History of the Emerson Seal: Part 2

Although he may not technically have had the right to use the family seal, as a member of the Emerson family, Charles Wesley Emerson did display the arms and crest as well as use it for the official seal of Emerson College. The first known use of the seal by Emerson College was on the cover of the 1885–1886 course catalog. Some changes were made to the family seal in order to fit this new use.

Throughout the first 70 years of the College’s history, the seal was used extensively in course catalogs, advertisements, diplomas, newsletters, promotional materials, student organization records, and other official documents. Multiple changes were made to the seal, including:

In the late 19th and early 20th century, the College name and initials were altered to reflect the change in name from the Monroe College of Oratory to Emerson College of Oratory, and finally Emerson College.
In the 1890s and 1900s, the wax seal used on official documents differed from the printed version in that the exterior band stated “Emerson College of Oratory Boston” rather than including the College’s motto and original initials.
A new iteration of the seal was introduced in the 1920s, featuring the previously established versions of the shield and crest with no other ornamentation. They were typically used in commencement programs and course catalogs.
Between the 1930s and 1950s, the Emersonian yearbooks often featured the seal on their covers or front pages. These versions of the seal were often styled differently than the official seal and changed every year.

In the gallery below, view some of the changes that occurred in the seal between 1880 and 1949.