Duke blue is a dark
blue
Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ...
color
Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are assoc ...
used in association with
Duke University.
History
The origins of Duke blue lie in the uniforms worn by the Duke (then Trinity College) football team in their first game against the University of North Carolina in 1888. These were a grayish dark blue, chosen by the team as an approximation of
Yale blue
Yale Blue is the dark azure color used in association with Yale University.
History
Since the 1850s, Yale Crew has rowed in blue uniforms, and in 1894, "dark blue" was officially adopted as Yale's color, after half a century of the univer ...
to honor the college's president,
John Franklin Crowell
John Franklin Crowell (November 1, 1857 – August 6, 1931) served as president of Trinity College, the predecessor of Duke University, from 1887 to 1894. Crowell studied economics at Yale University, Columbia University and the University of ...
, a graduate of
Yale
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
who had introduced football at Trinity.
In 1961,
Duke University President J. Deryl Hart recommended a standardization of the shades of blue used by the university when it was redesigning its academic gowns. In 1965,
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...
's board of trustees officially adopted Prussian blue for official university use.
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Modern usage
Duke makes use of several shades of blue, with the official Duke blue, known as Duke Navy Blue, being the darkest of the official blues.
See also
* Yale blue
Yale Blue is the dark azure color used in association with Yale University.
History
Since the 1850s, Yale Crew has rowed in blue uniforms, and in 1894, "dark blue" was officially adopted as Yale's color, after half a century of the univer ...
* Duke Blue Devils
The Duke Blue Devils are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina. Duke's athletics department features 27 varsity teams that all compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association ...
* List of colors
These are the lists of colors;
* List of colors: A–F
* List of colors: G–M
* List of colors: N–Z
* List of colors (compact)
* List of colors by shade
* List of color palettes
* List of Crayola crayon colors
* List of RAL colors
* List of X ...
References
{{Duke University
Shades of blue
Blue
Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ...
School colors