Rutgers 250 and Our New University Shield

June 25, 2015

Members of the Rutgers Community:

As you may know, Rutgers will be officially marking its 250th anniversary with a yearlong series of events beginning in November 2015 and extending to November 2016, under the theme, “Revolutionary for 250 Years.” With pride in our founding as the nation’s eighth oldest college and in the remarkable public research institution Rutgers has become, we are developing and implementing programs across the University, helped by a universitywide planning committee and teams designated by each chancellor.

Even sooner, you will begin to see evidence of this significant anniversary. With input from the University Senate’s Student Affairs Committee and the Rutgers University Alumni Association board, we have updated our University Shield, first created for our 1966 bicentennial, with a simplified and much sleeker design. Rich in symbolism, the shield honors our founding as Queen’s College in 1766, our commitment to knowledge and scholarship, and our service to New Jersey. The new shield, shown above, will appear on pole banners, exterior markers, merchandise, and other University materials. You can learn more about the shield at rutgers.edu/about/rutgers-shield.

Two books are being released in recognition of the 250th anniversary. Professor Paul Clemens has written Rutgers since 1945: A History of the State University of New Jersey, which includes an essay on Rutgers architecture by Professor Carla Yanni. In addition, the University has produced Rutgers: A 250th Anniversary Portrait, a beautifully designed and illustrated coffee-table book filled with archival photos and essays written by Rutgers faculty, students, alumni, and administrators. Both books will be available later this summer at Rutgers University Press, at university bookstores, and through major online booksellers. You can order Rutgers: A 250th Anniversary Portrait at a reduced price at rutgersuniversitypress.org/rutgers/9781908990068.

The coming year will be an exciting period of celebration and pride for Rutgers. In fact, it has already begun. On May 31, our world-class Glee Club performed a special concert at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, from which our university’s formal seal and motto were derived. At the concert, senior vice president for academic affairs Barbara Lee and vice president for international and global affairs Joanna Regulska presented a plaque to the Utrecht president commemorating the historic bond between our universities as we approach our 250th anniversary.

Many units across the University are preparing materials for the coming year that embrace the anniversary—for example, the Byrne First-Year Student Seminars program is offering several 1-credit classes focused on the anniversary and uses a Rutgers 250 theme in its 2015–16 brochure. We encourage academic and administrative units, student groups, and alumni organizations to consider similar efforts with their programming and materials and have created Rutgers 250 graphics, templates, and web buttons that can be added to materials during the anniversary year. You can find these resources at 250.rutgers.edu/about/resources.

You will hear more about Rutgers 250 as we move into the academic year. If you have any questions in the meantime, please visit 250.rutgers.edu or write to rutgers250@rutgers.edu. I wish you and your families an enjoyable summer.

Sincerely,

Bob Barchi