The Richmond College Seal
At the time that Richmond College was chartered in 1840, the Board of Trustees assigned responsibility for commissioning a seal to a committee. What was then the Richmond College seal was designed in 1841 by Andrew Broaddus and was adopted by the Trustees and engraved on copper.At the bottom of the seal, a legend reads: "Verbum Vitae et Lumen Scientiae." Translated, this means "the word of life and the light of knowledge." The inner part of the seal shows "an eye looking down from a cloud upon an open volume illuminated by a lamp." According to Broaddus, "the eye may represent human sagacity or divine omniscience, according to the fancy of the observer." The lamp symbolizes the light of knowledge – the lamp of learning.
Originally, the words "Richmond College, VA" and "March 4, 1840," the date of the College’s incorporation formed the top border of the seal. In, 1920, the words "University of Richmond, VA" replaced the "Richmond College" inscription.