Washburn Family Crest
The Washburn crest
The Washburn family coat of arms was adopted as the official school crest in 1917. The symbol has been traced to the 11th century battlefield knighting of Sir Roger Washbourne by William the Conquerer. The spelling of the surname was modified through time.
The crest features a yellow motto pennant, a red flame, a silver field of arms and six purple birds on a light blue field. The birds, believed to be martins, are heraldic symbols to indicate the Washburn family forefather, Roger, was the fourth son.
The motto, Purificatus non Consumptus (purified but not consumed) refers to the refinement attained through the pursuit of knowledge, but without the erosion of character.
While the family crest remains a symbol of Washburn’s tradition, the visual identity of the school was revised in 2005 with the introduction of an updated logo. The new Washburn logo retains the original symbol of the crest with the flame in order to represent the University's tradition of academic excellence. The vintage crest was simplified and adapted to reflect the renewed strength and boldness of the University.
Questions about this page may be addressed to University Relations, wurelations@washburn.edu.
