Lux—The
College Seal
The
Meredith seal, adopted in 1909, is the design of Ida Isabella
Poteat, professor of art, 1899–1940. Below the band
running diagonally across the shield, a stand of pine trees
symbolizes North Carolina ("Here's to the land of the
longleaf pine. . . ."). In the upper right portion,
a lighted torch emphasizes the single word "Lux,"
which appears on the band and is the focal point of theseal.
"Lux" or "Light" is Meredith's motto.
It represents the light of the mind and the light of the
soul.
Meredith
College Colors
Since 1904, the official Meredith College colors have been
maroon and white. According to Mary Lynch Johnson’s
A History of Meredith College, "…the College colors
were violet and gold until 1904 when, at the suggestion
of Jessie Louise Jones and W.G. Sackett, maroon and white
were adopted as being more dignified."
A
New Presidential Medallion
In February 2000, Meredith College and the Inaugural Steering
Committee commissioned the creation of a presidential medallion
to be presented to Maureen Hartford. It is customary for
an institution to give each president a new medallion that
is worn as a part of a president’s regalia on ceremonial
occasions such as commencements or convocations.
The creation of President Hartford’s presidential medallion
is in progress. It will be made of sterling silver, plated
with 14k gold, and inset with cloisonné enamel illustrating
the Meredith iris. The surrounding oak leaves will be embellished
with bezel set garnets to illustrate the acorn from the
oak tree. The terminal at the base of the medallion will
be a garnet set in the shape of an acorn. Small circular
medallions that represent Meredith College’s major
programs of study will form the supporting collar. The medallions
will be linked with an oak leaf design. The College seal
will ornamentally connect the medallion to the collar.
The design and creation of the presidential medallion is
a collaboration between nationally honored designers and
goldsmiths Mary Ann Scherr and Sydney Scherr, both are Meredith
art instructors.
The
Iris
The College Flower
The
iris as the college flower is mentioned in archival records
as early as 1904, in connection with the changing of the
college colors to maroon and white from the "less dignified"
palette of violet and gold. A silver iris tops the ellipse
and medallion on the ceremonial mace; a pattern of irises
entertwine acorns and oak leaves along the border of the
old Meredith plate, designed by Mary Tillery, '22, in 1935
and produced in England by Wedgwood; a springtime ring of
Meredith Hues Irises dresses up the entryway to Johnson
Hall; and an iris garden near Cate Center honors charter
members of the Iris Society, an alumnae giving club established
in 1997.
Also in 1997, the Meredith Hues Iris, created and registered
in 1968 by Loleta Kenan Powell, '41, "renowned iris
and day lily grower," was recognized as the official
college flower.
Meredith
and Raleigh, City of Oaks
In many ways, Meredith's location in Raleigh, the capital
city of North Carolina, has affected the College's very
existence and, more than likely, vice versa. The relationship
is strong and deep, and, almost from its birth, the institution
adopted a prolific use of acorns and oak leaves as symbols
of that comfortable connection with the "City of Oaks."
Symbolic art work shows up as design on publications, flags,
class rings, the presidential medallion, the mace—on
almost all things Meredith. In fact the student publications
were named Oak Leaves (yearbook), Acorn (literary magazine),
and Twig (newspaper) from each one's inception in 1904,
1907, and 1921, respectively. In 1966, the Twig reported
that the first issue of Oak Leaves was "Dedicated to
the / 'City of Oaks' / and its Citizens / Whose interest
and hospitality / have been so generously / extended to
the / girls of / B.F.U." In 1986, students elected
to rename their newspaper the Meredith Herald.
The
Daisy Chain
The annual Class Day tradition of the daisy chain was brought
to the "new" campus in 1926 from the downtown
location.
Early on Class Day—the Saturday before graduation—sophomores
have gathered daisies from whatever wildflower fields were
available and spent the remaining morning hours draping
ivy and daisies on two very long ropes. The availability
of daisies has depended upon the date set for commencement;
in the years since seniors have been graduating in May rather
than June, other flowers have frequently adorned the "daisy"
chains, which two lines of sophomores carry over their shoulders
to form a path leading the seniors to the amphitheater.
As Class Day comes to an end, the daisy chains are arranged
to form on the island the senior class numerals. An earlier
tradition provided for Class Day in the court and for class
numerals to be formed on the steps—an earlier feature
of the administration building—of Johnson Hall.
The
Margaret Bright Gallery of Dolls
Touring the Margaret Bright Gallery of Dolls is like watching
a parade of nearly 100 years of Meredith College memories
and history. Found on the third floor of Johnson Hall, Meredith’s
oldest building, this collection was started in 1936 and
displays a doll given by each of Meredith’s graduating
classes, beginning with the class of 1902. The 100 members
of this collection, which includes a doll commemorating
Meredith’s founding date of 1891, recount the attire,
hairstyles, jewelry, and other generational uniquenesses
of a century of Meredith women—figures of the past
to remind of our heritage.
The
Honor System
Each Meredith student vows to abide by the College’s
long-cherished Honor System by signing the Honor Pledge.
Based upon the principles of integrity, fulfillment of community
obligations, and responsibility to other citizens, the purpose
of the Honor System is to maintain an atmosphere of trust
and honor throughout the Meredith community and to prevent
this trust from being weakened by the dishonorable actions
of a few.
