ETSU’s newest logo is in the process of being permanently phased out.
Although ETSU has been represented for the past two years by two simultaneous school logos, the newer of the two has recently received the axe from President Paul Stanton’s office. The ‘standard bearer,’ as Stanton’s office is calling the traditional logo, will continue to represent the school as it has since 1988. Most students and faculty are familiar with its blue and white striped background behind a silhouetted mountain range.
The logo now being eliminated is known unofficially as the ’round’ logo and was originally part of a school marketing campaign run by strategic planning. The ’round’ logo gained official recognition in fall of 2004 and was also displayed for a time as background on the school’s homepage.
“We created confusion with our two logos,” Dr. Wilsie Bishop, vice-president of administration said. “Most people seem to be consistently identifying the original logo.”
The president’s office revealed that the eight sunrays present in the ’round’ logo represented what were then the eight colleges of ETSU. However, given that there are currently 10 colleges and will soon be 11, the ’round’ logo would need some sort of artistic manipulation to keep it timely and accurate.
“I don’t think it really tells who we are,” said President Stanton of the new logo.
Stanton was part of approving the new logo now being phased out and fully supports the disappearance of the second and newest logo.
“It’s almost good marketing,” Stanton said. “We never gave up the old one. It’s been there. People could choose the old or the new.”
The number of logo orders by ETSU faculty certainly shows a preference for the school’s original ‘standard bearer.’ While the faculty ordered 94,200 business cards bearing the original logo between July 1, 2005 and June 30, 2006, they ordered only 17,000 of the ’round’ logo, according to University Relations. The faculty order for letterheads is a similar story with 117,000 orders for the original and only 7,500 of the new and recently defunct logo.
The ‘standard bearer’ was originally created by ETSU alumnus Richard D. Maxey and won the 1973 graduate a $1,000 cash prize in a 1987 competition open to all students and alumni. Maxey’s famous blue and white will continue to fly high on campus flagpoles and into the future of ETSU.
“I hope,” Stanton said, “it’s what we use from now on.

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