{"id":7653,"date":"2018-06-21T10:34:10","date_gmt":"2018-06-21T14:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=7653"},"modified":"2024-04-25T13:22:23","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T17:22:23","slug":"george-mason-colleges-class-of-68-green-and-gold-and-mason-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=7653","title":{"rendered":"George Mason College’s Class of ’68: Green and Gold and Mason Day"},"content":{"rendered":"
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George Mason College, decal, ca. 1970. George Mason University memorabilia collection Box 5. Special Collections Research Center. George Mason University Libraries<\/p><\/div>\n

This is Part 2 of a four-part series of articles pertaining to the George Mason University Class of 1968. The text is borrowed from SCRC\u2019s exhibition \u201cFirst Class: Mason \u201968 and Beyond\u201d currently on display through August 2018 in the SCRC Gallery.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Class of \u201968 laid the groundwork for two distinctly Mason traditions. Both the school colors and Mason Day began with the first class.<\/p>\n

There have been quite a few differing explanations as to how George Mason University ended up with green and gold as its school colors.\u00a0 One often-cited theory is that they were chosen by a faculty member looking to design uniforms for the college\u2019s first athletic teams. He thought green and gold looked good on a uniform. Another suggests Chancellor Thompson liked the green and gold holiday decorations his assistant chose for his office in December 1966 and decided Mason\u2019s school colors should be green and gold.\u00a0\u00a0 A third claims that the green bedroom and gold dining room at Gunston Hall were the inspiration. Finally, and perhaps most oddly, it has been suggested that George Mason himself suffered from gangrene, a disease which turns the toes green and yellow.<\/p>\n

Actually, members of the Class of \u201968 chose green and gold in a poll of the student body in February 1965. One of those who voted for the school colors was Ann Walker Sparks of the Class of \u201868. \u00a0She recalled in a 2004 oral history interview that the majority of the students enrolled at George Mason in 1965 were from local high schools. \u00a0Their selections for the school colors were motivated by local high school rivalries.\u00a0 No one wanted George Mason to have the colors belonging to their former high school rivals.<\/p>\n

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George Mason College sweatshirt, ca. 1968. George Mason University Memorabilia collection, Box 5
Special Collections Research Center
George Mason University Libraries<\/p><\/div>\n

Mason Day evolved from the University of Virginia’s tradition of celebrating Founder’s Day on April 13, Thomas Jefferson’s birthday. George Mason College celebrated Founder\u2019s Day, along with its parent institution since the early 1960s. Beginning in the mid-60s Mason observed \u201cGeorge Mason Day\u201d on the day after Founder\u2019s Day. The first George Mason Day on April 14, 1965 featured a brief program of lectures and speeches given by the faculty and administration.\u00a0 In 1967 it became a high-visibility event and expanded to include academic and service awards presentations, food, and an afternoon of field day-type physical activities. As Mason continued to develop its own unique identity, it moved away from the University\u2019s tradition of observing Founder\u2019s Day altogether and celebrated George Mason Day exclusively.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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\u201cGeorge Mason Day\u201d from
Advocate, 1968. George Mason University Yearbook collection, R0132, Box 2
Special Collections Research Center
George Mason University Libraries<\/p><\/div>\n

