Coat of arms of the University of Toronto
The coat of arms of the University of Toronto is the primary emblem of the University of Toronto, Canada's largest university. It is currently used in several different contexts by the University, and can be seen on its own, on the University banner, as part of the heraldic achievement of the University, or featured in the logos of numerous University divisions, as well as those of the University as a whole. Despite its varied usage, the modification of the coat of arms is extremely rare, as its use is strictly controlled by the University's Office of International, Governmental, and Institutional Relations.[1] Several University divisions, notably the colleges, have their own emblems, and do not regularly use the University coat of arms. The motto, not itself part of the coat of arms, but of the overall heraldic achievement, is "velut arbor aevo," Latin for "as a tree through the ages."
Blazon
The blazon of the University coat of arms is as follows:
Azure two open Books and in base a Beaver all proper, upon a Chief Agent the Royal and Imperial Crown also proper, and for the crest on a wreath of the colours an Oak tree proper stemmed and fructed Or.[2]
History
The origins of the coat of arms are obscure. The earliest reference to the device is an 1857 recommendation that the senate of the University adopt the coat of arms, which was accepted. From that point on the general design has remained largely unchanged, though minor alterations, such as the loss of the original supporters, Minerva and Victoria, and the transformation of the beaver from an aggressive to a more benign charge over time. The latter was described by university graphic designer Caz Zyvatkauskas in 2000 as the "emasculation of the U of T beaver."[2]
In 1917, owing to a lack of uniformity among the coats of arms on campus due to decades of lax regulation, the board of governors petitioned the College of Arms to create an official description of the University coat of arms.[3] The result was the current blazon, quoted in the preceding section. The arms of University College were completed at the same time. Both arms cost the University a combined £89, six shillings. It was at this time that the crest of the University, which was originally a maple tree, became an oak tree.[2]
Associated emblems
The University of Toronto contains many divisions, some of which use emblems distinct from those of the University. Some University divisions, including some whose emblems are seen above, were founded as independent institutions and were later absorbed into the University. This, as well as the different aesthetics of those eras during which the emblems were designed, accounts for the difference in styles used by each institution.
