Historians will note the use of two other plaids also associated with Carnegie Mellon and its heritage: the plaid that was commissioned by Andrew Carnegie is used by the Carnegie Mellon University pipers (olive green, orange, black, yellow and turqouise), and the historical Carnegie Tech plaid can be seen on old yearbooks, kilts and mementos (muted shades of blue, green, red and yellow).

Founder Andrew Carnegie's Scottish heritage has been adopted in a number of ways by our institution by alumni and students over the years. From the informal mascot, the Scottie dog, to the stirring use of bagpipers at official events, to the Scottish flora and fauna used in the college and school banners at commencement and other major events, to the fun-loving Kiltie Band, to the Thistle yearbook and many Scottish-themed alumni and philanthropic clubs and honors, Scottish symbols appear frequently in the fabric of our institution. However, none of these symbols are registered names or trademarks, other than the name of our athletic team, the Tartans - TM.

They may be effective to use for "insiders" (alumni, students) who know enough about the university to understand the connection between these Scottish items and our university, but probably are not as appropriate or useful in communicating with outside audiences, who would need to have an explanation articulating the connection with our founder.

1986
First official graphic identity system

In 1986, the university recognized the value of its name as a cornerstone of a visual identity program. The name "Carnegie Mellon" was created from the typeface Bauer Bodoni Bold projecting from a square tilted at 14 degrees. The identity was intended to put the focus on the name Carnegie Mellon by removing the word university and all other "symbols" of that time (thistle, seal, piper, etc.).

1998
Current graphic identity system

Today, the identity has been modified to use only the words Carnegie Mellon and removing the tilted square. The name continues on one line created by using the typeface Bauer Bodoni Bold. The typeface has been modified and the kerning and word spacing specialized therefore the "wordmark Carnegie Mellon" can only be reproduced using a graphic file (eps, tiff, jpeg, gif, etc.). Contact the Communications Design Group at pubs@andrew.cmu.edu or call 8-6963 for a file.

The name Carnegie Mellon University and the official Carnegie Mellon seal are registered trademarks of Carnegie Mellon University. Refer to the Policy for Use of Carnegie Mellon Trademarks or contact Jay Marano for assistance.


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