Pennant representing Cornell University is red with white lettering and the school seal. White tassels on end.
It is said that Cornell athletics have been a part of the university from its inception and that the first nine men who registered was the school's first baseball team. Cornell prides itself on high athletic success while maintaining excellent academic standards. The school was founded in 1865 and the Cornell University Athletic Association followed soon after in the 1870s. For most of the early years, the Athletic Director was actually a student voted on to represent the school's athletic clubs. The school's colors were established on the University's Inauguration Day on October 7, 1868. In Library Hall the names of Cornell and White appeared in large white letters against a backdrop of red flannel and, thus, the colors were established for the rest of time.
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.