The Howard Bison are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Howard University in Washington, D.C., competing at the NCAA Division I level. The university’s athletic identity centers on the bison mascot, a name adopted in the early 1920s, with the 1923 yearbook making the first reference to “Bison” as the mascot during the 1922 football season. The name was inspired by the Buffalo Soldiers, Black cavalry troops admired by Native Americans for their fighting spirit, and by head coach Edward Morrison, a former Army sergeant who aspired to the symbol. [1]
Design and History
On July 16, 2015, Howard University Athletics unveiled a new brand identity for its 19 NCAA Division I sports. The complete identity consists of several elements: a primary logo combining a new “Howard Bison” wordmark with a “Bison Face” mark, and a revitalized “Charging” or “Leaping” Bison acting as a secondary mark and a link to Howard’s past. The logo set is brought to life by three distinct colors: Bison Blue, Bison Pewter and Bison Red. [2]
The development of the new logo began in 2014, engaging stakeholders across the Howard community. In January 2015, the university solicited input from students, faculty, staff and alumni via social media, asking “What makes you a Bison?” using the #OurNewBison campaign. Chief Brand Strategy, a Washington, D.C. marketing agency, was chosen to direct the process and incorporated those ideas into draft designs. Focus groups were then convened to narrow down the options before a final design was selected. [2] [3]
The 2015 redesign replaced a previous logo that was nearly identical to that used by the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. [4] That earlier charging bison mark was designed in 1974 by John Dupree, a Howard football player and retired graphic artist, who recalled that the Buffalo Bills later came up with a similar logo and that Howard was asked to give it up or face a lawsuit. [1]
Meaning and Symbolism
Howard University’s colors, indigo blue, red and white, correspond to the colors of the American flag. The blue and white were in use as athletic colors from at least 1882, while red was added later as an accent color. The Board of Trustees officially adopted the colors of the American flag, known as “Old Glory,” on January 16, 1894. [5]
The bison was selected as Howard’s mascot to reflect the legendary group of Black soldiers nicknamed the “Buffalo Soldiers” by American Indians because of their abilities. The university wanted a symbol that represented power, strength and character, and the ability to fight for truth and justice. [6]
Typography and Design
Howard University’s official color palette includes PMS 2965 for blue (HEX #003A63), PMS 186 for red (HEX #E51937) and PMS 425 for gray (HEX #5F6062). The secondary palette includes PMS 2165, a pewter blue tone (HEX #6B818D). [7] The university’s blue was updated from PMS 2757 to PMS 2965 during the 2015/2016 period. [5]
Howard University’s official typefaces are Serif12 Beta and Eau Sans, which complement each other and may be used together in applications. For digital applications, Serif12 Beta and Open Sans are the recommended web fonts. [7]
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