president.
Evolution of the logo
According to the OSU archives, on Dec. 25, 1890, Oklahoma State University was founded as Oklahoma A&M. Oklahoma A&M was to be the " Princeton of the Plains," and accordingly, the new college adopted orange and black as school colors and the tiger as the school mascot.
In 1923, a group of Oklahoma A&M students saw a cowboy named Frank "Pistol Pete" Eaton in an Armistice Day parade and decided "Pistol Pete" would be a better mascot than the current tiger. Though cowboy images were used, it wasn't until 1957 that "Pistol Pete" became the official OSU mascot.
The use of "Oklahoma A&M" in the logo came to an end on July 1, 1957, when Oklahoma A&M College became Oklahoma State University. Along with the new name, "Pistol Pete" was adopted as the new official school mascot.
These changes ended the old Oklahoma A&M logos and signaled the beginning of the new OSU logos.
According to the OSU Archives, many of the early logos were seen on baseball or football uniforms only. It was not until later there was a distinction between athletic logos and university logos.
"The university's athletic logo is used when we want to show a distinction between athletics and the rest of the university, but in most situations the default brand [institutional mark] is used," said Mark Pennie, OSU design coordinator.
Designing the Logo
The current logos were developed by S.E.M., a design company from New York, and adopted Nov. 1, 2000.
"When the university was getting ready to renovate Gallagher- Iba Arena, it was decided that a new logo was needed," said Judy Barnard, OSU director of trademarks and licensing. "A consistent symbol to unify the campus was wanted. The logo needed to be updated and fresh. The logo needed to say who OSU is."
The final approval came from the OSU administration, but committees decided what to bring before the administration, Barnard said.
The university established a committee in 2000 to discuss the logo and what it should convey to the public about the university. The committee was composed of students, the director of public relations, the athletic director, Barnard and members of the OSU Alumni Association. This committee met periodically during the year to discuss the logo and what it should represent.
"The OSU logo is meant to convey strength, that cowboys are tough," Barnard said. "We are a powerful, progressive, Big 12 competitor."
One of the issues related to the new logo is that it is seen in a variety of media outlets, allowing exposure for OSU.
"When you have a chance to let your university be known, whether it is through papers, magazines, or television, you want a consistent, bold image to be associated with it," Pennie said. "One simple, bold image will help quickly communicate what OSU is, both as a brand and a university."
When the current logos were finally approved, they had a message behind them.
"The block 'O' has a sharp edge to show strength, while the state is larger than Oklahoma and university to show that we are Oklahoma State," Barnard said.
Pennie said the logo was designed to display characteristics that represent the university.
"The slanted 'O' is meant to convey energy and activism," Pennie said.
Designing the DASNR logo
Following in line with the logos' evolution, the OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources has developed its own logo to accompany these changes.
DASNR's latest logo was approved in July 2006. In the design, DASNR implemented the university logo and a triangle, both representing ties to the university.
"When designing the DASNR logo, the university wanted the current OSU logo to be incorporated in the design," said Gayle Hiner, DASNR senior communications specialist. "DASNR wanted the triangle, which stands for the three entities of the university — research, extension and teaching — to also be used."
When designing the logo, everyone in DASNR was encouraged to help with the design. Representatives from the division met five times to discuss the logo and to share their ideas. They finally came up with three logos to send to the administration for a final approval.
"The OSU symbol is very easily recognized across the country," Hiner said. "This makes it nice from a marketing standpoint. The triangle is meant to show how much cooperation there is among the three entities."
Regardless of the logo, students and alumni said their feelings toward OSU run deep.
"Whenever I see the OSU logo, I feel a lot of pride knowing I get to go to one of the best universities in the country," said Tyler Thomas, an animal science junior. "I also feel a lot of heritage because both of my parents have graduated from OSU."
Even though the logo may continue to change, for students and alumni the feelings it invokes will continue from generation to generation.
