WMU Home > About WMU > WMU News WMU adopts seal after gaining university statusFeb. 27, 2007 KALAMAZOO--In 1957, the year that Western Michigan University became a university, WMU art professor John Kemper made a sketch on the back of his faculty identification card that would eventually be adopted as the official seal of WMU. The circular design by Kemper has remained the University's official mark for 50 years. It has four components:
Prior to the current design, four different seals represented the University under its various names. The first two emblems were circular and modeled on components of Michigan's state seal. The two subsequent seals were rectangular and featured depictions of campus buildings. The University seal was altered for the 2003 Centennial to salute the institution's founding. The design played on the familiar look of the University seal but replaced the lower portion of the seal with an outline that represented Prospect Hill and the University's historic East Campus. The words "Centennial Celebration 1903-2003" completed the logo design. Once the centennial celebration ended, the University returned to the use of its 1957 seal design. Related story Media contact: Cheryl Roland, (269) 387-8400, cheryl.roland@wmich.edu WMU News |