Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2002 11:09:19 -0800 (PST)
From: Dave Soper soper@lepton.uoregon.edu
To: aprice@oregon.uoregon.edu
Subject: graphic symbols

Dear Mr. Price,

Thank you for presenting the status of the Graphic Identity Initiative to the University Senate yesterday. I have some comments.

1) I like the O logo for UO auxiliary activities such as the Alumni Association (of which I was for some years the faculty representative on the board), sports, parking decals, ...

2) I think that the O is not appropriate for the letterhead of academic parts of the university. Symbols are important. The O symbol says "modern, corporate, and temporary." Universities represent enduring values and are themselves enduring. Their visual representation should say that. Thus the seal, dating from the period of the founding of the university, is appropriate.

3) As an argument supporting point 2), I ask you to consider what you would think of a letter from a professor at the University of Oxford (founded circa 1231) if the letterhead displayed an O as the university symbol instead of their seal, a book with three crowns. (See http://www.ox.ac.uk/.)

4) In my opinion, the seal on the letterhead should be a bit larger than it was in your sample. Also, it should be green, as I think you said.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Dave Soper Physics