Before black and gold belonged to Iowa, they were Iowa State’s school colors
IOWA CITY — Before black and gold became synonymous with the University of Iowa, and Iowa State University painted its campus in cardinal red, the University of Northern Iowa actually boasted red among its colors and ISU adopted black, gold and silver as its school hues.
“The college colors are thought by all to be a wise choice and the committee deserve our praise,” according to an article in what was the ISU student paper in 1891, justifying the choice then of silver, gold and black with symbolic reasons for each…