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Special Collections and Archives: Georgia State University History: Resources

A guide to the history of Georgia State University.

Research Sources for University History

COLORS

Red and White:

  • Evening Signal, Vol. 1, No. 3 (December 11, 1933), p. 1
  • Nocturne 1934, Book One (School), "Student Council"

Choosing new colors; Black and White controversy:

  • University Signal, [Vol. 14, No. 3] (October 14, 1955), p. 1
  • Ibid., [Vol. 14, No. 5] (November 11, 1955), p. 1
  • Ibid., [Vol. 14, No. 8] (January 16, 1956), p. 1
  • Ibid., [Vol. 14, No. 9] (January 27, 1956), p. 1
  • Ibid., [Vol. 14, No. 11] (February 24, 1956), p. 1
  • Ibid., [Vol. 14, No. 15] (May 4, 1956), p. 1
  • Ibid., [Vol. 14, No. 16] (May 18, 1956), p. 1
  • Ibid., Vol. 14, No. 17 (June 1, 1956), p. 11
  • Georgia State Signal, Vol. 14, No. 2 (August 10, 1956), p. 6
  • Ibid., Vol. 15, No. 2 (September 28, 1956), p. 7
  • Ibid., Vol. 15, No. 5 (October 23, 1956), p. 1 and p. 4
  • Ibid., Vol 15, No. 6 (October 30, 1956), p. 4
  • Ibid., Vol. 15, No. 10 (January 18, 1957), p. 1

Red and Gray:

  • Georgia State Signal, Vol. 15, No. 11 (February 1, 1957), p. 1
  • President's Office (Langdale) Records, G87-21:  Box 15, "Coat of Arms" folder
  • Ibid., Box 17, "GSU History" folder
  • Ibid., Box 19, "Seal and Insignia" folder

Red, Blue, White:

  • Emphasis GSU, Vol. 17, No. 3 (April 1990)

MASCOTS AND TEAM NAMES

Team name is "Owls":

  • Rampway [yearbook], 1947

Team name is "Ramblers":

  • Rampway [yearbook], 1948-1956

Team name is "Panthers":

  • Rampway [yearbook], 1957-1961
  • Georgia State Signal, Vol. [15], No. 9 (December 4, 1956), p. 4

Choosing and naming a mascot:

  • University Signal, [Vol. 14, No. 9] (January 27, 1956), p. 1--"Panthers over Penguins"
  • Ibid., [Vol. 14, No. 3] (October 14, 1955), p. 1
  • Georgia State University Signal, Vol. 46, No. 37 (May 24, 1988), p. 16-A
  • Signal, Vol. 47, No. 34 (May 2, 1989), p. 3-A--" 'Urbie' the Panther mascot gets new name, caricature" [created 1989]
  • Rampway, 1989, pp. 8-9--"GSU's New Mascot--Urbie"
  • GSU Printed Collection, Box 7B (G2005-25)--"Pounce," by Real Characters Inc. [created 1993]
  • Insider, Vol 3, No. 39 (October 25, 1993) and Vol. 3, No. 41 (November 8, 1993), in GSU Printed Collection, Box 4-A 
  • Villager, Vol. 10, Issue 2 (October 1, 2009), p. 4--"Pounce gets a makeover," in GSU Printed Collection, Box 4-C

SCHOOL NAME

"Georgia State College of Business Administration":

  • University Signal, [Vol. 14, No. 3], (October 14, 1956), p. 1

"Georgia State University":

  • Atlanta Journal Constitution, (September 10, 1969)
  • Georgia State University Signal, Vol. 28, No. 4 (September 15, 1969), p. 1

COAT OF ARMS, SEAL, INSIGNIA, LOGOS, SYMBOLS

  • Nocturne, 1940, half-title
  • Gateway, 1940, cover
  • Georgia State College Signal, Vol. 24, No. 10 (November 18, 1965), p. 11
  • Georgia State University Signal, Vol. 28, No. 12 (November 13, 1969), p. 1
  • Office of the President (Langdale) Records, G87-21:  Box 15, "Coat of Arms" folder
  • Ibid., Box 17, "GSU History" folder
  • Ibid., Box 19, "Seal and Insignia" folder
  • Emphasis GSU, Vol. 17, No. 3 (April 1990)
  • Ibid., Vol. 17, No. 4 (June 1990)

 MOTTO (Veritas, Valet, Vincet)

  • Office of the President (Langdale) Records, G87-21:  Box 15, "Coat of Arms" folder
  • Ibid., Box 17, "GSU History" folder
  • Ibid., Box 19, "Seal and Insignia" folder

MEDALLION AND MACE

  • Profile, Vol. 8, No. 10 (March 14, 1990)
  • Emphasis GSU, Vol. 17, No. 4 (June 1990)

COLLEGE BANNERS

  • Profile, Vol. 8, No. 10 (March 14, 1990)
  • Emphasis GSU, Vol. 17, No. 4 (June 1990)

Published Sources

Flanders, Bertram Holland. A New Frontier in Education. [Atlanta, GA]: Dept. of English, Atlanta Division, University of Georgia, 1955.

Reed, Merl E. "The Struggle for State-Supported Higher Education in a Southern Regional Center: Atlanta and the 'Mother Institution,' 1944-1955." In the Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. LXXX, No. 3, Fall 1996.

Smith, David, Jr. Georgia State University: A Historical and Institutional Mission Perspective, 1913-2002. Atlanta, GA: Dept. of Educational Policy Studies, College of Education, Georgia State University, 2005.

Reed, Merl E. Educating the Urban New South: Atlanta and the Rise of Georgia State University, 1913-1969. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 2009.

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