Macalester’s red shield was introduced in the 1990s, but its origins go back to the college’s Presbyterian and Scottish roots.

In Scotland, each family “clan” has its own official tartan, and Mac has one, too. For decades, the college used a red plaid shield as its logo.

The current shield is rooted in this tradition but is forward-looking and open. If you look, you can see in it the streets of our city, the crossroads of the world, and the strands that make up the fabric of the Macalester community.