Logo History

History of the Murray State University Logo

The Murray State University logo has changed a lot over the years. Here’s a look back on the various logos throughout the decades. 

1920s–1940s

Different versions of the traditional, flat-top logo with variations on the shield’s curve and adornments were used during these decades. However, the most traditional University logo was most prevalent, and this is the logo that the University has gone back to time and time again.

1925 Shield

1928 Shield

1932 Shield

1941 Shield

 

1950s

A pointed-top logo was used in the 1951 edition of the Shield, but all of the subsequent yearbooks during this decade showed variations of a flat-top shield.

1950 Shield

1955 Shield

1956 Shield

1957 Shield

 

1960s–1970s

Elongated versions of a pointed-top shield, as well as the traditional University logo, were used during this time. However, a variation of the traditional logo that included a rounded bottom and occasionally a ribbon was predominant throughout these decades.

1960 Shield

1962 Shield

1963 Shield

1968 Shield

1969 Shield

 

1980s–1990s

Signage plans from 1976 showed a rounder, simpler version of the shield design, but no usage of this logo was found until the 1980s. It appeared in the Shield yearbooks into the 1990s, and literature said its use was for “informal activities,” whereas the traditional logo was the “official” logo.

1976 signage

1980 folder flap

1981 stationary

1982 Shield

1990 Shield

 

Anniversary Years

In both 1972 (the University’s 50th anniversary) and 1997 (the 75th anniversary), Murray State went back to tradition and highlighted iterations of the original, flat-top logo.

50th anniversary sticker, 1972

75th anniversary logo, 1997

 

2000s 

The logo touting Murray State as “Kentucky’s Public Ivy University” was found on publications and websites during this time. Also, like prior years, the University returned to the traditional, flat-top logo throughout the 2000s. The logo with the star-shaped cutout was introduced in 2009.

2003 print publication

2005 website logo

2006-2008 Graduate Bulletin cover

2006-2008 Graduate Bulletin interior page

2009 logo

 

 

2016 

The new Murray State logo celebrates the University’s rich history through a modernized design. The new shield echoes the traditional version by mimicking the curves and using a flat top, while presenting an updated color palate and simplified adornments.

Primary logo

Materials courtesy of Pogue Special Collections Library.

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