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Duquesne University’s coat of
arms was officially adopted and first appeared in 1923,
when it was carved in the stone above the main entrance
of the newly constructed Canevin Hall. It was incorporated
into the University’s official seal in 1926, first
appearing in that year’s commencement program.
Other than a few minor artistic changes made in 1993,
the coat of arms and seal have been unchanged ever since.
Originally designed by Father John
Malloy (who also wrote the lyrics to the Alma
Mater), and later modified by Pierre de Chaignon
la Rose, a specialist in ecclesiastical heraldry, the
seal reflects Duquesne’s religious foundations
and the influence of early French settlement of the
Ohio Valley in the early 18th century.
The black lion on a silver shield
was adopted directly from the arms of Marquis du Quesne,
the French naval hero. His nephew, Marquis du Quesne
de Menneville was governor general of Canada in the
mid-18th century and was responsible for building Fort
Duquesne and bringing Catholicism to the western Pennsylvania
area.
The red book held by the lion adapted
the arms to those of an institution of higher learning.
The blue and red colors at the top of the shield are
the official colors of both the University and its founding
Spiritan order. The Spiritans are also represented by
the haloed dove in heraldic white, a universally recognized
symbol of the Holy Spirit.
The banner below the shield includes
the University’s founding year, 1878, and its
motto, “Spiritus Est Qui Vivificat”—“It
is the Spirit that gives life.” |
