Written by Anna Trammell
We all know that the representative colors of the University of Illinois are orange and blue. For many years, however, students showed loyalty to their individual class by displaying a different set of colors. The tradition of class colors began early in the University’s history. In 1891, the first Color Rush was held. A 1921 Daily Illini article describes the event by saying: “Two poles greased and bearing the class colors at the top were planted about 60 feet apart. Equal numbers of freshmen and sophomores guarded the poles which bore their colors while two other groups, equally divided, sought to tear down the colors.”[1] This battle between freshmen and sophomores, which often ended with injuries and suspensions, was eventually retired. But the tradition of class colors remained.
Colors were originally selected by the incoming class. In 1911, Facts for Freshmen Concerning the University of Illinois provided some advice for the selection of colors: “The choosing of class colors is in itself a small matter. It will, however, be the source of considerable annoyance later in the life of the class if these colors are inharmonious or crude. The colors are seen in the sweaters of the class teams, and they are combined in the junior cap and in the senior hat. They should, therefore, be pleasing and dark enough to stand the hard constant strain of everyday wear.”[2]
Over time, the colors became standardized and the incoming freshmen class inherited the colors of the class that had most recently graduated. A YMCA Student Handbook describes the tradition to incoming students: “The tradition of ‘inherited’ class colors is in force at Illinois. There are four combinations, of two basic colors each, for the four different classes. These combinations are: purple and champagne, blue and white, cardinal and gray, and red and blue. Each year the freshmen class adopts the colors of the class which graduated the previous June and retains these colors during the four years so that each senior class colors are inherited by the by the incoming class of freshmen. Seniors may have their colors embodied in the senior hat and juniors may use only one of their colors in their caps. Sophomores and freshmen are not permitted to use their class colors in their headgear.”[3] The popularity of the class colors practice waned by the early 1930s.
[1] Daily Illini, 13 November 1921.
[2] Clark, Thomas Arkle and Warnock, Arthur Ray. Facts for Freshmen Concerning the University of Illinois. Urbana: University of Illinois, 1911.
[3] YMCA Student Handbook, 1923. (RS 41/69/325)
