UCLA LOGO: School History and Facts

UCLA stands for the University of California, Los Angeles, which was founded in 1919. It belongs to the University of California system, which has 10 branches and is one of the country’s oldest universities in the US. Following the establishment of the University at Berkeley in 1873, UCLA was the second branch. In addition to the historical emblem, the University of California, Los Angeles has two official logos that show what the school is all about. Both the uppercase and lowercase UCLA Bruins logos use a clean, sturdy sans-serif font, while the secondary logo features a bold, flowing script font. The primary visual components of UCLA’s brand all share the same color scheme blue, white, and gold.

Overview

The Regents of the University of California are the legal owners of the UCLA trademark and the university’s visual identity. The university generates revenue through selling apparel emblazoned with its insignia in the United States and in other countries in Asia, Europe, as well as the Middle East.

There is a seal on the building, which can be taken as a symbol by some. The first corporate seal in the world was designed in 1884 by UC trustees, and its history dates back to that year. Tiffany & Co. is the designer of this seal. However, the original was destroyed in a fire following a devastating earthquake in 1906. Hence, the university contacted Tiffany & Co. again two years later to revamp the design. The five-pointed star was raised, and a book was placed inside the circle.

Almost identical to the current seal, the institution first used it in 1910. Practically little has changed since then. Designers substituted “UCLA” for “1868” when the University of California, Los Angeles made its debut (the year UC was founded).

The current logo is the classy initials “UCLA.” The designers kept the font’s overall look (handwritten italics). However, he gave the letters a calligraphic twist and got rid of the long strip that had underlined the text previously. The term “BRUINS” and the golden border were also eliminated.

Similarly, the campus has its own logo, which is simply the letters “UCLA” in bold italics. The entire organization is generally symbolized by this one sign. This is the creative work of Keith Bright in 2004.

Primary Ceremony and Official Documents

Traditionally, the seal has been used ceremonially and on legal documents. A book, long considered a representation of intelligence and learning, generally lies hidden inside. She has an easygoing, welcoming demeanor, almost as though she wants you to join her in the scientific community. Several sheets have what look like short dashes that are supposed to represent writing. The so-called drop cap style is used to hide all but the capital “A” in the square. It’s nonetheless bigger than life because it’s the place where the road to enlightenment actually begins.

A five-pointed star with a variety of colors adorns the sky above the book. In all directions, beams emanate from it in the form of dashed lines. In this metaphor, the star represents the origin of knowledge, and its luminescence represents its dissemination. The words “LET THERE BE LIGHT” are written on a writing tape at the bottom of the pages. Hence, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) adopted the motto “Fiat Lux” (Latin for “Let There Be Light”) as its own from its ideological forerunner.

An unbalanced ring protects the book and its accessories. The complete name of the school appears, with periods between each word. The letters “UCLA” are shortened and located at the very end of the tape’s bend. It replaced the year “1868” on the original UC seal that was modified for use by UCLA.

Finally, a multi-pointed ring serves as the composition’s capstone. The University of California has used the new seal, designed by Tiffany & Co., since 1910. However, there’s some history behind the UCLA Bruins’ logo, too. Even though the fact that it’s always been shown as if it were an inscription can not be disputed. The logo’s creators, no doubt were basically playing around with different fonts, colors, and sizes.

What is UCLA?

UCLA is the short form of the University of California, Los Angeles. It has since 1919 serves as an institution of higher learning. It was modeled after the Los Angeles Normal School when it was founded, and for a while, it was regarded as a division of the University of California. UCLA would however go on to evolve from a modest outgrowth into a stand-alone institution in 1951. More than 160 buildings in diverse architectural styles, with neo-romanticism predominating, make up the university’s contemporary campus. A lot of American movies have been filmed there as a result of its proximity to Hollywood. The university’s athletic teams, known as the Bruins, participate in Division I of the Pac-12 Conference.

UCLA Bruins Logo

There are 25 teams in all that the university supports in the sports of basketball, baseball, football, golf, tennis, water polo, and other activities. They go by the moniker Bruins and have a bear mascot named Joe Bruin. They generally use graphic images that have a common bearish theme to tell part of their message. However, the primary signals have always been verbal ones. According to the branding guide, the 1920s saw the debut of the first sports lettering logo, and the current design was developed in 2017.

