Harvard University Logo

Logo

Harvard University logo

About Harvard University

A traditional heraldic-style crimson shield sits at left containing three white open books arranged in a 2-over-1 layout; the book pages and the letters V E | R I | T A S (spelling VERITAS across the three books) are rendered in dark strokes. To the right is a formal uppercase serif wordmark: the large word "HARVARD" above a smaller, spaced line reading "UNIVERSITY." The overall treatment is flat, high-contrast, and formal.

The lockup is horizontal with the shield as a left emblem and a two-line wordmark in dark charcoal/black on the right. The composition reads as a classic academic identity with clean edges and minimal ornamentation.

What's in it: open books shield

Shapes: shield three open-book motifs uppercase serif wordmark two-line stacked subtext

Style: classic heraldic formal serif minimal flat

Text in logo: HARVARD UNIVERSITY; VERITAS (on shield)

A heraldic shield evokes tradition and institutionality; the three open books with the inscription 'VERITAS' visually signify learning and truth.

Colors

Extracted from the image. How we pick the colors →

Harvard Crimson

#A51C30 · primary

Charcoal / Black

#1F1F1F · primary

White

#FFFFFF · secondary

Dark Gray (wordline)

#5B5B5B · accent

Harvard University Logo History

Harvard University was founded in 1636 in Cambridge, Massachusetts; the crimson shield bearing three books inscribed "VERITAS" and the crimson color are long-standing visual identifiers of the university.