Detailed historical information about the black and magenta colors of Muskingum University is not available at this time, but this combination of colors is unique among colleges and universities in the United States.
Citations in the World Almanac (listed by cover date; color information is from the previous year): black/magenta (1913-1935)
Academic hood lists published by the Intercollegiate Bureau of Academic Costume (IBAC) in 1927, 1948, and 1972 described Muskingum College as having a hood lined magenta with a black chevron.