UCLA Bruins Logo: 1964-1978

The team has worn a badge reading “UCLA,” with the first letter capitalized, since the mid-1960s. The distinctive handwriting of the vintage emblem made it stand out. The word was underlined with a long line that started at the lowercase letter “a” and went to the left. The designers also grabbed focus with their choice of color scheme, which included a light blue background with a thin yellow outline.

UCLA Bruins Logo: 1978–1991

After it was finished, the lettering was lifted, eliminating the slope to the right, and the UCLA Bruins sports logo was level. Additionally, the lettering was slightly flattened, giving the vertical lines a larger appearance than in the original design. As a result, the “a” now has a small hook at the end in place of the underscore. The word “Ucla” was written in yellow against a light blue background, mirroring the hues. Additionally, this background roughly mimicked the letter’s outline while being displaced to the left. A three-dimensional effect was produced by this design.

UCLA Bruins Logo: 1991-1996

The 1991 version followed the standard layout of having a blue rectangle with the yellow abbreviation “UCLA” inside of it. Also, the blue word “BRUINS” was underlined by a horizontal stripe of the same color. The logo’s parts were aligned vertically, or one below the other. In the body of the text, a contrast serif typeface resembling Eurotypo Bodoni was employed. While Eurotypo condensed the text. Capital letters were used throughout.

UCLA Bruins Logo: 1996-2017

The University of California, Los Angeles rebranded their athletic logo in 1996. Although the font is the same, the letters in the updated version are noticeably wider to reflect the modern style. The yellow word “BRUINS” fills up the expanded bar from the letter “a.” The designers of the logos chose a serifed, rectangular typeface to represent the teams’ names while also organizing the symbols from largest to smallest.

UCLA Bruins Logo: 2017- Present

The UCLA Bruins’ current logo was officially adopted in 2017, while its origins may be traced back far further. The designers cut down on the “BRUINS” font by eliminating the black shadows and the thin yellow stroke, as well as the elongated “a” section. The remaining letters in “Ucla” were dark blue and underwent a minor alteration. The glyphs’ thicknesses are now uniform, while their curves are smoother and more refined than previously.

UCLA Bruins Logo – Font and Color

The university seal features text written in two different typefaces. They went with a strong grotesque for the motto and a sans-serif face for the school’s name. The UCLA Bruins have always used what appears to be a handwritten, consistent font for their logo. More recently, it has taken on a calligraphic quality. Thus, the logo for the university’s campus is set in a striking italic sans serif. The typography was designed by Keith Bright, who was influenced by Bauhaus principles. He angled the letters so as to create movement in the lettering.

UCLA Blue is the official university color. Hence, it is used for all wordmarks and printed materials associated with the University of California, Los Angeles. Depending on the background, the branding guide also permits the usage of black-and-white versions. Sports seals and emblems occasionally use the orange Westwood Gold color.

What was UCLA Originally Called?

The California State Normal School, University of California, Los Angeles.

Other former names include;

Southern Branch of the California State Normal School (1881–1887)
Southern Branch of the State Normal School (1887–1919)
Southern Branch of the University of California (1919–1927)
The University of California at Los Angeles (1927–1958)

What is UCLA Best Known for?

UCLA, the second-oldest institution in the system, is at the forefront of the academic world and the sporting world. UCLA has a long history of notable alumni and teachers and is known as one of the few “Public Ivies,” or public universities with academic output and a reputation on par with the prestigious Ivy League.

Who was UCLA Founded By?

Founded in 1881 as Los Angeles State Normal School, the institution merged with the University in 1919. In terms of student body size, UCLA (short for University of California, Los Angeles) is the most populous UC institution.

Towards the west of the city of Los Angeles, against the backdrop of the Santa Monica Mountains, and only a few miles from the Pacific Ocean, this area is known as the Westside. The school is located on undulating terrain that was originally a part of an old Spanish land grant known as the Rancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres.

Founders: Edward Augustus Dickson, Ernest Carroll Moore

What are Students at UCLA Called?

“Bruins”

For years, Berkeley fans have alternated between cheering for the Bruins and the Bears. This was one of the many reasons the moniker Bruins was suggested by students. Berkeley’s student leaders extended the moniker Bruins to UCLA as a gesture of brotherly solidarity, and the Associated Student Council at UCLA accepted the offer.

Why is UCLA called UCLA?

The University of California Regents legally adopted the “The University of California at Los Angeles” name and the “U.C.L.A.” acronym in 1927, the same year construction began on the new Westwood campus and discontent with the “Southern Branch” moniker developed.

