Gallaudet University
Washington DC
1864
The buff and blue school colors of Gallaudet University date from 1860s or 1870s, and are said to have been inspired by the tan and blue uniform worn by George Washington during the Revolutionary War. The tan and blue floor tiles in College Hall (1877 – one of the oldest buildings on campus) were chosen with the college’s colors in mind, and the college newspaper, first published in 1892, is called The Buff and Blue. The shade of Gallaudet’s blue has varied over the years between a medium shade of “true blue” and a dark blue, with medium blue being more common, particularly in the early years of the university.
Citations in the World Almanac (listed by cover date; color information is from the previous year): buff/blue (1917-1935)
Academic hood lists published by the Intercollegiate Bureau of Academic Costume (IBAC) in 1927, 1948, and 1972 described Gallaudet College as having a hood lined buff with a “Presbyterian blue” chevron. The IBAC used the term “Presbyterian blue” to describe a “true blue” (a medium shade of blue). A list compiled by Kevin Sheard in Academic Dress and Insignia of the World (1970) described the college’s hood lining as buff with a dark blue chevron.
Here Gallaudet’s traditional shade of medium blue has been used.