Welcome
to Gostate.org
This is the archive of older Gostate.org webpages. GoState is the
voice of the movement for a balanced state-city identity at "San
Jose State", which was founded as the California State Normal
School (1862-1921) and is the school from which the entire CSU system
grew.
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Groups Act to Preserve
Historic Eureka Seal
Seal is Prestigious Symbol
of the Oldest CSU Campus
 CSU
students and alumni in San Jose are acting to preserve recognition
of the school's historic Eureka Seal as the official seal of
the University. Although the seal still graces the CSU degrees
granted by San Jose State, and is still displayed in Tower Hall,
pro-California student and alumni groups are pushing for a more
prominent role for this symbol of the school's status as the
State of California's oldest public institution of higher learning.
Crude, early forms of the seal first appeared in California
State Normal School (now "SJSU") documents in the
1800s. As the State of California matured, so did its Eureka
Seal, and those changes were also reflected in the official
seal of its oldest institution of higher learning in San Jose.
As
evidenced by the image of the Seal above, recently taken in
Tower Hall, the Seal depicts the Goddess Minerva surveying a
buccolic scene from early California history. She is adorned
with a Spartan-esque helmet, shield and spear, the very symbols
of Spartan athletics. It is believed that the Spartan identity
San Jose students voted for in 1924 represents Minerva's shield,
helmet and armor.
In more recent years, however, "San
Jose State" tarnished the seal by replacing its original
1862 year (see
San Jose State College Eureka Seal above), with "1857".
Then, the school started using another seal and downplayed the
Eureka Seal, although it continues to be used to some extent.
Today, alumni and students who support recognition of San Jose's
prestigious identity as the founding campus of the California
State University system are asking California and University
officials to
preserve this important symbol of the school's identity and
prestige by:
(1) Reaffirming the Eureka Seal as the school's official seal
and prominently displaying it at the University and in University
media and communications, and
(2) Restoring the school's authentic 1862 year of establishment
to the Seal.
(3) Displaying a large version of the University's Seal in a
public place on the University grounds where it can be viewed
by students and others.
CSU
students, alumni, professors and others who support these initiatives
should
contact SJSU's president at sjsupres@sjsu.edu,
the CSU Chancellor at creed@calstate.edu,
as well as other University and California officials, and ask
them to implement these initiatives.
CSU
activists in San Jose also recently publicly asked SJSU's History
Webmasters to feature a history of the school's Eureka Seal
on the University history website, to which they agreed. Please
contact Ms. Nellen at anellen@sjsu.edu
ask her to expedite the history website's examination of the
Eureka Seal's important place in the history, identity and tradition
of San Jose's CSU campus.
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The Eureka
Seal from San Jose's days
as a California State College is displayed in SJSU's 2005-2006
University brochure.
'Sac
State' Drops
Use of Eureka Seal
As part of its recent rebranding effort, the
"Sacramento State" has adopted a new logo and has
abandoned its use of San Jose's historic Eureka Seal. Sac State
used the Eureka Seal for several years, but pro-California activists
in San Jose have recently brought attention to the fact that
the Seal is an important part of history, tradition and identity
of the oldest CSU campus, in San Jose.
CSU alumni and activists in San Jose have indicated their respect
to CSU Sacramento for giving up its use of San Jose's Eureka
Seal and are calling upon leadership of the California State
University campus in San Jose to seize this opportuntity to
reaffirm the seal as San Jose State's official seal.
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