UCLA Bruins

The UCLA Bruins are an athletic and sports team that competes under the banner of the University of California, Los Angeles. Both the men’s and women’s Bruin teams play in Division I of the NCAA, as members of the Pac-12 and the MPSF (MPSF). In terms of football, they also play in Division I’s Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A).

However, when it comes to NCAA team championships, UCLA ranks second only to Stanford University. The UCLA Bruins has 11 men’s varsity sports and 14 women’s varsity sports.

Nickname and Mascot

The football team at UCLA was originally known as the “Cubs.” This is basically because of the school’s junior status in comparison to Berkeley’s “California Bears” upon its 1919 inception as the Southern Branch of the University of California. Grizzlies became the team’s moniker in 1923. The Grizzlies of the University of Montana joined the Pacific Coast Conference as its tenth and last member in 1926. After changing its name that year from “The University of California at Los Angeles” to just “UCLA,” the school’s athletic teams became known as the “Bruins,” and the nickname stuck.

In the 1930s, the Bruins began renting real bears to perform at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum home football games as mascots. As time went on, fewer and fewer people brought “Little Joe Bruin” to Westwood. However, the tradition was resurrected by students and alums in the 1950s. Little Joe, a Himalayan bear cub originally from India, outgrew his enclosure and was sent to the circus. In 1961, a group of graduates bought “Josephine,” and it was stored in the backyard of the head of the Rally Committee. The San Diego Zoo was the final destination for the little girl.

In 1963, a costumed character named Joe Bruin made his debut. In 1967, a pioneering female student also adopted the mascot role, and together Joe and Josephine “Josie” Bruin attended sporting events. There have been at least six distinct costumes Joe has worn over his lifetime.

Team Colors

The UCLA Bruins’ mascot is the Bruin, while the school’s official colors are UCLA Blue and Westwood Gold. Yellow represents the Golden State, the California poppy, and sunsets; blue on the other hand represents the sea and flowers. As clothing sponsors have come and gone, so have the colors worn by the team. In 2021, Nike and the Jordan Brand began outfitting Bruin varsity sports teams, and this serves as the most recent revitalization.

In its early years, UCLA shared the Yale Blue and gold colors of its rival, the University of California, Berkeley. However, Red Sanders, UCLA’s new football coach for the 1949 season, had the team’s outfits remade. Hence, the traditional Yale blue was replaced by a more subdued hue. Sanders thought the light blue would look better in both the game and the movies. He usually referred to this baby blue uniform as powder-keg blue.

The new True Blue, a shade darker than powder blue, was created in 2002 by UCLA Athletics and Adidas. Nevertheless, when UCLA made the switch to Under Armour as its gear supplier in 2017, the color was retired and Powderkeg Blue was reinstated. As of the year 2021, Nike and the Jordan Brand synchronized their blue with the UCLA Blue color scheme utilized by the school’s academic and administrative departments.

In 2024, UCLA and USC, which is right next door, are both scheduled to join the Big Ten Conference.

UCLA Varsity Sports

Men’s sports	Women’s sports
Baseball	Basketball
Basketball	Beach volleyball
Cross country	Cross country
Football	Golf
Golf	Gymnastics
Soccer	Rowing
Tennis	Soccer
Track & field†	Softball
Volleyball	Swimming & diving
Water polo	Tennis
	Track & field†
	Volleyball
	Water polo

Baseball (Men)

The 2010 squad, led by John Savage, was the first to win 48 games in a season while also capturing the Los Angeles Regional and Super-Regional titles. The 2010 College World Series included eight total teams, including the Bruins, who placed second to the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. In 2011, they also triumphed in the Pac-10 and took home the championship.

UCLA baseball trounced Mississippi State 3-1 and 8-0 in the 2013 College World Series. Thereby winning the team’s first national title.

There have been a lot of successful MLB careers started by former UCLA baseball players. In Game 1 of the 2009 World Series, the Philadelphia Phillies won with two home runs by Chase Utley. The 2009 postseason included four former Bruins baseball players: Ben Francisco and Chase Utley of the Philadelphia Phillies, Garrett Atkins of the Colorado Rockies, and Troy Glaus, the 2002 World Series MVP for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The first overall picks in the MLB drafts on the other hand were pitchers Chris Chambliss and Gerrit Cole. The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Trevor Bauer third overall in the 2011 draft. Brandon Crawford, a former UCLA shortstop who debuted with the San Francisco Giants on May 27, 2011, hit a grand slam home run. He basically played a key role in the Giants’ 2012 Major League Baseball World Series victory. Cole made his Major League Baseball debut with the 2013 Pittsburgh Pirates, where he promptly won his first four starts and drove in two runs with a single in his first at-bat.

