In 1947, a Stevens alumnus wrote to C.H. Waugaman, former Assistant Dean, inquiring as to why Stevens chose Cardinal Red and Silver Gray as their official collegiate colors. He knew the exact shade of red and grey used, but turns out the story... In 1947, a Stevens alumnus wrote to C.H. Waugaman, former Assistant Dean, inquiring as to why Stevens chose Cardinal Red and Silver Gray as their official collegiate colors. He knew the exact shade of red and grey used, but turns out the story... In 1947, a Stevens alumnus wrote to C.H. Waugaman, former Assistant Dean, inquiring as to why Stevens chose Cardinal Red and Silver Gray as their official collegiate colors. He knew the exact shade of red and grey used, but turns out the story...

In 1947, a Stevens alumnus wrote to C.H. Waugaman, former Assistant Dean, inquiring as to why Stevens chose Cardinal Red and Silver Gray as their official collegiate colors. He knew the exact shade of red and grey used, but turns out the story surrounding their meaning remained elusive, even to the administration. So Waugaman assigned Frances Duck, the Librarian at the time, to dig through the institutional records and solve this vexing query. During the course of her research, Duck uncovered quite a few anecdotes and hearsay but nothing that pointed to anything official. The search was inconclusive. However, it is worth sharing this one correspondence from Walter Phelps, an active member of the Alumni Association, who recalled a rather simple explanation (as seen in the letter above.) “The story I heard about the Stevens colors was told to me in my freshman year by Carter Page ’87, now deceased. He said a committee appointed to choose the colors had met and after quite a discussion were getting nowhere, when one of the members pulled out his Russian leather pocket book and put a new silver dollar on it and remarked, ‘You can’t beat those colors.’ And the committee agreed.” We also found some correspondence between Waugaman and James Creese, the former Vice President of Stevens and future President of Drexel University. Speaking about the mystery of the Stevens colors, Creese opines that, “If that story of Walter Phelps’ is merely a legend, then I think it’s about time for it to be accredited by some stamp of approval. I like the myth.” We here in the Archives wholeheartedly agree.

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