The importance of creating an official seal for Elizabethtown College was at the forefront of the founders’ minds, as one of their first orders of business in 1899 was simultaneously to secure a charter for the College and provide a design for the seal of the institution. The charter, once secured, allowed Etown to create a common seal with its own “device and inscription.”
The College Seal first appeared closest to its present form as an illustration in the College yearbook in 1924, then as a stamp on the cover of the College Bulletin in 1926-27. The seal incorporates three distinct elements: the Lamp of Learning; the College Educate for Service motto, chosen in 1915; and the Latin words Deus Lux Et Veritas, meaning God, Light, and Truth.
A slight redesign of the seal was introduced in 1986, leading to its present version first seen on the cover of the College Bulletin in 1987-88. The seal is reserved for official College documents and publications.
Throughout Elizabethtown College’s 125th anniversary year, follow along as we share 125 compelling stories about the College’s defining moments, alumni stories, and fun facts since our founding in 1899 at etown.edu.