Basketball (men)

The men’s basketball team also won several prestigious titles under the tutelage of John Wooden and Jim Harrick. UCLA has won 11 NCAA basketball titles, dating back to 1964. These years generally include some of the most successful in program history. In men’s college basketball, UCLA set a record by winning 88 straight games between 1971 and 1974.

The women’s basketball teams of UConn in recent years have broken records for longest winning streaks in NCAA history with 90 and (now) 91 consecutive victories. However, fewer dynasties emerged in the 35 years (1940-1974) before and after the UCLA streak, with 20 different men’s teams winning championships in that time. Compared to the men’s game, the women’s version has resulted in 35% less (tournament) parity overall, with 13 schools taking home all 35 available trophies since the tournament’s debut.

Additionally, from 1948–1949 through 2001–2002, the Bruins finished with a winning record each and every year.

With Coach Ben Howland at the helm, the UCLA men’s basketball team has recently risen to prominence again. Arron Afflalo, a 2007 First-Team All-American and the Pac-10 Player of the Year, and Kevin Love, a 2008 First-Team All-American and the Pac-10 Player of the Year, led UCLA to three straight Final Four appearances from 2006 to 2008. The six NBA Most Valuable Player Awards won by Abdul-Jabbar plus the one won by Walton, Abdul-successor, and Jabbar make UCLA the school with the most NBA MVP winners.

Following an 83-63 loss to Minnesota in the second round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament, UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero decided to dismiss head men’s basketball coach Ben Howland. Mick Cronin, formerly of Cincinnati, is the current head coach.

Basketball (women)

With head coach Billie Moore at the helm, the women’s basketball team won the AIAW Championship in 1977–1978 with a 27–2 record. On April 4, 2015, the 2014-15 squad defeated the West Virginia Mountaineers 62-60 to claim the 2015 WNIT title.

Women’s Beach volleyball.

The UCLA Bruins are a Pac-12 Conference women’s beach volleyball team. In 2013, UCLA began offering a beach volleyball program.

Women National Championships: 2018, 2019

On May 6th, 2018, at Gulf Beach Place in Gulf Shores, Alabama, the beach volleyball team defeated Hawaii and Florida State to win its first national championship. In addition, they won the title again on May 5, 2019, after beating their opponents at USC.

Cross Country

In thirteen different years, the men’s cross country team for UCLA’s Bruins competed in the NCAA championships, with their best finishes coming in 1980–1981, when they placed fifth, and 1981–1982. The 1985–86 season was the best finish for the UCLA Bruins women’s cross-country team. This nevertheless made eleven appearances in the NCAA tournament.

Football

For about seventeen times the Bruins have either won or shared the conference crown. Famous athletes like Jackie Robinson (4-sport letterman and All-American who is best renowned for his exploits on the baseball field), Gary Beban (Heisman Trophy winner), Bob Waterfield, Troy Aikman, Carnell Lake, and Tommy Maddox are all alumni of UCLA’s football program. The Bruins’ 13-9 shock victory against USC on December 2, 2006, was a crowning achievement in the rivalry’s history. Generally, the Bruins have appeared in back-to-back Pac-12 Football Championship Games, in 2011 and 2012.

In 1954, the UCLA football team tied for first place in the national championship with Ohio State despite both teams having perfect records. Rules at the time prevented a Rose Bowl matchup between UCLA and Ohio State, a game that would have decided the national champion. Nevertheless, in their 12 appearances, the Bruins have won five Rose Bowls.

In the same year (1968), UCLA made history by having the first school to have a top winner in both basketball and football when Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) won the U.S. Basketball Writers Association player of the year award while Gary Beban won the Heisman Trophy for football.

Since its inception in 1936, the College Football Hall of Fame has honored fifteen football players and coaches. And John Sciarra has been the most recent inductee in 2014. Actor and current NCIS star Mark Harmon played and graduated from UCLA’s football team. While, Harmon, named “all-around excellence” award winner, was the quarterback who guided his side to victory on multiple occasions.

