Cardinal Primary Logo

The Stanford Cardinal Primary Logo has a long and storied history that dates back to the late 19th century. The original logo, which was designed in 1891 by then-Stanford student Charles L. “Pop” Warner, featured an image of a cardinal perched atop an oak tree with the words “Stanford University” written beneath it. This design remained largely unchanged until 1925 when it was updated to include the university's official colors: red and white.

In 1972, Stanford decided to modernize their primary logo by replacing the cardinal with a more stylized version of itself while keeping its traditional perch on top of an oak tree branch as well as retaining its iconic red and white color scheme. This new look became known as "the Tree" and is still used today on all official school apparel including t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, etc., making it one of college sports' most recognizable logos in existence today!

Over time there have been several variations made to this classic design but none are quite so popular or recognizable as "the Tree." It stands for excellence both athletically and academically at Stanford University; representing not only strength but also perseverance through adversity - something we can all relate to no matter where we come from or what our backgrounds may be!