Instructional Leadership, emphasis: K-12 School Leadership (MEd)
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The Vault – La Cuesta: The Academic Crest

john | January 27, 2025

On May 1, 1966, the Mountain Campus experienced its ultimate transition from Arizona State College at Flagstaff to Northern Arizona University. To commemorate this achievement, an academic crest was unveiled to represent the new image of the university. Iconic elements of Northern Arizona were included: the triangular peaks of the San Francisco Mountain range, the ponderosa pine, the initials of our new namesake, and of course, the colorful bands of the Arizona state flag… Read more
N A U Academic Crest logo from 1966

The Vault – La Cuesta: Louie the Lumberjack

john | April 9, 2024

While the legacy of Louie the Lumberjack is stronger than ever, his current form is the evolution of over 50 years of transformative mascot designs. While many variations have existed before and have been developed after this particular version, the 1978 Louie stands proud in the history of our mascot design as the cover art of the last edition of the La Cuesta yearbook, also published in 1978. Click the image below to explore the digital version of the final pages of La Cuesta… Read more
Louie the Lumberjack, Northern Arizona University's 1978 logo, showcased in the La Cuesta Collection by College Vault.

The Vault – La Cuesta: the Axe

john |

Iterations of an axe mark date as far back as 1978. Our inspiration came from the 1979 NAU Wrestling team uniform singlets. Other variations of this style of logo were also seen on football helmets… Read more
N A U Axe banner logo

The Vault – La Cuesta: the Megaphone Mark

john |

A quintessential mark of school spirit, the NAU Megaphone was emblazoned across the uniforms of cheer and spirit squads for several years. Initial versions, pre-1966, featured the Arizona State College block “A” on top of a megaphone. After renaming to Northern Arizona University in 1966, the design was updated to have “NAU” embedded into the megaphone design… Read more
Northern Arizona University's historic "Megaphone", showcased in the La Cuesta Collection by College Vault.

The Vault – La Cuesta: Louie the Lumberjack

john |

In 1987, an updated version of Louie the Lumberjack was introduced. Sporting a standard-issue plaid shirt and a friendly smile, “Goofy Louie” as he was commonly referred to took form on school IDs and fan apparel, and he even became the first resident mascot in 1988 at football games and across campus with a lifelike costume rendition. This version of Louie served as the official university mascot until the early 2000s… Read more
Louie the Lumberjack, Northern Arizona University's 1987 logo, showcased in the La Cuesta Collection by College Vault.

The Vault – La Cuesta: the Block “A” Mark

john | March 18, 2024

The block “A,” although iconic across all three state institutions with their respective “Arizona” designations, has been prevalent across the NAU Campus for years. Images from the early 1940s show variations of the “A” adorning the roof of Old Main during our time as Arizona State College (ASC)… Read more
Northern Arizona University's 1940's "Block A", showcased in the La Cuesta Collection by College Vault.