Seal of the University
Policy Statement
The Secretary of the University is the custodian of the seal of the University. Authority delegated to the Registrar to use the seal is limited to specific purposes related to registrars' work.
Description of the Seal
The black diamond in the lower center of the circular seal represents the city of Scranton, which is located in the heart of the once-thriving anthracite coal district of Pennsylvania. Coal was king in Scranton at the time of Marywood's founding, and the gold field surrounding the diamond symbolizes the wealth the coal industry produced. The diamond is charged with the open book of learning, and upon its pages the Greek letters, Alpha and Omega, are inscribed. These letters, taken from the coat of arms of Most Reverend Michael J. Hoban, Bishop of Scranton when Marywood was founded, represent God as the beginning and end of all things and the foundation of a true education. An image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, garlanded with roses, pierced by a sword, marked by her crown as Queen of Heaven and tinctured in the gold eternity, is displayed on a forest-green background to symbolize in canting form the name of the University. (Canting arms indicate the name of the bearer.) On either side of the heart are fleurs-de-lis, a symbol of the Blessed Virgin, taken from the seal of the Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, who founded Marywood College (now University) in 1915. The seal is bordered with the words "Marywood University" at the top and the University's motto, "Sanctitas, Scientia, Sanitas" ("Holiness, Knowledge, Health") at the bottom.
The symbolism of the seal reads "Marywood College (University) was founded by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in the City of Scranton, during the bishopric of the Most Reverend Michael J. Hoban, Bishop of Scranton. The motto of the University is Sanctitas, Scientia, Sanitas."
Related Policies
Related Committees
History
1949 - Adopted by Members of the Corporation
1997 - Name changed to Marywood University