The WSU Cougar head logo through the years | Washington State Magazine

In the summer of 1936, Randall Johnson, a fine arts student at Washington State College, designed a simple logo for the college to paint on a facilities truck. The cougar head logo, drawn in honor of Butch the Cougar, rapidly gained popularity and 75 years later represents one of the most recognizable symbols of a university or college in the U.S., if not the world.

Evolution of the Cougar head logo—left, original for Washington State College; right to coordinate with change to Washington State University in 1959.

A WSC campus truck exhibiting the first application of the “Cougar Head Monogram,” July 1936. (Photo by Randall Johnson)

Randall Johnson ’38, BA Fine Art with his two Cougar head renditions in 1976 (WSU MASC)

Vintage logos on former style Cougar Gold cheese cans (WSU Creamery)

The Cougar head logo now flies all around the world. (Sports Flags and Pennants)

And at fairly high altitudes, too—on a Horizon Air Bombardier CRJ-700 (USA Today)

On the fence of Martin Stadium in Pullman (Robert Hubner)

A familiar site on the Glenn Terrell Friendship Mall (Robert Hubner)

Cougar head logos on the Nike-designed athletic uniforms as recently debuted at the Davenport Hotel in Spokane (WSU Cougar Athletics)

New athletic equipment truck graphics prominently displays the Cougar head logo (BIGink/MarketingNW)

WSU gets a few requests each year to put the Cougar head logo on headstones. (Courtesy the Fritch family)

Randall Johnson personalizing 1,250 Cougar Head Monogram special prints for a WSU fundraiser. (WSU MASC)

Randall Johnson was an ardent supporter of WSU. Here is commemorative art by Michael G. Reagan. (WSU MASC)

On the Space Needle for the 2005 Apple Cup after winning the “Tackling Hurricane Relief” challenge (Sky-Pix.com with permission by Space Needle Corporation)

Newly painted Cougar head logo on the Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum roof awaits air travelers flying into Pullman. (From wsufootballblog.com)