When did we earn our Tiger stripes? Exploring USN branding

Ever wonder how USN got its colors and branding? Celeste Green ’27 and Abigail Manoukian ’27 visited the school Archive to find out. This article originally appeared in The Peabody Press, the High School student-run newspaper.
By Celeste Green ’27 and Abigail Manoukian ’27

Every University School of Nashville student recognizes Columbia blue, garnet, and Tigers as the colors and mascot symbols of our school, but was it always this way? And where did this branding come from?

These questions are surprisingly difficult to answer due to the fact that, unlike some of our peer schools, USN does not have a formal uniform besides sports jerseys. Thankfully, USN vintage sports uniforms and yearbooks can reveal some information. 

In 1888, long before USN even existed, there was a school called the Winthrop Model School. This school was run by George Peabody College, which may not have had athletic jerseys, merchandise, or color photos to leave for posterity. 

However, it did have a yearbook. USN’s official archivist, Kat Trammell ‘99, traced our current school colors from a 1908 yearbook titled: “The Garnet & Blue.” This yearbook is the first documented mention of USN’s iconic colors in history, meaning they have been part of our history for 116 years.

Read the full article in The Peabody Press here.
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    The MTB team returned to the the twisty trails of tranquil Oakfield, TN on Sept 13th to take part in the second race of the season, as part of the 5-race series hosted by the NICA/TICL League.
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    Please join us at our home volleyball games Thursday, September 17, where our teams and school community will come together to honor the legacy of late Fitness Center Director William B. Scott. There will be space to share memories, be in community with one another, and remember a beloved member of the USN community. We hope to see you all there.
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  • MS athletics recaps for September 3-10

    Our Middle School teams have been crushing the courts this week. With strong performances by all volleyball teams and wins for both boys and girls tennis, the Tigers aren’t slowing down as they reach the midpoint of their seasons. Mountain biking will hit the trails for race No. 2 this weekend, and cross country runners crushed their first home meet. 

    Please join us at our home High School volleyball games on Thursday, September 17 in the Sperling Gym, where our teams and school community will come together to honor the legacy of late Fitness Center Director William B. Scott. There will be space to share memories, be in community with one another, and remember a beloved member of the USN community. We hope to see you all there.
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Contact

Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212

Phone:  615-321-8000
Fax:       615-321-0889 
Email:    info@usn.org

River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218

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USN Mission: 
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.