The current head coach, Chip Kelly join the team on November 25th, 2017 after he was hired.

After 36 tournament appearances, the UCLA Bruins men’s football team has a 16-19-1 record in the NCAA Division I FBS Tournament.

Softball

The Bruins have gone on to win 13 national championships since 1982 when they won their first. Since then, they have finished in second place seven times in the Women’s College World Series (WCWS), most recently in 2005.

They have also won the World Series on 14 different occasions: 1978, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2010, and 2019. Kelly Inouye-Perez, a former player and assistant coach, led the team to championships in 2010 and 2019.

After her time at UCLA, Natasha Watley helped the U.S. women’s national softball team win gold in 2004 and silver in 2008. Andrea Duran was also a major contributor to the United States gold medal in the 2006 ISF World Championship and silver medal performance at the 2008 Olympics. In addition, Lisa Fernandez, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, and two-time NCAA champion is hardly the only famous Bruin athlete.

Swimming and Diving

The UCLA men’s swimming team has generally sent 16 athletes to the Olympics. While they have won 41 national titles at the individual and team levels.

Though the men’s team was disbanded in 1994, the women’s team continues to practice at Spieker Aquatics Center with head coach Jordan Wolfrum.

Soccer

Since the tournament’s inception for men in 1959, UCLA has won four times (1985, 1990, 1997, and 2002). They have also placed second four times (1970, 1972, 1973, and 2006). The men’s soccer team has made it to the NCAA tournament for the past 26 years in a row. In 2008 they won the Pacific-10 Conference title, however earning them an automatic berth. This is the sixth time in the past nine years that this conference has won the title.

The 2008 MLS Cup was won by the Columbus Crew, which featured three alums of UCLA: Frankie Hejduk, Sigi Schmid, and Mike Lapper. The Crew defeated the New York Red Bulls, 3-1. Cobi Jones, the United State’s all-time leader in international caps, was a Bruin. Carlos Bocanegra, Benny Feilhaber, Jonathan Bornstein, and Marvell Wynne, all formerly of the Bruins, were also members of the United States men’s national team who upset then-No. 1 Spain in the semi-finals of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Head coach Jorge Salcedo was arrested and charged by a federal grand jury in Boston on charges of conspiracy to commit racketeering in connection with the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal in which the squad was implicated. The accusation against Salcedo alleges that he accepted bribes totaling $200,000 to enable two students (one in 2016 and one in 2018) to get admission to UCLA on the basis of forged soccer credentials. Because of this, UCLA has temporarily removed him from his coaching duties. He officially announced his resignation on March 21, 2019. It was reported on April 21, 2020, that he would be entering a guilty plea to the allegations against him.

After 45 appearances, the UCLA Bruins men’s soccer team has a 74-41 record in the NCAA Division I Tournament.

Women

Since the conference’s inception in 1993, the women’s soccer team has won eight championships. It has generally made 12 appearances in the NCAA Championship Tournament, and six of those were in the College Cup. They placed second three times (2000, 2004, and 2005).

For the third time in the history of the program, the undefeated UCLA women’s soccer team received a No. 1 seed for the Women’s Soccer Championships. The Bruins eventually made it to the quarterfinals, where they beat the Duke Blue Devils 6-1 to punch their ticket to the College Cup semis.

Former player Lauren Cheney scored for the U.S. women’s national team during their match against North Korea at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She also helped propel the United States to the finals by scoring the game’s first goal and assisting on the game-winning goal in their semifinal matchup with France.

After 22 appearances in the NCAA Division I Tournament, the UCLA Bruins women’s soccer team has a 66-19 record.

Summary

Some of the best experts in the world are professors at UCLA. As a result, the university as a whole is doing very well. Most people agree that UCLA’s Medical School is one of the best in the world, and students come from all over the world to study there. UCLA gives its students a well-rounded education. It has some of the best departments in the arts and sciences, film, education, architecture, engineering, public affairs, and law.

The current logo is the sophisticated “UCLA” initials. Design team members preserved the font’s recognizable style (handwritten italics). However, he added a calligraphic flourish to the letters and removed the wide strip that had highlighted the text previously. We also got rid of the word “BRUINS” and the gold frame.

The Bruins logo for the campus is the initials “UCLA” written in bold italics. Generally speaking, this sign represents the entire organization. These 2004 works of art were created by Keith Bright.