Dear Editor,

The redesign of the Vanderbilt logo, retiring both the “oak leaf V” and “star V,” may be a good thing — indeed, a done deal in any case. What we as a community have overlooked, however, is the meaning of the star behind the V used by the athletic teams. 

The “star V” logo literally means “Vanderbilt Commodores”: the star represents the benefactor and namesake of the university, “Commodore” Cornelius Vanderbilt. In naval terms, a commodore is a one-star admiral, just as a brigadier is a one-star general in the army. 

So, the star is the Commodore, and the V is Vanderbilt — thus, Vanderbilt Commodores. Let’s not lose that star as the identity of our athletic teams.

Sincerely,

Ned Bishop ‘64