The 1968 George Mason Day featured a barbecue, the student\/faculty softball game, a greased pig chase, tricycle races, a Hawaiian luau, the Miss GMC Contest, the tug-of-war, car smash, a dunk tank, human-powered \u201cchariot races\u201d, and other activities; many of these would continue to be part of later George Mason Days. Music was also introduced to George Mason Day. That afternoon a \u201cFolk Fest\u201d, featuring a host of singers and acoustic guitar groups, took place on the Quadrangle. In later years George Mason Day expanded into a multi-day event with camping behind South Building (today\u2019s Krug Hall), late night movies in the Lecture Hall, and live musical acts on Thursdays and Fridays.
\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Follow Special Collections Research Center on Social Media\u00a0<\/em>at our\u00a0Facebook<\/a><\/span>,\u00a0Instagram<\/a><\/span>, and\u00a0Twitter<\/a><\/span>\u00a0accounts. To search the collections\u00a0held at Special Collections Research Center, go to our\u00a0website\u00a0and browse the finding aids by subject or title. You may also e-mail\u00a0us at\u00a0speccoll@gmu.edu<\/a><\/span>\u00a0or call 703-993-2220 if you would like to\u00a0schedule an appointment, request materials, or if you have questions. Appointments are not necessary to request and view collections.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is Part 2 of a four-part series of articles pertaining to the George Mason University Class of 1968. The text is borrowed from SCRC\u2019s exhibition \u201cFirst Class: Mason \u201968 and Beyond\u201d currently on display through August 2018 in the SCRC Gallery. The Class of \u201968 laid the groundwork for two distinctly Mason traditions. Both […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,529,272,94],"tags":[111,263,211,97,637,57,636],"class_list":["post-7653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exhibits","category-george-mason-university-history","category-gmu-fairfax-campus","category-university-archives","tag-exhibit","tag-george-mason-college","tag-george-mason-university","tag-gmu","tag-memorabilia","tag-photography","tag-university-history"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Ep5i-1Zr","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7604,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=7604","url_meta":{"origin":7653,"position":0},"title":"New Exhibit in SCRC First Class: Mason ’68 and Beyond","author":"Bob Vay","date":"June 1, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"On June 9, 1968 George Mason College of the University of Virginia awarded its first baccalaureate degrees to 52 candidates. Prior to that George Mason, then part of the University of Virginia's system of branch\u00a0 colleges, awarded only a two-year associate degree.\u00a0 Attendees were encouraged to complete their degree at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "exhibits"","block_context":{"text":"exhibits","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/First-ClassMason68.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10152,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=10152","url_meta":{"origin":7653,"position":1},"title":"Establishing Our Identity: George Mason’s Fairfax Campus","author":"Bob Vay","date":"June 8, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"This post is part of a four-part series detailing the history of George Mason University from the student perspective. Our initial post, Before We Became George Mason University: Our First Campus at Bailey's Crossroads, can be read here: https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=10138 In August 1964 George Mason College moved from Bailey\u2019s Crossroads to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "exhibits"","block_context":{"text":"exhibits","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/patriot.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/patriot.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/patriot.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7793,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=7793","url_meta":{"origin":7653,"position":2},"title":"Apathy? The Class of \u201968 and Student Life at Mason","author":"Bob Vay","date":"July 31, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"This is Part 3 of a four-part series of articles pertaining to the George Mason University Class of 1968. The text is borrowed from SCRC\u2019s exhibition \u201cFirst Class: Mason \u201968 and Beyond\u201d currently on display through August 2018 in the SCRC Gallery. As is sometimes part of the two-year commuter-college\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "George Mason University History"","block_context":{"text":"George Mason University History","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=529"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/jeckleandhyde.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/jeckleandhyde.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/jeckleandhyde.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/jeckleandhyde.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/jeckleandhyde.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/jeckleandhyde.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7625,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=7625","url_meta":{"origin":7653,"position":3},"title":"The Class of \u201868 Opens the Fairfax Campus","author":"Bob Vay","date":"June 7, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"This is Part 1 of a four-part series of articles pertaining to the George Mason University Class of 1968. The text is borrowed from SCRC's exhibition \"First Class: Mason '68 and Beyond\" currently on display through August 2018 in the SCRC Gallery. In August 1964, George Mason College of The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "exhibits"","block_context":{"text":"exhibits","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/1964_aerial.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/1964_aerial.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/1964_aerial.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/1964_aerial.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/1964_aerial.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/1964_aerial.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10208,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=10208","url_meta":{"origin":7653,"position":4},"title":"George Mason University Becomes Independent, April 7, 1972","author":"Bob Vay","date":"August 26, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"This post is part of a four-part series detailing the history of George Mason University from the student perspective. Our initial post,\u00a0Before We Became George Mason University: Our First Campus at Bailey\u2019s Crossroads, can be read here:\u00a0https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=10138 and Establishing our Identity: George Mason's Fairfax Campus, can be read here: https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=10152\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "exhibits"","block_context":{"text":"exhibits","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Class_of_1972-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Class_of_1972-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Class_of_1972-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Class_of_1972-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Class_of_1972-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7849,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=7849","url_meta":{"origin":7653,"position":5},"title":"The Class of \u201968\u2019s Senior Year","author":"Bob Vay","date":"August 21, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"This is Part 4 of a four-part series of articles pertaining to the George Mason University Class of 1968. The text is borrowed from SCRC\u2019s exhibition \u201cFirst Class: Mason \u201968 and Beyond\u201d currently on display through August 2018 in the SCRC Gallery. 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