The board of trustees approved the official Seal of the University of Tennessee on March 5, 1891. At least three earlier versions of a UT seal were used, and the trustees first authorized procurement of a seal on October 20, 1821. The description of the seal in the 1891 board of trustees’ minutes reads: “an elliptical field of gules bears in its centre a small escutcheon, with the coat of arms of the State of Tennessee. Above is a globe, upon which rests an open book. To the left is a transit, to the right a gear wheel, and below are two olive branches, crossed, enclosing the motto ‘Veritatem cognoscetis, et veritas vos liberabit.’ Around the whole runs the legend ‘The University of Tennessee, Knoxville 1807.’” The date was that of the rechartering of Blount College as East Tennessee College.
In 1898 the board of trustees changed the date to 1794 to reflect the original founding of the institution as Blount College. The seal was modified in 1968 by removing the word Knoxville when the UT system was formed. The board of trustees approved a special color version of seal in November 1961.
In 1986 the university system administratively established guidelines for the use of symbols and seals on various publications and items for sale. A major reason for the guidelines was the 1985 implementation of the outsourced licensing program of symbols and indicia of UT. A modified seal was administratively advanced as the one to be used on stationery and soft goods and in other applications not requiring the use of the official seal of the university. In addition to the need to protect the official seal of UT, the reason for the modification was to make the seal easier to depict graphically, especially in small size. The Latin motto was removed and a change was made in the placement of the book and the globe.
Diplomas were to retain the official seal—with motto and correct placement of the book and globe—as were other documents requiring the official seal.