Why is harvard motto veritas

Interestingly, the top two books on the shield are face up while the bottom book is face down. This symbolizes the limits of reason, and the need for God's revelation.

The official seal of the Harvard Corporation. The Christian identity cannot be, and in my opinion, should not be, eradicated. As University President Lawrence H. Holmes at a Harvard Club dinner in New York. Freshmen dine under reminders of a Puritan past.

The central open book and the Latin language are both similarities between the two seals. Between Northwestern, Yale, and Harvard there is an obvious focus on the word or concept of truth. This similarity is a common characteristic among many universities, who are all in search of the truth.

University of Pennsylvania The first creation of the seal was in when Benjamin Franklin sat on the Board of Trustees. This seal and the school motto underwent many changes and its final and official seal and motto was established in It features seven books stacked with titles that represent the curriculum at that time: Theolog, Astronom, Philosoph, Mathemat, Logica, Rhetorica, Grammatica. The open books and the Latin motto are similar features of this university and Northwestern.

Beyond this, there is a specific emphasis on the importance of a liberal arts education hence the seven books on the seal. This focus shows a similar emphasis on the importance of liberal arts and words. Again, we see a common theme that Northwestern followed: open books with religious phrases written in Latin. The usage of religious verses for Northwestern is also due to the original founders being heavily involved in the Methodist church. The seal, motto, and coat of arms for Columbia University are very complex with many classical references and languages.

This phrase is in reference to the book of Acts in the Holy Bible where it is said the living words are passed on to others. It features, like Northwestern, a religiously inspired phrase written in Latin. The seal also features four open books in its shield with sun rays piercing clouds above. It is said that these rays represent learning piercing the clouds of ignorance. The Northwestern seal shows rays coming out behind its central open book.

In , the shield had a flat top and a blunt bottom, like the implement of war. Two of the books were open; one showed only the binding. There were clasps, as you might find on a 17th-century Bible. The shields of and were square, and all three books were open. In , New England historian Robert C. After that, in versions from , , and , all three books on the official College seal are open.

Versions with the overturned book persist, however, including on the John Harvard Statue and on the exterior of Austin Hall.