Memorial Union: The Transcendent Tower

Signs, Symbols, and Seals: The Sculpture of Memorial Tower

The U. S. Coat of Arms

Congress adopted the U. S. Seal on June 20, 1782 and the U. S. Coat of Arms is the obverse of the seal. An American bald eagle with outstretched wings dominates the coat of arms. It holds a banner, a symbol of victory, in its mouth and a second banner is below the bird. On top of the eagle’s chest is a shield with thirteen vertical stripes, which is topped by a horizontal band of forty-eight stars. The number thirteen symbolizes the thirteen original states and the forty-eight stars represent the number of states during World War I. The bird’s right talon holds an olive branch with thirteen leaves and olives and its left one grasps thirteen arrows. These objects represent peace and war, respectively, and the eagle faces the olive branch of peace.

The U. S. Coat of Arms

Memorial Union Exhibition

Exhibition Home

History of Memorial Tower

Making the Memorial

In Memoriam

Signs, Symbols, and Seals: The Sculpture of Memorial Tower

Figured in Stone: The Arcade Sculptures of Memorial Tower

Tradition: Tipping the Cap

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