The Gonfalons

Gonfalons are flags or banners hung from crosspieces on poles, used since medieval times, particularly in the republics of Italy, as symbols of state or office. In recent years, many universities and colleges have adopted gonfalons to increase the ceremonial nature of academic convocations and exercises. Rutgers University first officially displayed unit gonfalons in the 1966 Commencement Convocation, celebrating the two-hundredth anniversary of its founding.

Douglass Residential College regularly processes or displays three gonfalons on ceremonial occasions, each representing a historical period in the evolution of the College. The gonfalons today are carried by recognized student leaders.

The New Jersey College for Women 1918-1955
This gonfalon has a white field on a black background with the seal of the New Jersey College for Women in scarlet red—the traditional color of the University and the College. The seal, as it appears on the NJC gonfalon, is actually the version placed in use in 1931, differing slightly from the original designed by the Class of 1922. The motto in Greek is loosely translated as “Wisdom and Self-Determination” and the image of a pine tree was incorporated in the original seal. The NJC gonfalon was designed by the Associate Alumnae of Douglass College specifically for the inaugural convocation of Dean Jacquelyn Litt.

Douglass College 1955-2007
The Douglass College gonfalon was designed for the 1966 Rutgers University Commencement convocation. The Douglass College emblem was designed for use when the College changed its name, as displayed in the chief (upper) compartment of the banner. The vertical stripes represent the degrees awarded—white for the Bachelor of Arts and yellow for the Bachelor of Science—and the scarlet University color.

Douglass Residential College 2007–Present
This simple gonfalon displays the iconic and unique red pine tree, designed in 1955 by Professor of Art Robert Bradshaw, representing the unusual pine trees found on the grounds surrounding College Hall. The earliest students asserted that the pine tree was quite naturally accepted as the symbol of the College and that remains true to the current day. The Red Pine gonfalon was first presented at Dean Litt’s inaugural convocation.